Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian in West Bank

Israeli soldiers have shot dead a Palestinian who they claim attempted to attack one of them with a knife in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli military said in a statement on Monday that the Palestinian "assailant" had attacked one soldier in the city of al-Khalil (Hebron), "lightly injuring him."

The statement said the "soldier and other forces at the scene responded with live fire," killing the Palestinian.

Casualties in Gaza

Separately, Israeli soldiers clashed with a group of Palestinians protesting in the Gaza Strip, wounding at least four of them.

Dozens of Palestinian youths took part in a protest in the east of the Gaza Strip on Sunday night as part of an extended series of protests to call for the right of return of those Palestinians displaced by Israeli wars and other acts of aggression, the Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported on Monday.

Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and teargas canisters at the Palestinian youth from across the fence, which divides Gaza from territory occupied by the Israeli regime, wounding at least four of them.

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been gathering at the fence since March 30 in a series of protests dubbed “The Great March of Return.” Israeli soldiers have been heavily deployed there since before that date.

Clashes at the fence peaked on May 14, on the eve of the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day, or the Day of the Catastrophe, marking the date when Israel proclaimed existence.

An estimated 200 Palestinians have so far been killed and over 20,000 others wounded in the protests.

The Gaza Strip has been almost entirely blockaded since 2007.

'Ethnic cleansing'

In an interview with Press TV, political commentator Max Igan said Israel is pursuing a campaign of "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza.

"Israel wants all the Palestinians gone — that would be the price that the Palestinians have to pay... [the price] the people in Gaza have to pay... with the ultimate price of death," Igan said. "The price they are paying is death and amputation and disease. [...] It is part of Israel’s ongoing ethnic cleansing program of Gaza.

Palestinian Authority official remanded in custody

Separately, the PIC reported that an Israeli military court had extended the detention of a Palestinian Authority official who has been in detention since Sunday.

Jihad al-Faqih, the head of the Palestinian Authority's intelligence agency in Jerusalem al-Quds suburbs was ordered detained until October 24 by the Israeli military court of Ofer.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society, Faqih has been accused of "kidnapping Palestinian citizens holding Israeli IDs and interrogating them about their involvement in buying real estate" on behalf of Israeli groups, the PIC reported.

Faqih has denied the charges.

Palestinian prisoner continues hunger strike

Meanwhile, Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan continues a hunger strike that has seriously affected his health in protest at his detention.

Adnan, who has been detained and gone on hunger strike several times before, entered the 51st day of his latest such strike on Monday, the Palestinian news portal reported.

The father of six says his repeated detentions have been arbitrary, and has complained of lack of access to his lawyers as well as family visits.

He has previously been released under deals with the Israelis but has been arrested again and again.

According to the the Palestinian Prisoners Society, Adnan currently suffers from massive weight loss and relevant side-effects as a result of his hunger strike.

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