SARTA, West Bank — A Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers inside his home in the occupied West Bank, according to a family member who spoke on Thursday. The Israeli military acknowledged the shooting, stating that the man had hurled objects at the soldiers before they fired.
The victim, Mustafa Al-Khatib, 32, was discovered dead in his bedroom in the West Bank village of Sarta, located approximately 32 kilometers — about 20 miles — north of Jerusalem. His cousin, Amin Al-Khatib, said soldiers had forced their way through the front door of the home.
“I entered the house. They had broken the door,” Amin said. “He was lying in his bedroom. … We found him on the ground.”
According to the Israeli military, troops were conducting operations in the area when a man began throwing objects at them. The military said soldiers fired warning shots before directing fire at the man.
Video recorded inside the residence showed overturned and ransacked cupboards, along with bloodstains visible on the floor.
The Palestinian Health Ministry, based in Ramallah, released a statement indicating that Al-Khatib’s death raised the total number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank to 72 since the start of the year.
