Palestinian man shot by Israeli troops while trying to cross into Israel for work dies of wounds

JERUSALEM (AP) — A Palestinian man who was shot by Israeli soldiers as he tried to cross the barrier between the occupied West Bank and Israel in search of work died of his wounds Monday, Palestinian health officials said.

It was the second case in less than a week that a Palestinian trying to cross the barrier for work was shot and killed by troops.

The Ramallah-based Health Ministry identified the man as 32-year-old Mahmoud Al-Amleh. It said he was shot Sunday morning by Israeli soldiers in the village of Beit Ula, in the south of the territory near the city of Hebron. Paramedics said Al-Amleh was rushed into surgery at a hospital in Hebron.

Hamdan Al-Amleh told The Associated Press that his cousin was part of a group of workers heading into Israel.

Israel’s military confirmed firing toward Palestinians and injuring one. The military said the soldiers had fired because the Palestinians were suspected of damaging the barrier while trying to cross. In its statement it said that firing toward suspects was standard procedure for apprehensions.

It comes less than a week after another Palestinian was shot and killed in similar circumstances.

Before the Israel-Hamas war, tens of thousands of Palestinians were allowed to work in Israel, but Israel suspended most permits after the attack by Hamas-led militants on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. With the West Bank economy struggling and unemployment up, an increasing number of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank have since attempted to enter Israel illegally in search of menial jobs.

According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 47 Palestinians in the West Bank this year as of May 11.

OCHA says 17 Palestinians have been killed and over 290 others injured while trying to cross the barrier since Oct. 7, 2023.