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West Bank: Israeli forces kill Palestinian man, wound dozens in Nablus

Wasim Nasser Abu Khalifa, 20, was shot twice in the chest by soldiers during an Israeli raid
Wasim Nasser Abu Khalifa lived in the Balata refugee camp (Wafa)
Wasim Nasser Abu Khalifa, who was killed in a predawn Israeli raid on Nablus, lived in the Balata refugee camp (Wafa)

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian man and wounded at least 30 others in a predawn raid in Nablus on Thursday.

Medical staff at the city's Specialised Arab Hospital said Wasim Nasser Abu Khalifa, a 20-year-old who lived in the Balata refugee camp, had died from wounds resulting from Israeli army gunfire.

Ahmad Jibril, director of the Palestinian Red Crescent's emergency department in Nablus, told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that Abu Khalifa had been shot twice in the upper chest, including one shot that penetrated his heart. 

Jibril said Israeli forces had opened fire at young men attempting to block their passage after the soldiers swept into several areas in Nablus, including Amman Street, Jerusalem Street, the vicinity of Joseph's Tomb, the Balata and Askar refugee camps and many surrounding communities.

Israel's army said Abu Khalifa was armed and shooting at soldiers, something Palestinian sources denied.

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In addition to Abu Khalifa, three Palestinians sustained gunshot wounds, the Palestine Red Crescent said.

The casualties were rushed to local hospitals, while those suffering from the effects of tear gas inhalation were treated at the scene.

Israeli security forces are conducting near-daily raids in the occupied West Bank and have killed more than 80 Palestinians so far this year.

Later on Thursday, Israeli security forces stormed the offices of several civil society groups in the West Bank, confiscating computers and equipment before sealing off their entrances.

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