Israeli forces kill alleged Palestinian gunman as West Bank hostilities continue
According to the Israeli military, the gunman exited his vehicle near Deir Nidham village and threw a grenade while firing shots at the soldiers
July 10, 2023
Israeli forces encountered a gunman in the occupied West Bank on Monday, shooting him after he allegedly opened fire on soldiers. The Palestinian health ministry reported that the alleged attacker was killed in the incident.
According to the Israeli military, the gunman exited his vehicle near Deir Nidham village and threw a grenade while firing shots at the soldiers. In response, the soldiers used live fire to neutralise the assailant.
The Palestinian health ministry identified the deceased as Bilal Qadah, 33, near the village of Deir Nidham, without providing further details.
This incident adds to the escalating violence in the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since the Six-Day War in 1967. Since July 3, a total of 18 Palestinians, including militants and children, along with two Israeli soldiers, have lost their lives in the region.
The majority of these casualties occurred during a two-day Israeli raid in the northern city of Jenin, which was the largest operation of its kind in years.
The United Nations secretary-general, Antonio Guterres, recently criticized Israel for employing "excessive force" during the operation, which involved troops, drone strikes, and armoured bulldozers targeting Palestinians in the densely-populated Jenin refugee camp.
In response to the situation, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that anyone involved in terrorism would face either imprisonment or death.
This year, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has resulted in at least 195 Palestinian deaths, including combatants and civilians, as well as 27 Israeli deaths.
Additionally, one Ukrainian and one Italian have also lost their lives. These figures are based on an AFP tally compiled from official sources on both sides.
The casualties on the Palestinian side primarily include combatants and civilians, while on the Israeli side, they consist mostly of civilians, as well as three members of the Arab minority.
