Israeli fire kills man scaling barrier to find work

Israeli fire kills man scaling barrier to find work
Children cry while they take the last look at the body of Palestinian Zakaria Qatousa, during his funeral on May 13. (AP)
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Updated 13 May 2026 22:21
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Israeli fire kills man scaling barrier to find work

Israeli fire kills man scaling barrier to find work

RAMALLAH: Palestinian authorities said that Israeli police have shot and killed a Palestinian man as he attempted to climb the concrete barrier separating the occupied West Bank from Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Health Ministry and the Palestinian Red Crescent identified the man as Zakaria Qatusa, 44, from the town of Deir Qadis. The funeral for the man was held on Wednesday.

Khalid Qatusa, his brother, said that he was a father of four who was crossing the wall in order to work in Israel.

“He was forced to resort to this method as there was no other opportunity to meet the needs of his household and live a dignified life. This was the only way,” he said. “He was neither an aggressor nor a threat.”

An increasing number of Palestinians have attempted to enter Israel illegally to work in recent years. Before the Israel-Hamas war, tens of thousands of Palestinians held permits to work in Israel.