Israeli military forces have shot and injured a young Palestinian man in the northern part of the West Bank over an alleged car-ramming attack.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said in a statement that the young man, whose identity was not quickly available, was struck by bullets from Israeli forces at Za’tara checkpoint, known as Tapuah Junction by Israeli settlers and located 9 kilometers (5.59 miles) to the south of the city of Nablus, on Wednesday morning, Palestine’s official WAFA news agency reported.
The statement added that Israeli soldiers prevented PRCS medical teams from reaching the man, who was left bleeding on the ground.
Local sources also told WAFA that Israeli troops closed the checkpoint in both directions, and did not allow people to pass by.
The Israeli military, meanwhile, said in a statement that a soldier and police officer had been lightly injured in an alleged car-ramming attack at the junction.
The statement claimed a Palestinian man hit the pair with his car. He then exited the vehicle and ran at them with a knife drawn before he was shot by the injured police officer at the scene.
The driver was shot and moderately injured by the officer, the Israeli military said.
The Israeli military regularly opens fire on Palestinians whom it accuses of seeking to carry out stabbing or car-ramming attacks against in personnel. In many of such cases, however, human rights groups and witnesses have disputed Israel’s account of the incident.
Israeli troops have on numerous occasions been caught on camera brutally shooting Palestinians who pose no threat at all, with the videos going viral online and sparking international condemnation.