Israel kills Palestinian in the occupied West Bank

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian in a car they were pursuing in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinian paramedics said.

Mohamed Issa, 26, was shot in the back by Israeli forces and died following his injuries at the Medical Complex in Ramallah city.

Local residents said Israeli forces opened fire on a Palestinian vehicle during a raid in the city of Al-Bireh, injuring its driver.

Palestinian medics said also said the occupying forces had chased a car up to the entrance of a refugee camp and then opened fire, wounding the Palestinian man in the back. They said he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Israeli military said the soldiers shot a Palestinian who had fired at them from a vehicle.

Israeli forces have shot and killed 26-year-old Palestinian Mohammad Issa Abbas in al-Bireh in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/UYOaIwSCvS

— IMEU (@theIMEU) December 22, 2021

In a statement, the military said the soldiers had come under fire from a passing vehicle while searching for Palestinians spotted approaching the illegal settlement of Psagot, near Ramallah.

"The troops responded with fire and hit the assailant," the military said, adding that none of the soldiers was hurt in the incident.

Palestinian medics said they did not know whether he had taken part in the alleged attack on the Israeli troops.

The violence came a day after Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian motorist they suspected of attempting to drive his vehicle into a military checkpoint near the settlement of Mevo Dotan in the West Bank.

Tor Wennesland, the United Nations Mideast peace envoy, last week said he was "alarmed" by the recent escalation of violence on both sides, saying the situation had become "volatile."

(Reuters contributed to this report)