RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM/WASHINGTON - Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the northern West Bank on Saturday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
According to the ministry in Ramallah, a 16-year-old, Rayan Mohammed Abdel Qader Abu Mualla, was killed in Qabatiya. His body is being withheld by Israeli forces, the statement added. Earlier, a 22-year-old man, Ahmed Said Zayoud, was shot dead in Silat al-Harithiya, northwest of Jenin.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said both incidents involved attacks on troops. In Qabatiya, a Palestinian hurled a brick at soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade's reconnaissance unit during a raid. The troops returned fire, killing the attacker, the IDF said.
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Minutes later in Silat al-Harithiya, another Palestinian threw an explosive device at the soldiers, who also responded with fire, the IDF said. No Israeli soldiers were reported injured in either incident.
Israeli forces frequently conduct operations in the West Bank, which Israel describes as "counter-terrorism" measures targeting individuals linked to Palestinian armed groups.
According to a UN report in mid-December, at least 232 Palestinians, including 52 children, had been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 2025.
Separately, the IDF said its troops killed two Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday after they crossed the Yellow Line, the buffer area established under the ceasefire agreement that took effect on Oct 10, and posed an immediate threat. The air force carried out the strike following the identification of the individuals, the military said.
Over the past 24 hours, Palestinian authorities reported 13 fatalities, including seven previously unrecorded and six newly confirmed deaths, along with 20 injuries. Since Oct 11, 401 Palestinians have been killed, 1,108 injured, and 641 bodies recovered.
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The authorities added that since Oct 7, 2023, 70,925 Palestinians have been killed and 171,185 injured, noting that many victims remain trapped under rubble, with emergency and rescue teams unable to reach them.
Meanwhile, representatives of the United States, Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye have expressed support for the near-term establishment and operationalization of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration in Gaza, US presidential special envoy Steve Witkoff said Saturday.
The representatives of the four countries, during their talks in Miami, Florida on Friday, reviewed the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire, said Witkoff on X, adding further consultations will continue in the coming weeks to advance the implementation of the second phase.
"The first phase has yielded progress, including expanded humanitarian assistance, the return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals, and a reduction in hostilities," Witkoff said.
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"In our discussions regarding phase two, we emphasized enabling a governing body in Gaza under a unified Gazan authority to protect civilians and maintain public order," he said.
Witkoff said that the four countries also called on all parties to uphold their obligations, exercise restraint, and cooperate with monitoring arrangements.
Despite the latest ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that took effect in October, Israel had continued to carry out strikes in Gaza, killing more than 380 people and injuring over 1,000 others, Gaza's health authorities said last week.
