Israeli army kills Palestinian in southern West Bank

By Said Amori and Tarek Chouiref

JERUSALEM / ISTANBUL (AA) - The Israeli army killed a Palestinian on Friday, claiming that he was "neutralized" while attempting a stabbing attack near the town of Joura al-Shama, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

The army claimed that the Palestinian, whose name and age were not specified in a statement, came to the area “carrying a knife and attempted to stab,” and that a security guard there fired and “neutralized” him.

No Israeli forces were injured in the incident, the army added.

Palestine’s official Wafa news agency reported that Israeli forces shot a young man with live ammunition near the Israeli settlement of Shama, without confirming the army’s account of a stabbing attempt.

The news agency said the youth’s medical condition remained unclear as of the time of reporting.​​​​​​​

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,006 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.