Israeli forces shoot Palestinian at checkpoint south of occupied Jerusalem

Israeli forces wounded and arrested a Palestinian south of Jerusalem, Palestinian sources and the Israeli police said on Monday, 18 September.

The Palestinian, a man in his forties who hasn't been identified yet, was shot and wounded by Israeli police at the Mazmouriyeh checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.

The Israeli police claimed in a statement that their officers ordered the Palestinian man at the checkpoint to stop, which he refused to do.

خلافًا لمزاعم الاحتلال.. مراسل الإذاعة العبرية العامة: الجريح عند حاجز مزموريا صباحًا عمره 48 سنة وتم إطلاق الرصاص عليه لأنه يضع يديه خلف ظهره، ولم يكن يحمل أي سكين، وحالته الصحية متوسطة. pic.twitter.com/DfMKBjiKCa

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) September 18, 2023

The Israeli police's statement further claimed that the Palestinian drew a knife, after which the Israeli officers shot him and then arrested him, and he is in stable condition. 

Not long after, an Israeli public radio reporter denied the police's version and said that the Israeli forces shot the man because he had his arms crossed behind his back.

A video circulated on social media, allegedly from the incident, showed a man at an Israeli checkpoint lying wounded on the ground.

The Mazmouriyeh checkpoint is located at the Israeli separation wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem, isolating surrounding villages from the rest of the region.

Since 2016, Israeli forces have killed and wounded several Palestinians at the Mazmouriyeh checkpoint, including killing a 17-year-old Palestinian in February 2016 and wounding a Palestinian worker in March 2017.

Israeli forces have increased opening fire at Palestinians at military checkpoints since 2016. According to human rights groups, Israeli officials supported allowing Israeli troops to employ a shoot-to-kill policy against Palestinians.

Since the beginning of 2023, Israeli forces have killed more than 200 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.