Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian man by pushing him off building in the West Bank

Hassan Ribhi Mansiya's father said his son was chased into the building and beaten after soldiers stopped his car

Hassan Ribhi Mansiya, a 32-year-old worker, was killed in the West Bank governorate of Al Khalil. Photo: WAFA
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Israeli forces killed a man by pushing him off a roof in the occupied West Bank governorate of Al Khalil on Tuesday.

Hassan Ribhi Mansiya, 32, was found dead by paramedics in the village of Dhahreyye, the head of the ambulance centre Mohammad Al Ja'abari told The National.

Mr Mansiya's father, Ribhi, told local radio that his son had been intercepted by Israeli forces while driving a vehicle with another young man who worked with him, who later provided an account of what had happened to his son.

He said that his son had been stopped for driving a vehicle with an Israeli license plate, which is forbidden for Palestinians.

Mr Mansiya reportedly tried to escape, while the Israeli soldiers seized the man in the passenger seat.

According to his father, Mr Mansiya was chased by the Israeli troops into a building, which Israeli soldiers then threw him off.

“They chased him into a building, arrested and beat him severely before throwing him off the roof of the building – making him a martyr,” the father said.

“After making sure that my son was dead, they released his friend. The friend began to search for him and found him dead on the ground near the building where he was thrown. Then he called us.”

Mr Mansiya's body had been left by paramedics at the nearest ambulance centre, about 100 metres away from the incident, Mr Al Ja'abari said.

“They said he was left there and was probably dead a little while [before he was transported],” he told The National.

The Israeli army has not immediately responded to The National's request for comment.

West Bank tensions high

Israeli forces also fired tear gas canisters towards a school in Hebron, where “dozens” of pupils and teachers were present, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

In Ramallah, at least four people were arrested after their homes were raided and searched.

Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces fired stun grenades towards pupils at a school in the town of Arraba, south-west of Jenin.

Israeli soldiers “positioned themselves around the area, fired stun grenades, set up a military checkpoint, stopped vehicles and checked people's IDs,” the agency reported, citing security and local sources. No arrests were made.

Israelis carry out raids and “searches” of homes of Palestinians whom they say are “wanted” by Israel – without a search warrant.

Earlier this month, Israel launched a 50-hour raid on the city of Tulkarm, killing 14 people.

Residents there said that the raid was by far the worst that they had seen.

The West Bank is home to three million Palestinians.

At least 7,000 Palestinians have been detained from the West Bank since Israel's war on Gaza began on October 7, the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners' Society said.

More than 360 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank between October and January, including 95 minors, the Ministry of Health said.

Updated: April 30, 2024, 4:07 PM