RAMALLAH, February 6, 2016 (WAFA) - Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah Saturday slammed Israel’s ongoing blockade of Qabatiya, hometown of three Palestinians who carried out a fatal stabbing an gun attack against Israeli officers in Jerusalem, as “collective punishment”.

“Ongoing Israeli policies of field executions, collective punishment and blockading Palestinian cities, towns, villages and refugee camps will exacerbate the security situation,” Hamdallah stated.

“By confining and suffocating our people with military checkpoints, the Israeli government is violating all international laws and charters, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention,” he added.

Hamdallah held Israel responsible for the deterioration of the situation in Qabatiya, which has been blockaded by Israeli forces and has become a scene of clashes for the third day in a row.

Early Saturday, a Palestinian young man was shot and injured by a live round and dozens others suffocated during clashes at the entrance of the blockaded town.

Forces blocked more roads, including dirt routes, with earth mounds, set up more checkpoints and turned several other local Palestinian houses into military outposts.

Israeli army spokesman reportedly said that the village, a home to about 25,000 Palestinians, would remain closed for at least a month and would be reopened only after it had passed a "situation assessment".

The Premier also denounced the killing of a Palestinian boy by Israeli forces in the Hebron town of Halhul, labeling it as a “field execution.”

Haitham al-Baw, 14, was shot dead and his cousin, Wajdi, was injured after they purportedly attempted to throw Molotov cocktails at vehicles travelling near Halhul.

He reiterated President Mahmoud Abbas’ calls for providing the Palestinian people with international protection against Israeli forces’ violations.

K.F. /T.R.