Deadly wave of violence in Israel and West Bank

By Nathan Morley

On Wednesday, twin blasts shook Jerusalem, killing an Israeli-Canadian teenager and injuring at least 18 others.

The explosions went off at a busy bus stop near the entrance of the city during the morning rush hour while the second device exploded about half an hour later at another bus station in northern Jerusalem.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks yet, but the authorities have vowed to track down the perpetrators.

Raids in the West Bank

The explosions came amid near-daily raids by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, which authorities said were aimed at arresting suspects of involvement in a series of attacks against Israelis.

On Wednesday, two Palestinians died of wounds sustained from Israeli gunfire around the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Mohammad Herzallah, 30, suffered severe head wounds and died in the hospital of the West Bank city of Ramallah.

The other victim, Mohammad Abu Keshek, 16, died of the critical wounds he sustained on Tuesday night during clashes with Israeli soldiers near Joseph’s Tomb not far from Nablus.

According to estimates, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed since early January, while 30 Israelis have been killed in a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians in Israel and the West Bank.