Israeli forces shot at a car near Bani Naim, east of Hebron, killing a 38-year-old man and seriously injuring two others; the victim was identified as Hossam Alaa al-Din Abdul Jabbar Walad Ali, whose body is reportedly being withheld. Separate incidents near Ramallah and a settler attack in Imriha, southwest of Jenin, left additional Palestinians wounded. The events come amid rising tensions ahead of Israel's national elections, and civil society groups report thousands of attacks and extensive agricultural damage in the West Bank since October 2023.
Israeli Forces Kill One, Wound Several in West Bank Amid Rising Election Tensions
Israeli soldiers carry the body of a Palestinian man, shot by Israeli forces near the Israeli-occupied West Bank town of Bani Naim on Monday [Ahmad Gharabli/AFP]
Israeli forces operating in the occupied West Bank killed one Palestinian and wounded several others in a series of separate incidents across the territory on Monday, Palestinian officials and the Israeli military said.
Incident Near Bani Naim
Troops opened fire on a car carrying three Palestinians near Bani Naim, east of Hebron. Palestinian officials said the shooting left one person dead and two others seriously injured. The Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs identified the man killed as 38-year-old Hossam Alaa al-Din Abdul Jabbar Walad Ali and said Israeli forces are withholding his body.
The Israeli military said the three occupants were 'driving suspiciously' and alleged the vehicle attempted to ram an army vehicle. According to the army, the car accelerated toward the military vehicle and struck it before soldiers fired.
Ramallah Area
Near Ramallah, at Ramun, the Israeli military said it deployed troops after reports that a vehicle had been set on fire and that two 'terrorists' were in the area, one reportedly armed with a knife. The army added that one of the Palestinians was 'neutralised by an Israeli civilian'—a phrase used without further clarification. Palestinian authorities named the injured man as Ahmad Mazen Kahla and said he was critically wounded by Israeli gunfire.
Settler Violence in Imriha
In the Imriha area southwest of Jenin, clashes involving Israeli settlers and Palestinians left three people injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams treated the victims and took them to hospital. Anadolu news agency sources described one victim with a broken leg, another with a hand injury, and an elderly man who was beaten and pepper-sprayed.
Wider Context
The incidents come amid a marked escalation of violence in the West Bank in the run-up to Israeli national elections later this month. Palestinian and international groups have also reported measures they say aim to marginalize Palestinian political participation ahead of the vote.
According to the Palestinian Colonisation and Wall Resistance Commission, since October 2023 there have been at least 14,742 attacks in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, resulting in 66 Palestinian deaths. The commission added that those incidents have damaged or destroyed roughly 147,111 trees—about 100,485 of them olive trees—through breaking, uprooting, burning and poisoning.
Note: This article presents accounts from both Palestinian officials and the Israeli military. Some details remain contested and investigations may continue.
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