Israel kills unarmed Palestinian worshipper in West Bank raid

Ramallah, Palestinian Territories – (AFP):

An unarmed Palestinian man returning from morning prayer was killed by Israeli forces during a raid in the north of the occupied West Bank.

Salah Sawafta, 58, “died of critical wounds, sustained by live bullets from the occupation (Israeli military) in the head, in Tubas this morning,” a Palestinian health ministry statement said.

On the other hand, the Israeli military said soldiers ‘came under fire’ during a raid in the town.

During an operation in Tubas, “several suspects hurled Molotov cocktails and opened fire at (Israeli) troops, who responded with fire,” the army said in a statement, adding “hits were identified”.

The mayor of Tubas, Hossam Daraghmeh, said Sawafta had been leaving dawn prayers when he was shot.

“He left the mosque and was heading to his house wearing a prayer robe. There was a vengeful soldier stationed in a building near the municipality who shot him in the head,” he said.

Daraghmeh said Sawafta had been unarmed when he was hit.

“This man did not have a stone or anything in his hand,” he said.

The Israeli military said five people were trialdetained in overnight raids across the West Bank.

Earlier on Thursday, a 20-year-old Palestinian was killed by Israeli troops in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the Six-Day War of 1967, when it seized the territory from Jordan.

Israel continues its policy of raiding and arbitrarily arresting Palestinians without charge or access to fair trial, provoking anger and resentment among Palestinians.