Man Shot Dead During Clashes After Friday Prayers in Odala
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Health Ministry said Friday that 38-year-old Bahaa Abdel-Rahman Rashid was killed by Israeli fire in the town of Odala, south of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank.
Emergency Response: The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its teams treated a man with a critical head injury sustained during clashes in Odala and that paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) at the scene.
Witness Account: Witness and Odala resident Muhammad al-Kharouf told AFP that Israeli troops patrolling the town fired tear gas canisters at men as they emerged from the local mosque following Friday prayers. Kharouf, who said he had been inside the mosque with Rashid, said clashes broke out and Rashid was struck by live ammunition.
Israeli Military Statement: The Israeli military told AFP it is investigating the incident. It also said it had recently concluded a two-week counter-terrorism operation in the northern West Bank during which six militants were killed and dozens of suspects were detained, and that Rashid was not among those six militants.
Community Reaction: An AFP journalist reported that dozens of men, including Rashid's father, gathered at Rafidia Hospital in nearby Nablus on Friday to bid him farewell.
Context
Violence in the West Bank has surged since Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, which precipitated the Gaza war. Despite a fragile truce that took effect in October, clashes and operations have continued.
According to an AFP tally based on figures from the Palestinian Health Ministry, more than 1,000 Palestinians — a mix of militants and dozens of civilians — have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war. Israeli official figures report at least 44 Israelis, including soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli operations.
Note: The facts above are based on statements from the Palestinian Health Ministry, the Palestinian Red Crescent, eyewitnesses, and the Israeli military, as reported to AFP.
