A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers near the West Bank settlement of Ofra, north of Ramallah, Palestinian health officials said.
Footage of the incident shows the man scuffling with troops, before gunshots ring out.
Initial reports by Hebrew-language media suggested the suspect and several others were first hurling stones at a nearby military post.
The unconfirmed reports said the man then ran toward the post while allegedly brandishing a knife and also attempted to snatch a soldier’s gun, before being shot.
A military spokesperson declined to confirm the reports.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said the man had been killed by the gunfire. He was named as Ahmad Kahla, 45, from the nearby Palestinian town of Silwad.
A video clip documenting the moment the occupation soldiers shot the martyr Ahmed Kahla from the village of Ramoun, near the western entrance to the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah.#Palestine #Ramallah pic.twitter.com/DiMsZLD47F
– Al-Maqdisi Media Network (@almakdseymedia) January 15, 2023
The incident came during an Israeli anti-terror offensive, mostly focused on the northern West Bank, to deal with a series of Palestinian attacks that killed 31 people in 2022.
A picture of Ahmed Kahla (45 years old), who was shot dead this morning by the occupation soldiers, west of the town of Silwad. The Ministry of Health said that he was shot in the neck with a live bullet. pic.twitter.com/u2yYmbkNFv
— Jmedia (@Jmediaps) January 15, 2023
The IDF’s operation has netted more than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids. It also left 171 Palestinians dead in 2022, and another 13 since the beginning of the year, many of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces, though some were uninvolved civilians.