Palestinian Man with Disabilities Killed during Israeli Raid in West Bank
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A 23-year-old Palestinian man with learning disabilities was fatally shot during an Israeli military raid in the southern occupied West Bank, health officials said.
Israeli special forces stormed the town of Beit Awa, west of al-Khalil (Hebron), on Friday evening, targeting a paint shop, local eyewitnesses reported.
During the operation, Muhammad Ahmad Masalma, a 23-year-old with learning difficulties, was struck by gunfire as Israeli troops arrested his cousin, Thabet Masalma, inside the shop.
According to witnesses, Masalma attempted to flee in fear but was shot by Israeli forces. He sustained critical injuries and was transported to Dura Governmental Hospital.
Muhammad Rabi, the hospital’s director, said the young man arrived with severe gunshot wounds to the chest and died shortly afterward.
Witnesses also said Israeli soldiers detained another resident, Mithaq Masalma, during the raid.
Elsewhere in al-Khalil's Old City, Israeli forces detained a Palestinian man after allegedly assaulting him.
Local activist Aref Jaber stated that the man was stopped in the Jaber neighborhood, beaten, and transferred to a nearby detention camp. Jaber highlighted that such incidents of harassment and violence by Israeli forces are frequent in the area, with residents often being stopped, searched, and detained arbitrarily.
Violence in the West Bank has intensified since Israel launched its war on the Gaza Strip in early October 2023.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reports that at least 812 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers during this period, with over 6,450 injured.
Meanwhile, in Gaza, the death toll has risen to at least 44,875, with the majority being women and children, as Israeli attacks continue.
