By Qais Abu Samra
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian elder was beaten to death early Monday morning by Israeli forces after they stormed his home in the town of Dura in Hebron, in the southern West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement that “Ziad Abu Halil, 66, was martyred after Israeli forces assaulted him during a raid on his home in Dura, south of Hebron.”
The forces entered Abu Halil's home and severely beat him until he lost consciousness, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported, adding that he was taken to Dura Hospital for treatment, but the medical team declared him dead upon arrival due to his injuries.
Abu Halil, a well-known community leader who had long opposed the Israeli occupation, had been injured by Israeli forces in several previous incidents.
Local residents are outraged by the news of his death, said the news agency.
Tensions have been running high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.
At least 743 Palestinians have since been killed, more than 6,200 injured and over 11,100 others detained in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.
*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul