Senior EU, UN Officials Call for Probe into Israeli Killing of Palestinian Youth
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Senior officials from the EU and the United Nations called for a probe into the killing of a Palestinian youth by Israeli forces in a town near the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.
The UN official and the European Union’s foreign policy chief have expressed shock and horror at the brutal killing.
The United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland said on Friday that he was horrified by the scene of an Israeli soldier killing a Palestinian in the West Bank town of Hawara, near Nablus.
“Horrified by today’s killing of a Palestinian man, Ammar Mefleh, during a scuffle with an Israeli soldier near (the town of) Hawara in the occupied West Bank,” he Wennesland in a tweet.
The UN coordinator added, “Such incidents must be fully and promptly investigated, and those responsible held accountable.”
He also expressed his “heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family.”
Mefleh was shot dead following an alleged stabbing attack against the regime’s forces at a checkpoint in the northern West Bank town of Hawara on Friday.
Footage released on social media showed him being shot four times at point-blank range as he was lying on the ground.
The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the “heinous crime” committed by a “racist Israeli soldier” and held the Israeli regime directly responsible.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli forces blocked emergency responders from reaching the victim.
His death brought to over 210 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of this year.
On Saturday, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, also reacted to the latest Israeli killing of Palestinians.
He said the EU was "greatly concerned" about increased violence in the West Bank, including the killing of the 22-year-old Palestinian by Israeli occupation forces.
“The killing of a 22-year-old Palestinian on Friday by Israeli security forces was the latest example of the recent uptick in violence,” Borrell said, adding, “Under international law, lethal force is only justified in situations in which there exists a serious and imminent threat to life.”
Borrell called for an investigation into the tragic incident and for full accountability.
On Friday, the European Union voiced deep concern over Israel’s use of lethal force against Palestinians, amid a surge in violence in the occupied territories.
The European Union Delegation to the Palestinians made the remark in posts on its official Twitter account, emphasizing that according to international law, the use of lethal force is strictly limited to situations in which there exists an imminent threat of death or serious injury.
It further noted that 2022 has been the deadliest year of violence since 2006, stressing that civilian casualties must be investigated and the regime’s accountability ensured.