Relatives mourn during the funeral of Palestinian Muhammad Marei, who was killed in an Israeli raid in Jenin [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP]
Ramallah, June 29 (RHC)-- Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian man in the northern occupied West Bank city of Jenin, after armed clashes broke out between the Israeli army and Palestinian fighters following a dawn army raid, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA and a local hospital.
The head of the Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital in Jenin, Wissam Baker, said that the 25-year-old Muhammad Maher Marei was brought in at about 5:00am (02:00 GMT) on Wednesday after being shot in the chest.
}ate him were unsuccessful.
“This is most likely a bullet from a sniper that aimed to kill,” said Baker. “This is what we’ve been getting used to in the recent raids on Jenin governorate – no raid takes place without lethal injuries. Even those that are wounded come with critical injuries,” he added.
At least two Palestinian men were arrested during the army’s raid in Jenin. It remains unclear why Marei was shot, but the Israeli army claimed that its soldiers had been attacked, leading to the shooting.
“During the operation, IDF [army] forces fired at several suspects who hurled explosive devices at them, and shooting was also heard in the area,” the Israeli army said. The Israeli army conducts raid-and-arrest operations on a near-daily basis in the occupied West Bank, which often result in injuries or killings of Palestinians.
The army arrested at least 13 Palestinians from across the occupied West Bank overnight on Wednesday.
Over the past few months, Israeli forces have especially intensified their raids on Jenin, where several armed Palestinian groups are active, particularly in the city’s refugee camp.