A Palestinian man was killed late Tuesday in Israeli gunfire in theoccupied West Bank, the scene of clashes between protesters and Israeliforces for weeks, Palestinian officials said.
Shadi Omar Lotfi Salim, 41, was shot dead near the flashpoint Palestinianvillage of Beita, the Palestinian health ministry said.
Beita deputy mayor Mussa Hamayel told AFP that Israeli soldiers killed theman as entered the village on his return from work.
“He was killed in cold blood,” the deputy mayor alleged, adding that therehad been no protests in the area Tuesday night.
The Israeli army issued a statement saying that while on routine dutysoldiers “spotted a Palestinian suspect in the area,” south of Nablus.
“When the Palestinian began advancing rapidly towards the troop with asuspicious object identified as an iron bar in his hand, the troop operatedto stop the suspect following the standard procedures, including by firingwarning shots into the air,” the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) said in astatement.
“When the suspect continued advancing, the commander of the troop firedtowards the suspect. The incident will be investigated,” it said
Beita has been the scene of frequent unrest since May, when dozens ofIsraeli families arrived and began building the wildcat settlement ofEviatar on a hilltop near Nablus in defiance of Israeli and internationallaw.
Read Top Stories
After weeks of clashes and tensions, the government of nationalist IsraeliPrime Minister Naftali Bennett struck a deal with the settlers that sawthem leave the Eviatar outpost.
The settlers left behind the rudimentary homes they built until the Israelidefence ministry determines whether the land can be considered stateterritory.
The Israeli military is maintaining a presence in Eviatar until thedecision is made.
The agreement was rejected by the mayor of Beita, who said last Thursdaythat “clashes and protests will continue” as long as any Israeli “remainson our land”.
All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are regarded as illegal by most ofthe international community.-APP/AFP
