Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Israeli undercover forces raided a hospital in the occupied West Bank on Thursday and shot dead a Palestinian during an operation to detain another man suspected of carrying out a stabbing, the Palestinian health ministry and doctors said.
The Israeli army confirmed the raid and said they had detained Abdallah Azzam al-Shalalda, 27, who was suspected of stabbing an Israeli settler near the West Bank city of Hebron two weeks ago.
The director of Hebron’s al-Ahly hospital, Jehad Shawar, told Palestine radio that 20-30 men had arrived at the clinic in two mini vans. They entered with someone pretending to be pregnant. CCTV footage showed them walking along a corridor.
“They held the staff at gunpoint and stormed the room of Shalalda,” Shawar said.
Shalalda’s brother Bilal, who was asleep in vigil alongside him, said he was tied to the bed by the Israeli forces. His cousin, who was in the bathroom, was shot dead when he suddenly entered the room, Shawar said.
“They took Shalalda and placed him in the wheelchair they brought the woman in and they exited the room preventing anyone from giving medical aid to the young man laid on the floor,” Shawar told the radio station.
Shalalda allegedly carried out a stabbing in Gush Etzion in the West Bank last month, the army said. After stabbing an Israeli settler, he was shot by his victim but managed to escape.
Israel frequently carries out undercover operations in the occupied West Bank, with special forces who speak fluent Arabic dressed as locals. There was another raid on a hospital to detain a suspect last month.
*Reuters