Palestinian man killed under disputed circumstances during IDF pursuit

Army says Amer Snobar tripped and fell while running away after throwing rocks, while Palestinians say troops shot and beat him to death while he was driving

By ToI Staff and Aaron Boxerman 25 October 2020, 9:02 am Edit
Illustrative. Israeli soldiers stand near the scene of a suspected car-ramming attack at the entrance to the village of Husan, in the West Bank, on June 23, 2018. (Flash90)
Illustrative. Israeli soldiers stand near the scene of a suspected car-ramming attack at the entrance to the village of Husan, in the West Bank, on June 23, 2018. (Flash90)

A Palestinian was killed in the West Bank overnight, with Palestinians claiming that the 18-year-old was shot by Israeli troops, and Israel saying he fatally injured himself while running away after throwing rocks.

The man was named as Amer Snobar, from the town of Yatma, south of Nablus.

According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, he was shot by Israeli troops while driving his car near Turmus Aya, and then beaten by troops with the butts of their rifles.

He was taken to a hospital in Ramallah, where doctors declared him dead, the Health Ministry said.

“Snobar arrived at the Palestine Medical Complex at 3 a.m., with clear signs of having been beaten and violence on the back of his neck,” hospital director Ahmad Bitawi said in a statement carried by the PA Health Ministry.

Pictures published by Palestinian outlets showed a car next to what appeared to be drops of blood. No damage from gunfire could be clearly seen on the car.

The Israel Defense Forces denied opening fire at the man, and said in a statement that his death was the result of a self-sustained injury.

The military said a preliminary probe indicated that Snobar and another young man had been throwing rocks toward an Israeli vehicle on a nearby road, and IDF soldiers arrived and started searching for suspects.

After the forces entered Turmus Aya, two men began fleeing on foot. One of them apparently fell and sustained a head injury from which he subsequently died despite extensive efforts by the troops and IDF medics to save his life, the statement said.

“He was not beaten by IDF forces,” the military said.

The Hamas terror group condemned Snobar’s death, which it deemed an “execution.”

“[Snobar’s] execution shows one of the faces of Zionist terrorism. Our people’s response will be by continuing our resistance and our revolution, and escalating the state of uprising against the occupation and the settlers in the West Bank,” said Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem.

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