A Palestinian man who was trying to damage the West Bank border barrier was shot and killed by Israeli troops, the military said on Sunday.
The man, who was identified as 53-year-old Nabil Ghanem from a village near Nablus, was spotted by Israeli soldiers near the city of Qalqilya as part of a group trying to damage the security fence using tools they brought with them.
According to the IDF, troops opened fire at the group, killing Ghanem in the process. The incident is still being investigated. There were no casualties reported on the Israeli side.
Ghanem was barred from entering Israel due to security concerns, according to the IDF. Meanwhile, Palestinian sources claim he was a mere working stiff.
The incident comes just days after three Palestinian gunmen were killed after opening fire at Israeli troops last overnight Friday.
These recent events might once more escalate tensions between Israel and Palestinians in a rerun of recent months when Islamist terrorists, both Palestinian and Israeli Arabs, launched a spate of attacks that claimed the lives of nearly 20 Israeli over the span of a month.
Israel launched in response a broad counterterrorism operation across the West Bank in a bid to break up terror networks and seize illegal arms.
This also comes as the United States had requested both sides to deescalate the situation ahead of President Joe Biden's visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority next month.
Meanwhile, a rocket fired from the Gaza Strip into southern Israel over the weekend was intercepted by the Iron Dome missile defense system, breaking a two-month lull from the Palestinian enclave.
Hours later, IDF fighter jets struck several targets in Gaza the military claims were Hamas arms manufacturing facilities and positions.