Palestinian shot dead by Israeli forces in Nablus

A Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli army forces in the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, the Health Ministry said.

In a statement, the ministry said that a 42-year-old man was killed by Israeli fire in Nablus and it was notified of his death by the Civil Affairs Authority, the Palestinian Authority's official liaison office with the Israeli authorities.

According to witnesses, an elite Israeli force using civilian vehicles raided Nablus city and shot a Palestinian, who was walking with his family in Al-Rawda neighborhood in eastern Nablus.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa identified the victim as Qasem Aklik, and his body was seized by the Israeli army.

According to Wafa, Aklik spent 18 years in Israeli jails before he was released by Israel a few years ago.

His death came amid ongoing Israeli military operations in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarem in the northern West Bank that have killed at least 16 people and injured scores since last week.

The military escalation in the West Bank came after a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal took effect in in Gaza on Jan. 19, following 15 months of Israel's genocidal war that killed over 47,400 and reduced the enclave to rubble.

Since the beginning of Israel's war on Gaza in October 2023, at least 893 Palestinians have been killed across the occupied territory in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers.