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Roundup: Two Palestinians killed, diplomatic effort continues

Xinhua, October 24, 2015 Adjust font size:

Tension and violent confrontations between Israel and the Palestinians kept going on Saturday as United States Secretary of State John Kerry, who met in Amman with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, has been trying to defuse tension on the ground.

In the northern West Bank city of Jenin, a Palestinian child was killed on Saturday as he attempted to conduct a stabbing attack near al-Jalama checkpoint, Israeli sources stressed.

Family members told Xinhua that 16-year-old Ahmed Kmail was shot heavily as surveillance cameras showed him running towards the checkpoint with a knife in hand when security forces killed him.

In the Gaza Strip, one man died of wounds sustained in last week's clashes with the Israeli army.

The Health Ministry in Gaza said that 25-year-old Khalil Obeid died on Saturday after Israeli forces shot him east of Khan Younis, south of the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian death toll mounted to 57 since Oct. 1, Palestinian Health Ministry said.

The wave of violence, going on its fourth week, has claimed the lives of nine Israelis in stabbing, shooting and running over attacks carried out by Palestinians.

The Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Saturday met in Amman in a diplomat effort to reduce tension. In the meeting, Abbas stressed the need to maintain the historical status quo in east Jerusalem.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian Presidency, said that Kerry discussed potential steps with the Israeli side.

He told the Palestinian official news agency Wafa that the situation in east Jerusalem and stopping settler attacks "should be Israel's first moves."

In turn, the General Union of Palestinian Labor workers called for an international intervention to protect the Palestinian workers in Israel.

Head of the union, Shahir Saad, said in a statement that the union has sent messages to the UN and the International Labor Organization.

Saad said that these messages urged the institutions to seriously pressure the Israeli government to end the pursuing, evacuations and arrests of journalists.

He added that the Palestinian workers are subject to humiliations that are against the international laws.

The union monitored the shooting and killing of a Palestinian worker in Israel on Oct. 10. Two other workers were injured in two separate incidents, and hundreds were arrested, while some stay under detention.

Tens of Palestinians workers have been laid off their work as a result of the current wave of tension. The Palestinian Labor Ministry said in a statement last week that Palestinians are still subject to "racism."

Tension has first started in east Jerusalem's al-Aqsa mosque compound after extreme Israelis broke into the compound conducting prayers on the Jewish holidays. Endit