Palestinian group calls ‘day of rage’ over killings

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah group has called for a “day of rage” on Friday to protest the killing of three Palestinians by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.

“We warn the Israeli army and its settlers from continuing their series of killings and attacks against the Palestinian people,” the group said in a statement on Thursday.

“The continued attacks on our villages, towns, cities camps and the bullying of the settlers against our safe citizens will not bring you any security or stability,” Fatah warned.

Three Palestinians were martyred by Israeli forces for their alleged involvement in shooting attacks in the West Bank, in which two Israelis were killed and nine others injured.

On Thursday, two Israelis were killed and two others wounded in a drive-by shooting near the West Bank city of Ramallah in what it seemed to be in retaliation to the killing of the three Palestinians.

The Israeli military, for its part, announced the city of Ramallah a closed military area, preventing anyone from entering or leaving the city.

Tension has been running high in the occupied Palestinian territories since last year when U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Israel-Palestine conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- now occupied by Israel -- might eventually serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state.