epa07927544 A woman walks past Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron, 17 October 2019. EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN
epa07927544 A woman walks past Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron, 17 October 2019. EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN
epa07927544 A woman walks past Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron, 17 October 2019. EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN
epa07927544 A woman walks past Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron, 17 October 2019. EPA/ABED AL HASHLAMOUN

Israeli forces shoot dead Palestinian at West Bank checkpoint


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Israeli forces shot a Palestinian who ran towards them with a knife near a military checkpoint in the occupied West Bank on Friday, Israel's defence ministry said, and Palestinian officials said he died of his injury.

Israel's defence ministry said a Palestinian man ran towards a checkpoint between Israel and the central West Bank city of Tulkarem "with a knife in hand, with the apparent intention of attacking security personnel".

The ministry said in a statement that one of the forces called on the attacker to stop, "and upon his failure to do so ... fired toward and neutralised" him.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the individual as a Palestinian national and said he had died of his injuries. Palestinian officials did not immediately provide further details.

Israel's defence ministry circulated a photo of what it said was the scene of the incident. A black plastic sheet, which ministry spokeswoman Betty Ilovici said was laid over the Palestinian's body, could be seen against the roadside with the checkpoint metres away in the background.

The West Bank has seen simmering violence since U.S.-sponsored peace talks with Israel broke down in 2014.

Israel captured the occupied West Bank in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war. Palestinians seek to establish a state there and in the Gaza Strip, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Last week, Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh pledged to stop Israeli soldiers from entering Area A of the occupied West Bank, the part of the territory under Palestinian control according to the Oslo Peace Accords, and carrying out raids there.

"We will prevent the Israeli occupation army from raiding Area A, not with violence but with our bodies," Mr Shtayyeh told the Palestinian newspaper Al-Quds in an interview published on Saturday.

“Israel is invading the PA’s territories, and the signed agreements do not allow for such invasions.”

Palestinians say that such raids have been on the increase in recent months. Israel carries out arrest raids against Palestinians that it says could harm Israeli security. They are often met with resistance, particularly in the territory’s refugee camps.

It is unclear what action Mr Shtayyeh would take to follow up his proclamation.