Conflicting accounts emerge on West Bank shooting

A Palestinian woman was shot and killed on Wednesday after driving her vehicle toward Israeli soldiers. Israeli and Palestinian officials disagree on whether the action constituted an attack.

According to the Israeli side, the incident occurred when the woman attempted to drive a vehicle into a group of Israel Defense Forces soldiers in the West Bank town of Hizma between Jerusalem and Ramallah. The driver then exited the vehicle holding a knife and was shot. One soldier suffered minor injuries, the IDF said in a tweet.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry reported that a Palestinian woman drove her vehicle down a road that was under construction for military purposes when Israeli forces shot and killed her. They identified the woman as 29-year-old Mai Afaneh, according to the PA’s official WAFA news agency.

Violent incidents occur regularly in the West Bank, with Israeli and Palestinian sources often offering different accounts of what happened. Last week, Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian security officers during a raid and also fatally shot a Palestinian teenager while dispersing a protest.

Israel and the Palestinian Territories have remained on edge since the Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that ending fighting last month. Incendiary balloons launched from Gaza caused several fires in southern Israel on Tuesday, prompting Israeli jets to strike Hamas positions early Wednesday morning.