Two Palestinians were critically injured in clashes with the Israeli army south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, medical sources said.

Palestinian Red Crescent spokeswoman Errab Foqoha told Ma’an that two Palestinians were shot in the chest during clashes in the village of al-Khader, and that they were injured “critically.”

Locals told Ma’an that the two were shot when clashes broke out after Israeli forces began raiding the village and firing haphazardly.

One of the victims, they said, is a middle-aged dentist identified as Hisham Muhammad Atwan Sbeih, who was in his car parked in his front yard near the city’s historical gate when he was shot.

Locals later identified the other victim as Yazan Omar Salah, 16.

Foqoha said Salah was taken to the al-Yamamah hospital in al-Khader, while Sbeih was taken to the Beit Jala public hospital.

Witnesses told Ma’an that Israeli soldiers stopped an ambulance heading towards al-Yamamah looking for the unnamed wounded man. However, medical sources at the hospital confirmed that the he arrived in a private car.

Israeli forces then briefly surrounded the al-Khader hospital.

An Israeli army spokesperson said she was looking into the reports.

(MAAN)