Israeli police fatally shot a Palestinian father of four who was trying to scale the concrete wall dividing the West Bank from Jerusalem in search of employment opportunities, Palestinian officials reported.
Palestinian health officials and the Red Crescent named the victim as 44-year-old Zakaria Qatusa from Deir Qadis, located approximately 13 miles northwest of where Tuesday night’s fatal shooting occurred in Al-Ram, a West Bank community adjacent to the barrier.
Israeli police have not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the deadly incident. Qatusa’s funeral took place Wednesday.
According to his brother Khalid Qatusa, the deceased man was attempting to cross into Israel to find work to support his family. “He was forced to resort to this method as there was no other opportunity to meet the needs of his household and live a dignified life. This was the only way,” Khalid Qatusa explained. “He was neither an aggressor nor a threat.”
Growing numbers of West Bank Palestinians have been attempting unauthorized border crossings to seek employment in Israel in recent years. Prior to the current Israel-Hamas conflict, thousands of Palestinians possessed legal work permits for Israel, but these authorizations were severely curtailed following the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
The restrictions have led to skyrocketing joblessness and economic hardship throughout the West Bank, where employment opportunities have become scarce. Similar fatal shootings have occurred at this same barrier location where Al-Ram meets Beit Hanina, a neighborhood in east Jerusalem.
United Nations humanitarian coordination officials report that Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 47 Palestinians as of May 11.
