Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank

Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian at a border crossing in the occupied West Bank on Friday, the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Army said, with one soldier also slightly injured in the incident.

Mehdi Bayadsa, 29, was “killed by crew shells (Israel, ed.) near the Rantis military checkpoint west of Ramallah,” the Palestinian ministry said in a statement.

The army said it “neutralized” a Palestinian who had arrived in a stolen car near the West Bank-Israel border crossing.

“While soldiers were inspecting his vehicle, the suspect attacked a soldier and attempted to steal his weapon,” the army said in a statement, adding that the “slightly injured” soldier was taken to hospital.

“After the confrontation, another soldier in the area fired live ammunition at the suspect and neutralized him,” the army continued, saying, “Investigate the incident.”

Nearly three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967. About 490,000 Israelis also live there in settlements that the United Nations has declared illegal under international law.

At least 157 Palestinians, 21 Israelis, one Ukrainian and one Italian have been killed in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the beginning of the year, according to an AFP tally compiled from official Israeli and Palestinian sources.

These statistics include combatants and civilians, including minors, on the Palestinian side and mostly civilians, including minors, and three members of the Arab minority on the Israeli side.