Palestinian Shot by Israeli Soldiers Dies
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A Palestinian shot by Israeli soldiers during a confrontation with stone-throwers in the occupied West Bank two weeks ago died of his wounds on Thursday, his family and a hospital official said.
The incident occurred during protests in support of a hunger strike by four Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Mohammed Asfour, 22, was shot in the head and initially treated in a Palestinian hospital, his family said. He was later transferred to a hospital in Tel Aviv, where a spokesman said he died.
Asfour’s family said his funeral would be held on Friday in his West Bank village. Anti-Israeli protests were widely expected.
Hamas, the Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, said Asfour was one of its members.
Asked about the circumstances of Asfour’s death, the Israeli military said it was “investigating an alleged incident that took place at a violent and illegal riot”.
A surge in anti-Israeli violence in the West Bank over the past several weeks has raised concern in Israel that a new Palestinian uprising could erupt. The violence largely subsided last week after Israel agreed to release two of the hunger-strikers in May and they ended their protest.
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