Video raises questions about fatal shooting of Palestinian by Israeli troops

Israeli troops have shot and killed a young Palestinian man during clashes in a West Bank refugee camp, but an amateur video suggests he was unarmed and not participating in the unrest when he was shot.

The Israeli military said it is investigating.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Omar Badawi, 22, was shot in the chest during the confrontation in the Aroub refugee camp, near the city of Hebron, and later died of his wounds.

The Israeli military said troops had arrived in the camp after Palestinians threw rocks and firebombs at a nearby road.

The army said soldiers came under attack by a large group of Palestinians throwing stones and firebombs and responded with tear gas and live fire. It could not confirm whether Mr Badawi was involved.

Hours later, a video appearing to show the shooting began circulating on social media. In the footage, a young man is seen walking in an alley between two buildings, with one hand in the air and carrying a towel in the other.

“Bring water. Bring water quickly,” shouts Mr Badawi. As he exits the alley, he appears to be shot at close range from the side.

Abdel-Rahman Hassan, a Palestinian cameraman who said he filmed the incident, said Mr Badawi left his home to put out a fire next to the house.

“He was carrying a towel, and the moment he got there he was shot,” Mr Hassan said. He said Mr Badawi posed no threat, and accused the soldiers of killing him “in cold blood”.

Hundreds of Palestinians attended Mr Badawi’s funeral, while the UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter that the video “would seem to indicate that he posed no threat to anyone” and “such acts must be thoroughly investigated”.

The military said “the incident is being reviewed” but gave no further details.

Palestinians often claim Israeli security forces use excessive or unnecessary force, but incriminating video evidence is rare, making such claims hard to prove.

Palestinians and Israeli human rights groups also accuse Israeli security forces of routinely covering up abuses and carrying out half-hearted investigations.

A video emerged last week showing Israeli troops shooting a young Palestinian man in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet as he walked away from them near a checkpoint outside Jerusalem.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War.

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Israeli troops have shot and killed a young Palestinian man during clashes in a West Bank refugee camp, but an amateur video suggests he was unarmed and not participating in the unrest when he was shot.

The Israeli military said it is investigating.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Omar Badawi, 22, was shot in the chest during the confrontation in the Aroub refugee camp, near the city of Hebron, and later died of his wounds.

The Israeli military said troops had arrived in the camp after Palestinians threw rocks and firebombs at a nearby road.

The army said soldiers came under attack by a large group of Palestinians throwing stones and firebombs and responded with tear gas and live fire. It could not confirm whether Mr Badawi was involved.

Hours later, a video appearing to show the shooting began circulating on social media. In the footage, a young man is seen walking in an alley between two buildings, with one hand in the air and carrying a towel in the other.

“Bring water. Bring water quickly,” shouts Mr Badawi. As he exits the alley, he appears to be shot at close range from the side.

Abdel-Rahman Hassan, a Palestinian cameraman who said he filmed the incident, said Mr Badawi left his home to put out a fire next to the house.

“He was carrying a towel, and the moment he got there he was shot,” Mr Hassan said. He said Mr Badawi posed no threat, and accused the soldiers of killing him “in cold blood”.

Hundreds of Palestinians attended Mr Badawi’s funeral, while the UN Middle East envoy Nickolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter that the video “would seem to indicate that he posed no threat to anyone” and “such acts must be thoroughly investigated”.

The military said “the incident is being reviewed” but gave no further details.

Palestinians often claim Israeli security forces use excessive or unnecessary force, but incriminating video evidence is rare, making such claims hard to prove.

Palestinians and Israeli human rights groups also accuse Israeli security forces of routinely covering up abuses and carrying out half-hearted investigations.

A video emerged last week showing Israeli troops shooting a young Palestinian man in the back with a sponge-tipped bullet as he walked away from them near a checkpoint outside Jerusalem.

Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East War.

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