News / Palestine

Elderly Palestinian man dies after being beaten by Israeli forces in West Bank

Wednesday, 12 January 2022 11:45 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 13 January 2022 2:36 PM ]

Omar Abdel-Majid Asaad, 80, dies after being arrested and beaten by Israeli forces on Jan. 12, 2022 in the West Bank.

An 80-year-old Palestinian man has died in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah after being arrested and beaten in handcuffs by Israeli forces.

Omar Abdel-Majid Asaad was found in a critical condition after the assault near his home in Jiljilya village north of the city. He died before reaching the hospital.

Asaad, who had health problems, had been driving home at around 00:30 GMT (2:30 a.m. local time) on Wednesday when he was stopped by Israeli forces conducting a nighttime raid in the area.

Israeli “soldiers handcuffed him and blindfolded him, and dragged him on the ground,” and “when they saw that he died, they left,” according to local reports citing family members and local Palestinian officials.

Local Palestinian officials demanded an international investigation into the brutal killing of the elderly and sick man by Israeli forces.

These photo show the handcuffed hand (L) of Omar Abdel-Majid Asaad, 80, who died after being arrested and beaten by Israeli forces on Jan. 12, 2022 in the West Bank.

Violent raids by Israeli forces are a regular practice in the occupied West Bank, during which Palestinians are exposed to live fire, arrests, assaults and killings.

During one of these violent raids Israeli forces fatally shot a young Palestinian man in a refugee camp in the northern West Bank.