NABLUS, August 3, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Monday opened fire on a Palestinian young man at Za‘tara Israeli military checkpoint to the south Nablus, injuring him in the foot, said security sources.

Israeli forces opened fire on a Palestinian young purportedly for refusing to undergo a ‘security check’ and attempting to flee the scene.

The man, who remains unidentified, reportedly sustained light to moderate wounds in his foot.  

In the wake of the shooting, forces closed down the checkpoint and tightened ‘security’ check procedures. They reportedly prevented an ambulance from accessing the scene to transfer the injured man to a hospital.

The English-language website of The Times of Israel reported Israeli forces as claiming that “the man was wanted for questioning, and when he attempted to flee from Border Police officers they told him to halt, fired in the air, then shot and injured him.”

On Saturday, Palestinian teenager Laith al-Khaldi, succumbed to critical wounds he sustained after being shot by Israeli forces late Friday during clashes at ‘Atara Israeli military checkpoint to the north of Ramallah. Autopsy conducted on al-Khaldi’s body proved that he was shot from behind.

Meanwhile, another Palestinian teen was killed after he was targeted by Israeli forces stationed in military watchtowers along the border to the north of Beit Lahiya, in northern Gaza Strip.

In the meantime, toddler Ali Dawabsheh was burnt to death, and his entire family was critically injured during settlers’ Friday arson attack on two homes in the village of Duma in Nablus.

In the last few months, B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights center, has documented dozens of cases in the Ramallah area of the West Bank in which Palestinians were injured, some severely, by live ammunition fired by Israeli security forces.

According to Medical reports collected from Palestinian hospitals by B’Tselem, “at least 47 Palestinians – including one woman and 24 minors – were injured by live fire in the West Bank since the beginning of February 2015 in demonstrations or clashes with Israeli security forces,” said the center.

“Four of the 47 casualties – including three minors aged 12, 14 and 17– were hit in the torso, and 23 – including 14 minors – were hit in the thigh,” noted the center in a report issued in June 2015.

B’Tselem’s investigation into some of these incidents, compounded by the large number of persons injured and the types of injury, indicates that live ammunition was used against demonstrators even when security forces were not in mortal danger.

“live bullets were fired in routine situations in which young Palestinians threw stones at the security forces, who were prepared and had protective covering,’ it said.

“The frequent use of live ammunition at demonstrations, in breach of open-fire regulations, shows that it is a not a matter of exceptional incidents but rather the implementation of an unlawful policy.”

“B’Tselem calls on the security forces to discontinue the use of any and all live gunfire – with any type of ammunition – aimed at unarmed civilians, with the exception of extreme situations of immediate mortal danger.”

K.F./T.R.