Palestinian father killed by Israeli forces while 'trying to prevent son's arrest'

The Israeli military killed a third Palestinian in less than 24 hours in the early hours of Thursday.

The Palestinian health ministry said Samir Awni Harbi Aslan, 41-years-old, was shot in the chest at the Qalandia refugee camp in the suburbs of occupied East Jerusalem, and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

According to eyewitness accounts reported by Palestinian media, Aslan was trying to protect his son from being arrested by the Israeli military when he was shot.

Aslan's death follows the killing of two Palestinians on Wednesday in separate incidents in the West Bank at the hands of Israeli forces.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, Ahmad Abu Junaid, 21, was shot in the head and critically wounded during a morning raid by the army on Nablus's Balata refugee camp. 

Palestinian media said an undercover Israeli army force raided the Balata camp early in the morning. The raid prompted confrontations involving stone-throwing and exchanges of gunfire. 

According to Israeli medics, elsewhere in the West Bank, a Palestinian man was shot after he allegedly attempted to stab an Israeli settler in Hebron. He was identified as 19-year-old Sanad Mohammad Samasra. 

Seven Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces so far this year, including three teenagers. The youngest victim was 15.

Daily raids

According to data compiled by Middle East Eye, Israeli forces killed more Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in 2022 than in a single calendar year since the Second Intifada.

At least 220 people were killed in Israeli attacks across the occupied territories, including 48 children. Of the total death toll, 167 were from the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and 53 were from the Gaza Strip. 

According to UN data, nearly 9,500 Palestinians from the West Bank were also wounded last year.

An additional five Palestinian citizens of Israel were killed in the same period. Meanwhile, in 2022 Palestinians  killed at least 29 Israelis, including one child, the highest death toll since 2008.