Thousands of Palestinians bid farewell to new father killed by Israel forces

Thousands of Palestinian mourners turned out on Saturday in the hometown of a 26-year-old man killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank the day before.

Abdullah Sami Qalalweh was shot dead by Israeli troops near the town of Hawara, south of Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

The Palestinian man's body was carried by mourners through the streets of Nablus on Friday, arriving at the city's Martyrs' Square, The New Arab's Arabic sister site Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

The body of Qalalweh, who was a married father of a one-month-old child, was then taken to a hospital in the city of Tubas, after people bid him farewell in a march in the city and a nearby town.

On Saturday before noon, Palestinian security forces conducted a military funeral for Qalalweh and his body was taken to Aqqaba, a town north of Tubas, where a march was held.

He was then brought to his hometown, the village of Al-Judeida in the Jenin province, by way of an ambulance and procession of vehicles.

He was taken to the home of his family, who laid their eyes on him one last time, local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Qalalweh's body was then transported, wrapped in the Palestinian flag, to a mosque in the village where his funeral was conducted following the Islamic afternoon prayer.

Afterwards, his funeral procession began with participants from Al-Judeida and neighbouring areas, ending at the cemetery where he was laid to rest in his hometown.

Qalalweh worked for a Palestinian governmental commission.

His shooting on Friday brought to 36 the number of Palestinians killed so far in 2023, largely at the hands of Israeli forces.

Last year was the deadliest since 2004, with nearly 150 Palestinians killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Agencies contributed to this report.