Israeli occupation forces today shot and wounded, reportedly critically, a Palestinian man following an alleged stabbing attempt at an intersection near the Gush Etzion settlements bloc, south of the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to local sources.
They said Israeli soldiers opened fire at Mohammad Kamal Blu, 27, a resident of Beit Fajjar town, near the junction, critically injuring him purportedly for attempting to stab an Israeli.
No Israeli casualties were reported though.
The soldiers prevented Palestinian medics from approaching the scene to attend to the Palestinian as he was left bleeding on the ground.
Israeli media reported that the man was in severe condition and subsequently taken to Shaare Zedek Hospital in West Jerusalem.
Photos published by Israeli media show the man lying motionless on the ground.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged stabbing attempt remain unclear and largely based on the Israeli version of events.
Israeli has been criticized for its reflexive use of lethal force and “extrajudicial killings” when Palestinian alleged attackers no longer pose an immediate threat. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that circumstances surrounding such killings over the past months remain disputed.
Video footage for similar alleged attacks appear to disapprove Israeli military claims, showing alleged Palestinian attackers did not even attempt to carry out any attacks. Some footage showed Israeli forces manipulating the crime scene following such killings.
Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency