Palestinian prisoner Walid Khalifa killed during arrest by Israeli forces

Nablus (Quds News Network) – Detainee Walid Ahmed Khalifa, 30, from Al-Ein refugee camp in Nablus, was shot and killed by Israeli forces during his arrest, according to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Club. Khalifa was reportedly shot after Israeli forces raided his family home early Thursday morning, marking another deadly incident in a series of escalations involving the detention of Palestinians.

Khalifa was taken from his home after being wounded. According to his family, he was conscious at the time of his arrest, calling out to them as he was carried away on a stretcher designed for the injured. Hours after his capture, Khalifa’s family received news of his death, though the nature of his injuries and the location to which he was taken remained unclear until the official notification from Palestinian authorities.

The Commission and Prisoners Club condemned Khalifa’s killing as a deliberate execution, accusing Israeli forces of targeting him during the raid. The incident follows the assassination of Khalifa’s brother, Amir Khalifa, by Israeli forces in August 2023, and the administrative detention of another brother, Khaled Khalifa, who has been imprisoned for several months.

Khalifa’s death raises the number of Palestinian detainees killed since the start of Israel’s military offensive on October 7, 2024, to 25. His passing adds to the broader total of 262 Palestinian prisoners who have died since 1967, either during or shortly after their detention. The organizations pointed out that many Palestinian detainees are shot during their arrests and suffer severe injuries while in detention, where they face harsh conditions and inadequate medical treatment.

This incident also highlights the rising number of detainees affected by what Palestinian rights groups have described as Israel’s field executions during military raids, in addition to its ongoing attacks on Gaza. The targeting of detainees like Khalifa, a father of four children—one of whom is just a month old—is part of the larger military campaign that has led to widespread detentions and violence across Palestine.