Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man for allegedly hurling Molotov cocktails at an army post near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said.
According to the Israeli military, soldiers had shot two Palestinians who hurled Molotov cocktails at an army post near the West Bank city of Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian authority.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the killed person was identified as Muhammad Rumaneh, however, his age was not verified stating that the Israeli authorities were withholding his body.
Israeli officials have suggested in the past that holding onto the bodies of Palestinians slain in security incidents can deter attacks and prevent the exaltation of assailants at funerals that often draw giant crowds of protesters.
The residents of Ramallah called for a general strike on Saturday in lieu of a funeral to pay tribute to Rumaneh.
Student groups at the prominent Birzeit University near Ramallah called off the classes on Sunday.
The incident was the latest in a spiral of violence that has gripped the territory for over one and a half years.
The Israeli military has conducted near-nightly raids into Palestinian towns. Militancy has risen in the young Palestinians over a period of time.
Around 200 Palestinians have been killed in bloody incidents so far this year in the West Bank. According to Israel, most of those who have been killed were militants.
Over 30 people have been killed Palestinian attacks against Israelis since the start of 2023.
Earlier, the Israeli military September 9 said that it opened fire at a group of Palestinians outside a refugee camp in the southern West Bank after they had lobbed Molotov cocktails at troops across the way.
The military said that it was aware that one of the Palestinians was shot and added that the Israeli military also suffered casualties.
Palestinian health officials claimed that the Israeli security forces killed a 16-year-old Palestinian in a confrontation in the southern West Bank.
The death count this year in the West Bank and east Jerusalem has already overtaken that of 2022. It was considered the deadliest year since the UN began tracking in 2005.
The Palestinian attacks against Israelis have witnessed an uptick after the Israeli military intensified its arrest raids in the West Bank. More than 30 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis since the start of 2023.
Israel describes the raids as a means to dismantle militant networks and prevent future attacks from taking place, while Palestinians say that the raids undermine their security forces and become an inspiration for more militancy.
(With AP inputs)
