Ramallah / PNN/
The Israeli army today admitted its forces have recently killed a Palestinian who posed no imminent danger.
The army confirmed that 45-year-old father of four Ahmad Hassan Kahleh “was unnecessarily shot dead in front of his son” in front of his 20-year-old son, Qusai, outside Silwad town, northeast of the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, on the morning of Sunday, January 15.
Kahla was one of dozens of Palestinian commuters stuck in traffic during morning rush hour, caused by an army checkpoint erected at the town entrance. He was shot point blank with a single bullet in the neck during a physical scuffle with Israeli soldiers after the latter forced him and his son to exit their car.
Qusai said that he and his father were on their way to work when the soldiers topped their vehicle, shortly after a sound bomb was fired at the car.
According to him, it was then when the soldiers pepper-sprayed the Palestinian father of four and forced him to get out of the car before he fainted.
Israeli media claimed in their initial reports at the time of the shooting that Kahleh was shot while allegedly attempting to carry out a stabbing attack.
However, following a viral video footage from the scene, Israeli media edited their article to quote Israeli army sources as saying soldiers opened fire after trying to arrest Kahleh, and that “he additionally tried to snatch one of their guns”.