A Palestinian was shot dead after shooting and injuring three Israeli soldiers at an Israeli military checkpoint around the illegal Israeli settlement of Beit El in the central occupied West Bank district of Ramallah, witnesses told Ma’an.

Witnesses said a Palestinian vehicle approached the Israeli checkpoint and stopped for inspection. When an Israeli soldier approached the driver’s window, the driver opened fire, immediately shooting the soldier.

The driver then shot another two Israeli soldiers, one of which witnesses believed was hit in his flak jacket.

Israeli forces then opened fire, shooting the Palestinian driver dead.

Of the three injured, two are in severe condition, while one was mildly injured, a spokesperson with Israel’s emergency medical service, Magen David Adom, said.

The Palestinian driver was latter identified as Amjad Jaser Sukkar, 34, a Palestinian Authority staff sergeant from Nablus. Hours after the shooting, his body was returned to PA forces and is expected to be buried later that day.

Israeli forces set up checkpoints and inspected all Palestinian vehicles in the area after the attack, and later shut down most of Ramallah district’s roads.

A Ma’an reporter said the Beit El checkpoint was closed completely to traffic in both directions, as well as the main road between Ramallah City and the northern West Bank near the village of Ein Siniya. The Atara checkpoint north of Ramallah was closed to traffic in one direction.

“This attack showcases the rejection of security coordination with the occupation, even among members of the PA security forces,” Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri was quoted as saying.

Since a wave of unrest began in occupied East Jerusalem in October and spread across the West Bank and Israel, more than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, and over 20 Israelis have died in attacks, most of which were stabbings.

(MAAN)