Israeli soldiers shoot dead second Palestinian in 24 hours

Israeli soldiers have killed a Palestinian man, the second in 24 hours, during a raid on a house in the occupied West Bank.

Falah Abu Maria, 52, was shot dead in his home in the village of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tried to arrest one of his sons, who was wanted by the Shin Bet security forces.

An Israeli military spokeswoman told Reuters that the soldiers were attacked by a mob hurling rocks and bricks and "responded to the assaults with fire toward the main instigator".

Palestinian sources, however, maintain that there had not been any clashes and the shooting occurred inside Abu Maria's house.

According to the International Middle East Media Center, the IDF shot Abu Maria's son Muhammed in the pelvis after he resisted arrest. The man rushed to help his wounded son but was then killed with a shot in the chest at close range. Another member of the family was also shot and injured in the knee.

On Wednesday (22 July), Muhammed Ahmed Aluna, 21, was shot dead by IDF soldiers in the occupied West Bank village of Burkin, west of Jenin.