By Qais Omar Darwesh Omar and Hamdi Yildiz

WEST BANK, Palestine (AA): The Israeli army killed a Palestinian in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that a Palestinian was killed when the Israeli army opened fire in the Nai’lin region west of Ramallah.

Medical sources said the soldiers shot Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja, 29, causing a very serious injury that resulted in his death shortly afterward.

They added that the soldiers stopped and held a Palestinian ambulance while rushing to render aid to the Palestinian.

Instead of allowing the Palestinian medics to render the urgently needed aid to the critically wounded young man, the soldiers called for an Israeli ambulance while al-Khawaja continued to bleed.

The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers opened fire at several Palestinians who reportedly hurled stones at their jeeps.

However, Palestinian sources said the slain Palestinian was not among the protesters but happened to be passing through the area along with his cousin.

Israeli daily Haaretz quoted a military spokesperson stating that the soldiers opened fire at two Palestinians who were “hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles at the Ni’lin junction,” and added that the soldiers “killed one of them, while the other Palestinian managed to escape.”

Haaretz added that the army initiated a search campaign in the area.

Eyewitnesses told an Anadolu Agency reporter that another Palestinian was wounded and taken to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah.

Israel has not issued any statements so far on the incident.

*Writing by Davut Demircan

Additional report from Imemc.org

[Photo: Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja, 29, was killed by Israeli army on 22 March 2020. Photo by Imemc.org]