Arab-Israeli shot dead during arrest attempt

Security forces on Saturday shot dead a young Arab-Israeli during a confrontation triggered by the attempted arrest of a relative, police said.

The dawn killing in Kfar Kana in northern Israel comes against a backdrop of soaring Israeli-Palestinian tensions in annexed east Jerusalem where there have been near-daily clashes in flashpoint neighborhoods.

The 22-year-old intervened in the arrest of one of his relatives, threatening the officers with a knife, according to a police statement.

After firing warning shots, the police shot him and he died on the way to hospital, it said.

Dozens of angry youths set up barricades and set fire to tires Saturday on the outskirts of the village, said the police.

Security forces dispersed the crowds and sent reinforcements.

Arab Israelis, who account for about 20 percent of Israel’s population, are the descendent of Palestinian Arabs who remained on their land following the 1948 war.