killing of a disabled man by Israeli soldiers in West Bank

Special forces stormed the village of Beit Awa, southwest of Hebron, and surrounded a paint shop.

During the raid, Muhammad Ahmad Masalma, a 23-year-old with learning difficulties, was hit by a bullet while the Israelis arrested his cousin Thabet Masalma inside the shop.

According to a witness, Masalma attempted to run away in terror during the raid, but the force shot him, injuring him and sending him to a Palestinian ambulance.

He was then transferred to Dura Governmental Hospital, where the Ministry of Health announced his death.

The army claimed in a statement that the forces that shot him "sensed danger" after police and soldiers entered the village.

Masalma was a relative and friend of the prisoner Izz Masalma, who two days ago killed a settler and wounded four others in a shooting near the Tunnels checkpoint in Bethlehem. The following day, he was arrested.

Land seizures and violent attacks to force Palestinians to flee their homes have significantly increased since the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023.

Alongside the attacks, there have been widespread travel restrictions that have prevented Palestinians from entering towns, cities, and villages.

At least 792 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops or settlers since the start of the Gaza war, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.