March 22, 2020: Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja, 29, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near the entrance of Ni’lin village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.
Medical sources said the soldiers shot Sofian during an invasion of the area, causing a very serious injury that resulted in his death shortly afterward.
They added that the soldiers stopped and held a Palestinian ambulance that was rushing to render aid to the Palestinian.
Instead of allowing the Palestinian medics to render the urgently needed aid to the critically wounded young man, the soldiers called for an Israeli ambulance while al-Khawaja continued to bleed.
The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers opened fire at several Palestinians who reportedly hurled stones at their jeeps.
However, Palestinian sources said the slain Palestinian was not among the protesters but happened to be passing through the area along with his cousin.
Israeli daily Haaretz quoted a military spokesperson stating that the soldiers opened fire at two Palestinians who were “hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles at the Ni’lin junction,” and added that the soldiers “killed one of them, while the other Palestinian managed to escape.”
Haaretz added that the army initiated a search campaign in the area.
Sofian was from Nil’in, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC