A Palestinian young man was killed yesterday, Wednesday, during an Israeli forces raid on Balata camp east of Nablus, while the US ambassador to Israel warned of an economic collapse in the West Bank that could lead to violent escalation. Meanwhile, the Israeli Shin Bet security agency claimed to have foiled an assassination attempt on the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir in Hebron.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of 25-year-old Mohammad Jamal Omar Madani, who was shot by Israeli forces in Balata camp in Nablus on Wednesday. The ministry stated that Madani was shot in the hand with live ammunition, was transferred to the hospital, and later pronounced dead from his injuries. This incident is part of ongoing Israeli attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

Separately, the Israeli internal security service (Shin Bet) claimed it foiled an assassination attempt on far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir involving a bomb-laden drone planned by a Hamas cell from the Hebron area.

Shin Bet announced on Wednesday that, in cooperation with the Israeli army, a Hamas cell from Hebron was arrested in recent weeks. The suspects are believed to have operated under Hamas leadership in Turkey, aiming to assassinate the extremist minister Ben Gvir. Investigations revealed that the suspects purchased several drones intending to rig them with explosives to carry out the attack. The drones were seized during their arrest, according to the Israeli agency’s statement.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to Israel Mike Herzog warned that the West Bank is on the brink of an economic collapse that could lead to serious escalation in the region, with ongoing financial crisis threatening broad security consequences.

Herzog told Axios in an interview, “If the Palestinian economy completely collapses, it will be no one’s gain. It will lead to escalation and more despair… Desperate people do desperate things.”

He revealed that negotiations are underway with Israeli and Palestinian officials to release funds and prevent bank collapses. He met with Minister Smotrich and several Israeli officials, and also visited Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh and Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa. A Palestinian official confirmed that Herzog emphasized Washington’s desire to avoid a financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority.

The crisis has directly impacted Palestinians’ lives, forcing the authority to postpone the school year start from September 1 to 8 due to inability to pay teachers’ salaries. Herzog said, “It affects businesses, banks, teachers, taxi drivers… Everyone is threatened with losing their livelihood.”

Maariv newspaper reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intended to hold a political-security meeting to discuss the possibility of imposing Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, alongside measures against the Palestinian Authority and Western countries that announced intentions to recognize a Palestinian state, but the meeting was postponed.