Abdullah Taqatqa

July 28, 2017: Abdullah Mahmoud Taqatqa, 24, was killed by Israeli soldiers at the Gush Etzion settlement junction, south of Bethlehem, in the West Bank, after the soldiers claimed he ran toward the while wielding a knife.

An eyewitness told the Maan News Agency that the Palestinian was walking towards Bethlehem, and was at least twenty meters away from the nearest soldier, when one of them shouted at him, and fired a live round, before other soldiers fired five more rounds.

He added that the soldiers then approached the Palestinian, before one of them kicked him to flip him over, and fired another round at him.

Israeli daily Haaretz quoted the army stating that the Palestinian ran towards soldiers, standing near a hitchhiking spot, while carrying a knife.

“I swear to God; the young man had no weapon of any kind… he had no knives, no weapons… nothing,” the eyewitness said. Abdullah was from Marah M’alla town, east of Bethlehem. Source: IMEMC