An Arab resident of a town near Jenin whom the Palestinian Authority accused the IDF of killing may very well have been killed by gunshots fired by PA police. The IDF is investigating the death of the Arab in Qabatiya, south of Jenin late Wedneday, and has found evidence indicating that the Arab was killed by PA gunfire.
The incident occurred as IDF soldiers attempted to arrest security suspects in the town. Residents of the town rioted as soldiers began to pull out from the area. Rioters hurled stones and makeshift bombs toward the soldiers’ vehicles, damaging one vehicle so badly that it could no longer be used. The soldiers responded with riot dispersal methods and with live fire into the air. No soldiers were hurt.
The PA accused the IDF of killing one of the rioters. However, an IDF investigation indicated that as the soldiers were being attacked, PA police were trying to put down another disturbance unrelated to the IDF mission. Criminals were apparently attempting to use the riot as a cover for conducting criminal activity, and PA police, responding to that situation, are likely the ones that shot the man, an IDF official said.
With that, the IDF said in a statement, the army would continue investigating the incident in an attempt to find out what really happened.
Also on Wednesday night, IDF troops arrested three top Hamas terrorists, the second such arrest operation this week. The three - Jamal Tawil, Hussein Abu Kwayk and Faraj Romana - were arrested in Ramallah. All of them are senior members of Hamas in Judea and Samaria. On Monday, Israel arrested 10 Hamas terrorists, two of them members of the PA parliament. The arrests took place in Tulkarm, Shechem, and Hevron.