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Photo: Anas Fouad al-Atrash, 23.
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Update Nov 8 09:38

Palestinian medical sources have reported, on Thursday at night [November 7, 2013], that Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinians at two roadblocks near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The sources said that resident Anas Fuad al-Atrash, 23 years of age, was shot and killed by Israeli military fire at the Container Roadblock, northeast of the West Bank city of Bethlehem.

The Israeli military alleged that al-Atrash “attempted to stab a soldier at the roadblock” before soldiers noticed him and shot him dead.

The army withheld his body, and moved it an israeli forensic facility, and handed it to Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance on Friday at dawn.

On Thursday evening, soldiers stationed at the Za’tara roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, shot and killed a Palestinian, after alleging he tried to attack soldiers in the area using a fireworks gun.

Eyewitnesses said that the body of the Palestinian, Bashir Same Hananeen, 28, from Marka village near the northern West Bank city of Jenin, was seen lying next to the roadblock.

Soldiers prevented the Palestinians from approaching, and closed the roadblock, forcing the residents to seek alternate routes.

His family strongly denounced his death, and said that the Israeli claims he carried the fireworks gun are just lies and manipulation of the truth, adding that Hananeen is a college teacher, "executed in cold blood."

Earlier on Thursday, soldiers invaded various districts in the occupied West Bank, and kidnapped at least seven Palestinians before taking them to a number of interrogation facilities.

Later in the day, Israeli officers kidnapped Mohammad Abu Khdeir, at the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv as he was flying back from Egypt.

An Israeli court ordered him under interrogation until November 13, and prevented him from seeing his lawyer. His family said he works for the Jerusalem daily newspaper and that the soldiers broke into their home and violently searched it.

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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man at the Zaatara checkpoint in southern Nablus Thursday, witnesses told Ma'an.

The 20-year-old man from Nablus was shooting fireworks at Israeli soldiers, who responded by shooting the Palestinian to death, witnesses added.

A spokeswoman for the Israeli army said that soldiers opened fire on a man in Tapuah near the Israeli settlement of Ariel, confirming hits.

She said that the man was carrying "an improvised weapon" and firing it repeatedly, and that Israeli forces shot him "to prevent causalities."

The spokeswoman said she had no information about the man's current condition.

Witnesses said that directly following the shooting, a large group of Israeli soldiers gathered at the checkpoint, which was closed.

The man's body currently remains at the checkpoint, locals added.

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Nov 8, 2013

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- The family of Anas Fouad al-Atrash, who was shot dead by Israeli forces overnight Friday, rejects Israeli claims that he tried to stab a soldier, instead insisting he was assassinated in cold blood.

Al-Atrash, 23, was shot dead at the Container checkpoint by Israeli border guards.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the incident occurred around midnight, when a man ran at a border police officer with a knife, prompting him to open fire.

His family says Anas and his brother were on their way back from Jericho when he was stopped at the military checkpoint near Bethlehem.

Israeli forces asked him to get out of the car, before shooting him dead, they say.

"The Israeli army assassinated Anas after they forced him to get out of the car," his family told Ma'an.

Ismail, his brother, was wounded in the incident and is being treated for shock in al-Ahli hospital. He says that his brother was assaulted before being shot dead by Israeli forces.

Palestinian security sources told Ma'an that the military liaison office will form a committee to investigate al-Atrash's death.

They will ask Israel to check footage from security cameras positioned at the checkpoint.

Thousands of people will attend al-Atrash's funeral after Friday prayers in Hebron.

Hours earlier, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man at the Zaatara checkpoint in southern Nablus.

The 20-year-old man from Nablus was shooting fireworks at Israeli soldiers, who responded by shooting the Palestinian to death, witnesses said.

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