Palestinian who fired at Israeli troops shot dead

Shootings, stabbings and car ramming attacks in Israel have increased in recent years

Israeli security forces secure the scene of an incident at the Hawara checkpoint near the Palestinian city of Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, on November 4, 2020. Reuters

A Palestinian who shot at Israeli troops near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday was killed by soldiers who returned fire, Israel’s army said.

“Troops who were at a military post adjacent to the southern exit of the city of Nablus spotted an assailant driving out of the city armed with a pistol who fired at them, and responded with fire ... The assailant has been neutralised,” a statement said.

An army representative told AFP news agency the suspect was killed. The army said no troops were wounded.

Israel has had a series of shootings, stabbings and car-ramming attacks in recent years, mostly carried out by lone attackers with no apparent links to armed groups. Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups have praised the attacks but have not claimed to have carried them out.

Palestinian and Israeli rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force in some instances, and of killing some suspected attackers who could have been apprehended.