A young Palestinian man was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, following another brutal raid in the Nablus area.
Ahmed Abu Junaid, 21, succumbed to "critical injuries" after being shot in the head on Wednesday morning, the Palestinian health ministry said in a Facebook post.
Abu Junaid was seriously injured at dawn on Wednesday during the Israeli raid on the Balata refugee camp, near the city of Nablus, °®Âþµº's Arabic sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.
Palestinian health officials said that Israeli special forces surrounded a house during an operation in the camp and unleashed live fire, tear gas, and stun grenades at a crowd of young men.
The Israeli army said a gunfight erupted between Palestinian fighters and Israeli forces in the besieged camp, and that a Palestinian was hit.
Journalist Amin Abu Wardeh, who is from the camp, also said Israeli forces had surrounded a house.
Palestinian fighters and local youth confronted the Israeli forces, with injuries among the assaulters.
The Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade - an armed group affiliated with Fatah, the movement which controls the Palestinian Authority - claimed Abu Junaid as a fighter.
Pictures of him brandishing a rifle were shared widely on social media. His death brings the toll of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire so far in 2023 to five.
Twenty-three Palestinians were detained by Israel on Wednesday across the West Bank, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.
Israeli military raids have surged in the West Bank since March.
At least 146 Palestinians were killed by Israeli security forces in 2022 in the and East Jerusalem, according to Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.
Last year's death toll was the highest since 2004, during the Second Intifada, or Palestinian uprising against the Israeli occupation.
Agencies contributed to this report.