NABLUS: Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said Saturday, in what the army described as a “car ramming attempt” near Nablus.
Fawzi Mukhalifa, 18, “was killed by the occupation (Israeli) bullets in the town of Sebastia” late on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry said. He was the second Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank within hours.
The army said troops had responded to “a car ramming attempt” in the northern West Bank town “by firing towards the suspects who were in the vehicle. The driver was neutralised.” Another “suspect” who had been in Mukhalifa’s car was wounded and arrested, the army said. Earlier on Friday, the Palestinian health ministry reported the death of Mohammed al-Bayed, 17, near the city of Ramallah. Bayed died from injuries sustained by live bullets fired by Israeli forces in the village of Umm Safa, it said, while Israeli border police accused him of attacking officers. The force said in a statement a “violent disturbance” had broken out “during which suspects threw stones and explosives” at Israeli forces. “A security guard responded by shooting at a suspect who threw a bomb,” the statement said, adding that “a hit was detected”.