East Jerusalem Resident Khalil Al-Rashaq Shot Dead at Checkpoint Six Months After Youth Assault

Khalil Al-Rashaq, a 47-year-old resident of East Jerusalem and father of six, was fatally shot by a Border Police officer last Thursday at a checkpoint, six months after being assaulted by teenagers in Jerusalem. According to testimonies from the officers, Al-Rashaq did not comply with orders to stop, leading to a suspect arrest procedure during which he was shot in the leg. Footage from the scene shows him lying on the ground, and his family claims he did not receive timely medical treatment, resulting in fatal blood loss. The Palestinian news site Bukra reported that the family is still awaiting full details about his killing.

The police confirmed he was shot in the leg and announced his death the following day. His brother, Muhammad Al-Rashaq, stated the family attempted to retrieve the body that morning and are waiting for the autopsy report to uncover the truth. Muhammad expressed concerns that Khalil was left to bleed to death due to delayed medical care but emphasized they cannot be certain until the autopsy is released.

In December, Khalil had spoken to Channel 13 about being violently attacked by two teenagers in Jerusalem as part of a TikTok violence trend. The suspects claimed it was an unprovoked attack. The family revealed Khalil struggled with mental health issues following the assault and also suffered from epilepsy. Since the attack, he had not returned to his municipal job and was often seen wandering the streets. A day before he was shot, he attempted to obtain disability benefits from the National Insurance Institute and signed documents with the police after losing his work capacity. Recently, he was seen roaming the Shuafat refugee camp and frequently visiting the checkpoint where he was ultimately shot.