RAMALLAH/JERUSALEM, Dec. 5 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers on Friday in the village of Odala, south of the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said.
In a brief statement, the ministry identified the man as 38-year-old Baha Abdel Rahman Rashed.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a separate statement that Rashed sustained a critical gunshot wound to the head. It added that medics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before he was pronounced dead.
Local sources and residents told Xinhua that Israeli forces raided the center of the village as worshippers were leaving a mosque, during which soldiers fired live ammunition, tear gas canisters and stun grenades, triggering confrontations.
Rashed was hit by live fire during the clashes, the sources said.
Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said in a statement that it had killed six militants and apprehended dozens of wanted suspects during a "counterterrorism operation" in the northern West Bank over the past two weeks.
The IDF added that over 30 targeted strikes were carried out, along with several operations involving the Israeli Air Force for transport and operational support.
The West Bank and areas east of Jerusalem have witnessed heightened tensions for nearly two years, coinciding with the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
According to Palestinian figures, more than 950 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Oct. 7, 2023, most of them during raids or clashes with Israeli forces. ■
