The most recent killing of a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank occurred when Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man who they allege was approaching them while brandishing a knife.
Yazan Omar Jamil Khasib, 23, died “after the occupation [Israeli forces] opened fire on him at the northern entrance to el-Bireh” city near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli forces were not damaged in any way.
The Israeli army later reported its forces “identified a suspect and requested him to identify himself”. Israeli soldiers allegedly opened fire after the man pulled a knife, “neutralising” him, according to the report. The killing occurred close to Beitin, a Palestinian village close to el-Bireh, the army said in a statement.
At least 84 Palestinians, including children, have been slain by Israeli forces since the year’s beginning.
In the occupied West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday, Israeli troops killed at least four Palestinians, including a teenager. Three Palestinians were slain by Israeli soldiers in a raid in Jenin a week before, and six more were killed in another operation in the same city less than 48 hours later.
During a large-scale operation in the Jenin refugee camp in January, Israeli soldiers killed nine Palestinians, among them an elderly woman.
14 persons died as a result of Palestinian attacks on Israelis in 2023.
The 23-year-death old’s on Friday adds to the recent bloodshed and ensures that 2023 will rank among the deadliest years for violence in the Palestinian territory in recent memory.
According to the human rights organisation B’Tselem, over 170 Palestinians were killed in Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem in all of 2022, making last year the worst in the disputed territories since 2004.
According to news reports, 30 Israelis died during the same time period in 2022.
