RAMALLAH: Palestinian officials confirmed an Israeli settler shot and killed a Palestinian man during a clash in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
The Palestinian Authority’s health ministry identified the victim as 35-year-old Thameen Khalil Reda Dawabsheh, who died from gunfire in the town of Duma.
Duma village council head Suleiman Dawabsheh told AFP that settlers trespassed on farmland and attempted to kidnap a teenage boy before the shooting occurred.
“One of the settlers opened fire directly at the young man Thameen Dawabsheh,” he said.
The Israeli army stated an off-duty soldier shot someone allegedly throwing rocks during engineering work near Duma.
According to the army, warning shots were fired before the soldier targeted a rock-thrower until “a hit was identified”.
Duma has faced repeated settler violence, including a 2015 arson attack that killed a Palestinian couple and their baby.
The West Bank, home to three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers, has seen escalating violence since the Gaza war began in October 2023.
At least 968 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since then, per Palestinian health ministry data.
Israeli official figures report 36 Israelis, including security personnel, have died in Palestinian attacks or military operations during the same period. – AFP
