The shooter, a father of eight from Itamar in the West Bank who was on his way home from the supermarket, said he felt his life was in danger when he opened fire Thursday afternoon into a crowd of 200 Palestinians who were protesting in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, according to reports citing the Israel Defense Forces. The clash near a military post erupted when an Israeli settler in a car attempted to cross a crowd of Palestinian protesters, with the settler and Israeli soldiers opening fire, Palestinian security sources said.The Palestinian killed was identified by the health ministry as Muataz Bani Shemsay, 23, from a village near Nablus. The one next to me was hit by a bullet in his head, and people said he was killed," he told reporters. A photographer with Associated Press was injured by gunfire, AFP reports citing Palestinian medics.The Israeli military acknowledged the incident, branding the protest aand confirming the casualties among the Palestinians. The protest was held in support of Palestinian prisoners of Israeli jails, who have been on hunger strike since April 17.The Palestinians reportedly surrounded the car and damaged it with stones.A Palestinian identified by the Health Ministry as 23-year-old Muataz Bani Shemsay, resident of a nearby village, died from a gunshot wound to the head.
In a shooting incident near Huwara in the West Bank, a mob of some 200 Arabs hurl stones and rocks toward an Israeli car and try to lynch the driver. The Israeli driver fires his weapon, killing one Palestinian.