Israeli forces shot a young Palestinian man dead on Monday near the Tappuah checkpoint south of Nablus

Israeli troops opened fire at two young Palestinian men around noon on Monday in the Jabal Sbeih area of the village of Beita near the Tappuah checkpoint, local Palestinian media reported. It is still unclear as to why the two young men were fired upon. 

An Israeli military spokeswoman told Ma’an News Agency that an Israeli military patrol was passing through the area when it “encountered a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at a main road, which endangered both civilians and vehicles.” 

“The forces called them to halt and fired warning shots, and when they didn’t comply they responded to the threat with direct fire which wounded one of the attackers.”

The spokeswoman said the military attempted to treat the man on site, but he quickly died of his wounds. 

“A military police investigation has been opened into the matter,” she added. 

Nablus TV named the young man killed, a resident of Beita, as Imam Jamil Dweikat. At this point, his age is unclear. 

The Israeli liaison department officially notified the Palestinian Authority that Israeli troops had killed the young man and that his body is being held by the Israeli army. 

Dweikat is the 50th Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in As the year comes to a close, the total total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli armed forces is 2,335, including those killed during this summer’s violence in the Gaza Strip.