For second time this week: Local residents of Kalkilya murder Israeli citizen upon entry into city

Photos from the scene show the victim's car being set alight and his driver's license being taken.

 Israeli car torched in Kalkilya after Israeli owner was shot dead, June 22, 2024. (photo credit: MAARIV)
Israeli car torched in Kalkilya after Israeli owner was shot dead, June 22, 2024.
(photo credit: MAARIV)

An Israeli citizen in his 60s who entered Kalkilya on Saturday morning with his car was shot dead by local residents, according to Palestinian reports cited by Israeli media.

IDF closed the entrances to Kalkilya following the murder and have begun vehicle checks and arrests.

According to a security source, the shooting was a terrorist attack, Kan News later reported Saturday evening.

It was later announced that Amnon Mokhtar, from Petach Tikva, is the Israeli who was murdered, Israeli media reported. 

A large number of IDF troops entered the city after an Israeli citizen who had entered the city center with his vehicle was shot at around seven on Saturday morning.

 IDF soldiers operating near Kalkilya in the West Bank, May 5, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)
IDF soldiers operating near Kalkilya in the West Bank, May 5, 2024. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT)

The shooting was carried out on the main street, after which his vehicle was were set on fire. About an hour ago, the victim was brought by a medical team of the Red Crescent to the entrance to the city. An IDF medical team pronounced the victim dead.

Photos from the scene show his car being set on fire and his driver's license being taken. Local Palestinians told Israeli media the car was torched well after the shooting.

The man was apparently known to local merchants, from whom he would buy vegetables on a regular basis. A bag of vegetables was found in the man's car, according to Israeli media.

Kalkilya hotspot

This is the third event in Kalkilya in the last 48 hours.

On Thursday, an Israeli in his 70s was robbed and attacked. The paramedic team met him at the Eliyahu checkpoint, where he was pronounced dead.

On Friday afternoon, two Islamic Jihad operatives, who were on their way to carry out a terror attack against Israelis, were eliminated by the IDF in Kalkilya.

The operation was carried out after the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) gathered intelligence that the two intended to carry out an attack soon.

As a result, the soldiers of the police's Gideon unit were rushed to the area. After identifying the two, they started an arrest procedure, at the end of which they fired at the two terrorists.