Israeli forces kill young Palestinian in Jericho during night raids in occupied West Bank

Israeli forces killed a Palestinian young man in the refugee camp of Aqbat Jabr in Jericho, in the occupied West Bank, early on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry confirmed in a brief press statement.

Early Monday morning, Israeli forces raided Aqbat Jabr and arrested three individuals, including 20-year-old Suleiman Ayesh Oweid, who was wounded by Israeli live fire before his arrest, according to local residents.

Later in the morning, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that the Israeli authorities had informed the Palestinian Authority's civil liaison office that Oweid had died of his wounds while in custody.

ISF shot dead a Palestinian during operation in Aqbet Jabr Refugee Camp in southern Jericho City pic.twitter.com/UHBzW0C0fq

— Local Focus - Security Alerts (@LocalFocus1) April 24, 2023

"Suleiman was a simple young man, son to a simple family in the camp whom everybody knew," Um Fares, a resident of Aqbat Jabr, told The New Arab. "His mother is member of the women's association in the camp, and we all knew him and treated him as our own son."

"The occupation army entered the camp early firing tear gas and live fire as young men confronted them with stones," said Um Fares. "When the occupation withdrew, they took with them Suleiman, who was wounded, and two others. Nobody knew what his condition was until the news of his death became public."  

"The atmosphere in the camp is sorrowful and tense, and people began to pour into Suleiman's family's house to comfort them," she added.

A Palestinian father painfully speaks about his son, Suliaman Ayesh, who was shot and murdered by Israeli occupation forces during a military raid into Aqabet Jaber camp in Jericho. pic.twitter.com/IF1NwsDf0j

— Kuffiya (@Kuffiyateam) April 24, 2023

"I woke up to the sound of gunfire, while my son was staying over with his friends, our neighbors," his father told Palestinian media on Monday. "Just yesterday, he was helping people at the checkpoint, distributing water," he said, while sobbing.

On the night of Sunday to Monday, Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinians in military raids across the occupied West Bank, including in Hebron, Yaabad, near Jenin, and in the eastern part of Nablus city, where Israeli forces were confronted by Palestinian fighters.

Israeli forces have been escalating military raids on Palestinian towns and cities throughout the occupied West Bank since last year. Suleiman Oweid is the 101st Palestinian killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2023.