Israeli forces kill Palestinian during raid in West Bank
Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man in the northern occupied West Bank early on Monday morning, security and medical sources said.
The Palestinian sources told Middle East Eye that Jamil al-Kayyal, 31, died as a result of bullet wounds he sustained to his upper body following a raid on the Ras al-Ain area in the city of Nablus. The sources said three other Palestinians were wounded.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Ahmed Jibril, director of the emergency department at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, said two of the Palestinians were injured after being run down by an Israeli military vehicle.
Israel’s paramilitary border police said undercover forces had raided the home of a “wanted” Palestinian man in Ras al-Ain, identified by Palestinian sources as Amir al-Hajj Daoud, and there was violence as they exited the site.
Angry Palestinians gathered in front of the hospital where Kayyal succumbed to his wounds, shouting slogans against the Israeli occupation forces and calling for retribution.
The Fatah movement announced a strike across the West Bank to mourn Kayyal, whom it said was one of its members, and called for a mass funeral procession.
Widescale arrests
Meanwhile, Israeli forces carried out widescale arrests in different areas of the West Bank, detaining at least 20 people, including high-ranking Hamas members.
Sources concerned with prisoners' affairs said in a statement seen by MEE that Israeli forces had raided the home of Sheikh Hassan Youssef, a Hamas commander, in the town of Beitunia, and detained him.
Israeli forces also raided the homes of formerly detained Palestinians linked to Hamas and interrogated them on site.
While Israel does not have a permanent presence in Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank, its forces frequently carry out raids and arrests there.
Excluding occupied east Jerusalem, about 475,000 Israeli settlers live in fortified communities in the West Bank, which is home to more than 2.8 million Palestinians.
The incidents comes days after Israeli forces killed a Palestinian and wounded 70 others in Beita, a village in Nablus, during a protest against Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Beita has been the scene of frequent protests since May, when dozens of Israelis began building a settlement outpost known as Eviatar, in violation of international law, on a nearby hilltop where many Palestinians have farmland and homes.
Additional reporting by Atef Daglas.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
