Israeli army kills Palestinian in occupied West Bank

By Awad al-Rajoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army on Monday fatally shot a young Palestinian man in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The ministry identified the Palestinian man as Nassim Nayef Salman Abu Fouda, 26, who was killed by "a bullet in the head fired by the occupation soldiers in Hebron on Monday morning."

For its part, the official Palestinian News Agency Wafa said that he was shot while driving his car in front of a military checkpoint.

"The occupation forces, stationed at the 160 military checkpoint, south of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the center of Hebron, fired live bullets at the young man Abu Fouda's vehicle," the news agency reported, confirming that he was shot in the head.

"He was taken to the Al-Ahly Hospital in the city, and the doctors announced his death at a later time," Wafa said.

According to the Hebron Agreement between the Palestine Liberation Organization and Israel, the center of Hebron, including the Ibrahimi Mosque, is subject to full Israeli control.

The agreement signed in 1997 divided the city into two areas, H1, under Palestinian control, and H2, under Israeli control.

Tensions have escalated across Palestinian territories in recent days amid a spate of attacks.

At least seven Israeli settlers were killed in a shooting attack near a synagogue in the Jewish settlement of Neve Yaakov in occupied East Jerusalem Friday night.

The attack came a day after nine Palestinians were killed and dozens injured in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat