Three Palestinians die in clashes as Israel toughens fence

At least three Palestinians were shot and killed in separate clashes with Israeli security forces in the West Bank on Thursday as Israel announced plans to strengthen a fence near the flashpoint city of Hebron in an effort to contain a two-month spate of heightened violence.

In the first incident, the Israeli military said a clash erupted after troops raided the village of Qattana overnight to search for ammunition and arrest suspected assailants. The Palestinians hurled firebombs and stones at troops, according to the army.

Yehya Taha, 21, was shot in the head and later died, according to Palestinian Health Ministry spokesman Mohammed Awawdeh.

Israeli forces denied Palestinian ambulances access to Taha for over an hour as he bled, the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported.

Later Thursday, Israeli border guards shot and killed a Palestinian alleged attacker wielding a knife near the West Bank city of Nablus. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the man got out of a taxi near a military post and began running toward officers, brandishing a knife. No Israelis were hurt in that attack, Samri added. She did not say how close the man got to the Israeli forces.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the alleged assailant as 51-year-old Samir Seresi.

In a third incident, a 19-year-old Palestinian man, Khalid Mahmoud al-Jawabreh, was shot dead amid clashes between young people and Israeli forces at a Hebron refugee camp, Red Crescent officials and medics told Ma'an.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas lambasted Tel Aviv over the continued deaths. 

"Disappointment, despair and loss of hope in the future led our youth to reactions like those we are witnessing," Abbas told reporters, accusing Israel of undermining his administration and calling for more international involvement.

"The current Israeli government has failed every chance to make peace, and destroyed the foundations of the political, security and economic agreements, which makes us unable to implement, alone, signed bilateral agreements," he said.

The two deaths were the latest in a two-month wave of violence. The recent surge in violence broke out in September after Israel imposed restrictions on worshipers at Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. After the restrictions were implemented, four Israelis were killed in two attacks blamed on Palestinians. Israeli settlers in the West Bank responded by rioting, assaulting Palestinians and destroying their property. A spate of protests, clashes and stabbings have ensued.

Since mid-September, at least 93 Palestinians and 19 Israelis have been killed. More than 2,000 Palestinians have also been injured in clashes with Israeli forces, forcing the Red Crescent to declare an emergency.

Palestinian protesters are calling for unrestricted access to worship at Al-Aqsa, a site also revered by Jews as the location of two ancient temples. The protesters also demand an end to Israel’s decades-long military occupation of the Palestinian territories and the cessation of settlement building, both of which are illegal under international law.

Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon announced Wednesday that Israel will fortify an existing fence west of Hebron, a southern West Bank city that has been a flashpoint in the current unrest. Yaalon said attackers have managed to get through the structure in recent weeks.

"We intend to bring a far more massive barrier there...in light of the bitter experience with the physical damage to this barrier," Yaalon said. "I definitely identify this area as a weak point, from both a security and criminal perspective."

The approximately 25-mile stretch of fence is part of a sprawling West Bank separation barrier that Israel has built over the last decade or so. Israel says the structure is a security measure meant to keep attackers out of its cities. But the Palestinians say the structure is a land grab, since it places sections of the West Bank on the "Israeli" side. The Palestinians claim all of the West Bank for part of a future state.

Yaalon told lawmakers that the project will take a year. The fence will have similar technology as the recently constructed Israeli fence on the Egyptian frontier meant to prevent infiltration by armed groups and African migrants.

Also Thursday, Israeli troops seized eight public transportation buses in the West Bank city of Nablus, according to drivers at the Al-Tamimi company. The military said the buses were intended to ferry Palestinians to checkpoints for demonstrations against Israeli troops.

Despite heightened security, according to a senior military officer, the army has proposed easing restrictions on Palestinians and providing ammunition to Palestinian security forces to help ease tensions and avert attacks by militants. Throughout the unrest, Palestinian security forces have maintained a longstanding system of security cooperation to help contain the violence.

An Israeli official said government officials, however, have rejected the military's proposals. Both the officer and the official spoke on condition of anonymity because the offer has not been made public. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said he opposes confidence-building gestures to the Palestinians until the violence subsides.

Israel says the unrest stems from incitement by Palestinian leaders. The Palestinians say it's rooted in frustrations over Israel's nearly half a century-long occupation. Palestinians also accuse Israel of using excessive force in suppressing violence.

On Wednesday, Israel's parliament advanced a bill that would allow the jailing of minors younger than 14. Children as young as 11 have stabbed Israelis in the current unrest.

The bill, announced on parliament's website, follows a law adopted in early November to toughen penalties against Palestinians for throwing rocks at civilians and security personnel. That law imposes a minimum sentence of three years on rock throwers, and can strip them and the parents of minors of social security benefits.

The latest bill passed a preliminary vote, but would require further approvals to become law.

Al Jazeera and wire services