May 18, 2017: Mo’taz Hussein Bani Shamsa, 23, was killed by a live round fired by an Israeli settler in Huwwara Palestinian town, south of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, during a procession in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners holding hunger strike since April 17th.
The settler also shot a Palestinian cameraman, identified as Majdi Eshteyya, causing moderate wounds, and mildly injured three Palestinians after ramming them with his car.
The death of the Palestinian led to clashes between dozens of local youth and Israeli soldiers, who also closed Huwwara road.
Israeli soldiers fired gas bombs, causing many Palestinians to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, two of them, including a man, 49, were hospitalized.
Some Israeli media agencies claimed that the settler “survived a lynching,” and quoted him alleging he opened fire on the protesters, after “he felt that his life was in danger,” also quoting his wife alleging he “was forced to shoot.”
In a Press Release, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights denounced the killing of the Palestinian civilian, and said that its investigations revealed that the settler passed several cars with high speed and attempted to run over some protesters.
It added that a Palestinian ambulance driver then stopped the settler, who instantly took his gun out and started shooting at the protesters, hitting Mo’taz in the head.
The settler is from the illegal Jewish-only Itamar settlement, built on confiscated Palestinian land southeast of Nablus. The Israeli Police said he was taken in for questioning, and confirmed that he is not a “criminal suspect.” Mo’taz was from Beita town, east of Nablus. Source: IMEMC