West Bank footage throws spotlight on Israel's use of lethal force

Israeli troops had entered the village warning of plans to demolish a Palestinian home.

Footage shows a group of men and teenagers throwing rocks - then pulling back - as two shots ring out.

Raed al-Naasan runs around a corner and collapses, blood seeping into his top, fatally wounded.

He was killed on Tuesday - one of four Palestinians shot dead by Israeli troops during confrontations in different villages that day in the occupied West Bank.

And now that footage of his killing is throwing a fresh spotlight on Israel's use of lethal force, as violence in the region reaches levels unmatched in years.

In the hours after his death the army said soldiers used live ammunition in response to a suspect "spotted hurling Molotov cocktails [petrol bombs]" at them. 

But video evidence and eyewitnesses suggest this wasn't the case when he was struck.

This year in the West Bank more than 140 Palestinians have been killed, nearly all by Israeli forces. The dead include civilians and armed militants. Meanwhile a series of Palestinian attacks targeting Israelis, as well as militant gunfire at troops during arrest raids, have killed more than 30 people including civilians and troops. 

The United Nations' envoy to the region Tor Wennesland warned this week that the conflict and military occupation was "again reaching a boiling point". 

Campaigners from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem are currently probing Mr Naasan's death, saying that a significant number of cases of protesters being shot dead this year amount to "excessive use of force".

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said it had acted to stop "violent rioters" and the incident was being "examined".   

Troops entered the village of al-Mughayyir on Tuesday to serve demolition orders against "illegal construction" - this happens when Israeli authorities plan to bulldoze Palestinian homes built without permits, even though these are often impossible to obtain. 

Mr Naasan, 21, was shot dead after a group of around 20 young men and teenagers gathered and threw stones towards the jeeps and soldiers.

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