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Two killed in Israel demolition protests

At least two people have died in clashes between police and demonstrators in southern Israel during an operation to demolish illegally built homes.

An Israeli Arab has rammed his vehicle into a group of police officers, killing one of them before he was shot dead during clashes in southern Israel over a court-ordered operation to demolish illegally built homes.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said on Wednesday a local man sped toward the forces deployed to the Umm al-Hiran village.

He said further clashes ensued in which several policemen were wounded.

Residents say police used excessive force to remove protesters, including live fire, and Amnesty International called for a probe into reports of police brutality.

Rosenfeld identified the slain policeman as 34-year-old Erez Levi.

The Israeli Arab was later named as Yaakub Abu al-Qiyan. It was not immediately clear how old he was.

His brother, Ahmad, said he was "murdered in cold blood".

Lawmaker Ayman Odeh, head of the Arab Joint List in the Israeli parliament, was wounded in the clashes, along with several others.

The Israeli government recently vowed to crack down harder on illegal Arab construction following criticism from Jewish West Bank settlers, who face a court-ordered evacuation of an illegally built outpost and who demanded the law be enforced equally.


2 min read

Published

Source: AAP



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