Israeli forces kill Palestinian man during raid in occupied West Bank

A Palestinian armed fighter was shot dead by Israeli forces during a raid on a village near the occupied West Bank town of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry has said.

Amir Ahmad Khalifa, 27, was shot in the head and in the back after Israeli soldiers stormed the village of Zawata, west of Nablus.

He was transferred to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead later.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group associated with the Fatah party, claimed Khalifa, who was a resident of the Ein Beit al-Ma’ refugee camp, as a member.

تغطية صحفية: "ارتقاء الشاب أمير خليفة من مخيم العين متأثرًا بإصابته برصاص الاحتلال في منطقة زواتا غرب نابلس". pic.twitter.com/I9OiOJ9wbP

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) August 10, 2023

Translation: Press coverage: “The young man Amir Khalifa from Ein [Beit al-Ma’] refugee camp has been martyred following an injury by Israeli bullets in Zawata area, west of Nablus.”

The Israeli military said that a Palestinian suspect fired at its troops during a “counterterrorism activity” in Nablus, adding that “hits were identified”.

Speaking to the AFP news agency, a family member who requested anonymity for security reasons, said Khalifa was “wanted by Israeli forces for two years and had refused to surrender”.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces blew up the home of a Palestinian man who allegedly killed two settlers last February.

The latest violence in the occupied West Bank has been a continuation of Israel’s near-nightly incursions on Palestinian cities and towns, which has corresponded with the rise of armed Palestinian groups in the occupied West Bank.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the beginning of the year, with the United Nations warning that 2023 is on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians since it started recording fatalities.

At least 27 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis this year.