PNN/Bethlehem

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Tuesday evening imposed a military blockade on the occupied West Bank villages of al-Hajja and al-Zawiya, after three Palestinian and one American tourist were killed in different occasions throughout the day.

The IOF spokesperson stated that both villages were closed to all traffic, “with the exception of humanitarian cases.”

On Tuesday afternoon, a Palestinian teenager, identified as Abd Al-Rahman Radad, 17, from al-Zawiya village in the occupied West Bank district of Salfit, was shot dead after he allegedly stabbed and wounded an Israeli man near Petah Tikva settlement, around seven miles east of Tel Aviv.

According to the IOF spokesperson, Radad stabbed an Israeli settler in his mid-30s “in the upper part of his body,” leaving him with light to moderate injuries.

Shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, another Palestinian was shot dead after he stabbed and killed an American tourist and wounded at least nine Israelis, near the port of Jaffa.

He was identified as Bashar Masalha, a 22-year-old from al-Hajja village, northern Qalqiliya in the occupied West Bank.

After he stabbed a number of Israelis, he was shot dead and Israelis started torturing him, preventing ambulances from saving him, saying that “he’s an Arab.”

Also on Tuesday evening, the IOF carried out searches at the family house of another Palestinian who was shot dead by the IOF after wounding two Israeli police officers in occupied east Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon.

The IOF has frequently sealed villages and cities that happen to be the hometown of a Palestinian shot dead since October last year.

Local residents have also reported closures following clashes between the youths and the IOF, as well as arbitrary closure to prevent Palestinians from roads used by Israelis and settlers.