PA admits its own forces shot man in West Bank, after falsely blaming ‘lawbreakers’
Rahbi Shalabi, 19, was killed in Jenin amid clashes between PA and Hamas, Islamic Jihad groups; video of incident shows victim shot after approaching PA vehicle on scooter
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday admitted that its forces were responsible for the death of a 19-year-old Palestinian man during unrest this week in the West Bank city of Jenin.
Rahbi Shalabi was killed on Monday amid rare clashes between local terror groups and PA security forces, who exercise limited authority in the West Bank.
The security forces had initially claimed Shalabi was beaten to death by “lawbreakers.”
But on Thursday, the PA said in a statement that “after a diligent follow-up and reviewing all the details… the Palestinian National Authority bears full responsibility for his martyrdom.”
The PA added that it was “committed to dealing with the repercussions” of the deadly incident “in a manner that ensures justice and respect for rights.”
After the clashes that killed Shalabi and wounded a 16-year-old relative of his, the Hamas terror group condemned the security forces of the PA, which is dominated by its political rival Fatah.
Yesterday, the Ramallah Authority’s forces opened fire on the unarmed Palestinian youth Rabhi Shalabi, killing him on the spot in the West Bank. pic.twitter.com/sGJfmJFKpp
— Warfare Analysis (@warfareanalysis) December 11, 2024
A video circulating on social media, which AFP was unable to independently verify, appeared to show Shalabi and his younger relative stopping their scooter near an armored vehicle belonging to the PA security forces before being shot.
Tensions have been running high in the West Bank after the PA arrested several terror operatives earlier this month.
On Thursday last week, armed men seized two official PA vehicles and paraded through the Jenin refugee camp waving flags of the Islamic Jihad group, which is allied with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
There were then gunfights in the area which continued into Monday, despite efforts to calm the situation.
There was significant damage from the gun battles, with AFPTV footage showing smashed windows and fire damage at the local hospital on Saturday night.
The clashes between local terror operatives and PA forces have added to the already soaring violence in the West Bank, with Israeli military raids and settler attacks increasing since the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre in southern Israel triggered the ongoing war.
Since then, Israeli troops have arrested some 5,250 wanted Palestinians across the West Bank, including more than 2,050 affiliated with Hamas.
According to the PA health ministry, more than 716 West Bank Palestinians have been killed in that time. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops, or terrorists carrying out attacks.
During the same period, 42 people, including Israeli security personnel, have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another six members of the security forces were killed in clashes with terror operatives in the West Bank.
