IDF Says Palestinian Killed Near Ramallah Attempted to Seize Soldier's Weapon

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated that a 54-year-old Palestinian man, Ziad Jaber, who was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near Ramallah on the morning of September 15, 2026, attempted to grab a soldier's weapon. Palestinian sources had initially reported Jaber's death during an IDF operation in Al-Bireh, a town near Ramallah, with the circumstances unclear at first.

The IDF reported that Jaber approached soldiers during operational activity and "attempted to snatch a weapon from one of the soldiers." Following this, soldiers opened fire, resulting in Jaber sustaining fatal injuries. The IDF did not provide further details about the incident or specify the nature of the soldiers' operations in the Al-Bireh area.

Palestinian media had reported the man's death but initially offered no explanation. The IDF's account of an attempted weapon seizure represents the first official Israeli explanation for the circumstances surrounding Jaber's death.