Israeli settlers shot and killed a Palestinian American during an assault on a village in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry and a local witness Thursday.
Raed Abu Ali, a resident of Mukhmas, said a group of settlers entered the village Wednesday afternoon and attacked a farmer. Residents intervened, sparking clashes. Israeli forces later arrived at the scene, and amid the unrest, armed settlers fatally shot 19-year-old Nasrallah Abu Siyam and wounded several others.
Abu Ali said Israeli troops fired tear gas, stun grenades and live ammunition. The Israeli military said it used what it described as riot control measures after receiving reports of Palestinians throwing stones but denied that its forces opened fire during the confrontation.
“When the settlers saw the army, they were encouraged and started shooting live bullets,” Abu Ali said. He added that they beat injured people with sticks after they had fallen to the ground.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed Abu Siyam’s death from critical wounds sustained Wednesday afternoon near the village east of Ramallah.
