Undercover Israeli agents storm West Bank hospital and shoot Palestinian man dead while arresting his cousin

The Shin Bet security agency said Israel 'will not permit terror operatives to hide in any places of refuge'

Relatives of Palestinian Abdullah al-Shalalda, who was killed by Israeli undercover forces during a raid at Al-Ahly hospital, mourn during his funeral in the West Bank village of Sair (Reuters)

Undercover Israeli agents have shot a Palestinian man dead in a West Bank hospital while attempting to capture a stabbing suspect.

Shin Bet operatives reportedly entered the Al Ahli Hospital in Hebron disguised as Palestinians and wheeling a person posing as a pregnant woman in a wheelchair.

Jehad Shawar, the hospital director, told a Palestinian radio station that up to 30 men arrived at 3am armed with pistols and rifles.

He said some had beards and were wearing traditional keffiyeh scarves on their heads, adding: “They held the staff at gunpoint and stormed the room of Shalalda.”

The men were looking for Azzam al-Shalalda, 27, who is suspected of stabbing an Israeli settler in an attack on 25 October.

He was shot by police but managed to escape and was traced to the hospital, Shin Bet said in a statement.

Agents stormed Mr Shalalda’s room and arrested him, with brother Bilal telling Reuters he was tied to the bed.

"(My cousin) was inside the bathroom and wanted to wash for prayer,” he said.

"As he was exiting the bathroom, one of the undercover men shouted at him to stop and they opened fire.

"He remained on the ground bleeding and they hit my brother on his head and took him away.”

Abdallah al-Shalalda had been in the ensuite when the raid started and was shot dead as he entered the room.

Mr Shawar said he was hit five times in the head, chest and body.

“They took Azzam and placed him in the wheelchair they brought the woman in and they exited the room preventing anyone from giving medical aid to the young man lying on the floor,” he added.

A spokesperson for the Israeli embassy in London told The Independent Abdallah was a Hamas operative and had run towards troops shouting “Allah akbar”.

He said he was holding “an unidentified object in his hand” in the moments before being shot but could not confirm if it was a weapon.

Shin Bet released a statement following the raid accusing Mr Shalalda’s family of being “Hamas operatives”.

“A joint operation by the Shin-Bet, police and IDF forces was carried out at a Hebron hospital, in which Shalalda was detained for questioning,” it said.

“During the operation, a family member of the terrorist attacked the forces and was shot. Israel will not allow safe havens for any terrorist activity whatsoever.”

But the Palestinian health minister, Jawad Awad, accused Israeli security forces of ”executing“ Abdallah and appealed for international intervention.

Israel frequently carries out undercover operations in the West Bank, reportedly using special forces who speak fluent Arabic dressed as locals. There was another raid on a hospital to detain a suspect last month.

The situation remains tense amid heightened security sparked by a wave of stabbing, shooting and car attacks by Palestinians that have killed 12 Israelis since the start of October.

Israeli security forces have shot dead at least 76 Palestinians, include 44 accused of carrying out or attempting attacks, in the same period.

Additional reporting by Reuters