Summary: A 54-year-old Palestinian was shot dead during an Israeli army operation in Al-Bira, near Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. The Israeli military says the man attempted to seize a soldier's weapon; his family and local media allege he was deliberately killed after soldiers entered his home. The incident adds to rising tensions across the West Bank since Oct. 7, 2023, with the Health Ministry reporting over 1,100 Palestinian deaths there since then.
54-Year-Old Palestinian Fatally Shot During Israeli Army Operation Near Ramallah
FILE PHOTO - Israeli forces demolish two residential buildings in Birzeit near Ramallah. (is associated with: «Palestinian killed during Israeli army operation in the West Bank») Salman Mohsen Alkhatib/JNA via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
A 54-year-old Palestinian man was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers during an operation in the town of Al-Bira, just outside Ramallah, the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah reported on Tuesday.
The Israeli military said the man tried to seize a soldier's weapon during the raid and was shot after the alleged attempt. Palestinian media, citing the man's family, said soldiers deliberately killed him and reported that troops had forced their way into his home and the neighbouring house belonging to his brother.
These accounts conflict and have not been independently verified. Eyewitness testimony and official statements differ, and no independent investigation results have been published so far.
Context
The incident comes amid escalating violence across the occupied West Bank since the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Gaza war. The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, 2023, in Israeli military operations, armed clashes and attacks carried out by Palestinians.
Israeli authorities have not released additional details about the operation or whether a formal inquiry will follow.
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