Israeli troops kill Palestinian at Jordan border

The Israeli army shot dead a Palestinian man who purportedly attempted to seize a soldier’s weapon at Allenby Bridge crossing between the West Bank and Jordan.

A military spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse that the Palestinian man died of his wounds shortly afterwards.

“I can confirm he's dead,” a military spokeswoman told AFP.

Israeli officials said the man was shot while trying to snatch a weapon from an Israeli soldier.

“A short while ago a Palestinian attempted to seize the weapon of a soldier at the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jordan. In response the forces at the scene opened fire towards the suspect. A hit was identified,” a military statement said.

The victim was identified as 38-year-old Raed Zeiter from the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian security officials said.

Zeiter had left the West Bank in 2011 and had not returned since, but Palestinian officials said they did not know where he had been living.

Ofer Lefler, spokesman for the Israel Airports Authority which is responsible for all border crossings, said the frontier had been closed in the wake of the attack.

(With AFP)