Young Palestinian refugee killed by Israel was 'saving to start his own business': relatives

Ahmad Oweidat, a 20-year old Palestinian killed on Monday by Israeli forces near Jericho in the occupied West Bank, "was trying to improve his family's life," Faysal Al-Basha, his uncle, told The New Arab.

"He was an outstanding student in his second year of business administration at Al-Quds university," Al-Basha said. "He had plans to start his own business and provide a better life for his family, which is why he began to work at night to save money for his project."

"He was the eldest of six siblings, and felt responsible for helping them," his uncle continued, "he was raised by his grandfather who considered him as his own son and lived with him." 

"His grandfather is in a state of denial since he heard the news, and his health deteriorated under the shock," Al-Basha noted.

20-year-old Palestinian youth Ahmad Ibrahim Ewedat was shot dead by Israeli occupation forces early today morning during a military raid of Aqabat Jabr Camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho. pic.twitter.com/wbP4I8qEAh

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) April 26, 2022

Oweidat was killed early on Monday during an Israeli raid on the refugee camp of Aqbat Jabr, south of Jericho, as reported by the Palestinian health ministry.

"Israeli troops raided the camp before dawn and arrested two young men who are brothers and their father," Ayoub Assi, a resident of the refugee camp told The New Arab.

"The youth in the camp threw stones and Molotov cocktails at the army during the raid, to which they responded with live fire and wounded three young men in the legs," Assi added.

"On their way out, Israeli soldiers opened fire towards a group of young men who were standing at the entrance of the camp, not taking part in the confrontations," said Assi. "One of them was Ahmad [Oweidat], and he was struck by a bullet in the forehead that killed him instantly." 

"Ahmad had started a job at the intercontinental hotel, not far away from the camp and he was happy with his new job," Mohammad Assi, director of the Aqbat Jabr sports club and a relative of Oweidat, told The New Arab.

"He was coming home from work after a night shift at the same moment that the raid was taking place," said the director.

"When one of the youth that Israeli soldiers had arrested escaped, a soldier came down off the jeep and opened fire towards him, but instead he hit Ahmad," he added.

Breaking: three Palestinians shot by Israeli occupation forces in Aqbat Jaber camp, Jericho. pic.twitter.com/Ml3GsniRtz

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) April 25, 2022

Israeli media quoted an Israeli army source saying that "dozens of Palestinians threw stones, set fire to tires and threw Molotov cocktails at the forces" during the raid. Israeli reports admitted that Oweidat was not taking part in the confrontations.

A general strike was called for by civil society organisations in Jericho on Monday in mourning of Ahmad Oweidat. His burial is planned to take place late on Monday.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces arrested six Palestinians at least in the West Bank, including two in Qabatia, near Jenin, which Israeli forces raided for the second day in a row.

On Monday, the UN coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, said that "Violence over the past month has underscored that managing the conflict is not a substitute towards resolving it."

Wenessland's words came during a special UN security council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.

For his side, Palestine's permanent representative at the UN, Riyadh Mansour, said at the same meeting that "Israel evades accountability while killing in plain daylight." 

"Double standards and the lack of justice only steer despair and anger," Mansour added.