PA slams ‘execution’ of Palestinian man who IDF says was killed in ‘violent confrontation’

The Palestinian Authority Foreign Ministry condemns as an “execution” the killing of a Palestinian man by Israeli forces at a checkpoint in the West Bank earlier today.

The ministry slamms the “heinous execution” of Ahmad Kahla, 45, who was shot dead by troops near the village of Silwad north of Ramallah.

According to the IDF, troops identified a suspicious vehicle near the Ofra settlement that allegedly refused to stop for a routine inspection.

“Following the identification of this suspicious activity, the soldiers used riot dispersal means in order to detain one of the suspects in the vehicle,” the IDF said in a statement. The army said a “violent confrontation” began, during which the suspect attempted to grab a soldier’s gun. “The soldiers used live fire toward the suspect,” the IDF said, adding that he was hit.

The man’s son, Qusai Kahla, tells AFP he was in the car with his father when they were stopped at the checkpoint.

“Soldiers came and they sprayed pepper spray on my face and pulled me out of the car,” the 18-year-old says. “I don’t know what happened after that.”