Israeli forces kill unarmed man 'in bedroom' during West Bank home raid
Israeli occupation forces killed an unarmed Palestinian man in his bedroom on Tuesday after breaking into his home in the occupied West Bank, according to local media.
Mustafa Taha Mustafa al-Khatib, 32, was shot several times in the chest, head and hand during a raid on the village of Sarta, west of Salfit, according to his uncle, Yaseen al-Khatib.
Yaseen told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Mustafa was slow to answer the door because he had been sleeping.
When he woke up, he tried to get dressed, but Israeli soldiers forced open the front door, stormed into his bedroom and opened fire on him.
He said Israeli forces prevented residents from reaching Mustafa to provide first aid. He later died of his wounds. After the troops withdrew, paramedics were able to enter the area and transfer him to the hospital.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Mustafa had been living alone in the house, while the rest of his family reside in Jordan.
Footage circulated online showed his body lying inside the home following the raid.
His death brings the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers since the start of the year to 72, including 17 children, five women and two elderly people, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
Israeli forces carry out nightly raid-and-arrest operations across the occupied West Bank.
During a visit to the West Bank, British journalist Peter Oborne provides an overview of the ongoing situation, explaining the techniques used to “ethnic cleanse” Palestinians, driven by expanding illegal settlements and systemic state support pic.twitter.com/WXKKCt2Svf
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 24, 2026
The raids, which often take place in the early hours of the morning, regularly turn deadly. Dozens of Palestinians are detained.
According to Palestinian prisoners' rights groups, around 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, with nearly half detained without charge or trial.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
