Body of Palestinian found near settlement after failed cattle theft

Police said Thursday morning that the body of a Palestinian man in his 30s was found overnight near the West Bank settlement of Itamar.

The man, a resident of Jericho, was suspected to have been part of a group that on Friday tried to steal some 50 cows from the settlement, police said.

The group was pursued by settlement residents as it herded the cows away. After several kilometers the thieves abandoned the cattle and escaped.

The man’s body had no gunshot wounds or signs of violence, and the prevailing assessment is that he fell to his death while fleeing, Channel 12 news reported.

The body was taken to the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv to determine the cause of death and police have opened an investigation.

Police said additionally that they have identified two of the suspects involved in the cattle rustling.