US extremely concerned by levels of violence in Israel and West Bank

The United States is extremely concerned by the levels of violence in Israel and the West Bank and is concerned that a raid by Israeli forces there could set back efforts at restoring calm, the State Department said on Wednesday.

State Department spokesman Ned Price told a regular press briefing that Washington recognized Israel’s security concerns but was deeply concerned by the large number of injuries and loss of civilian life.

Israeli troops killed 10 Palestinians, including at least four gunmen and three civilians, and wounded over 100 others during a raid on the flashpoint city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, witnesses and medical officials said.