Israeli forces martyr Palestinian in West Bank

By Esat Firat

RAMALLAH, Palestine

A Palestinian man was martyred Thursday in the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The man was shot dead by Israeli soldiers at the northern entrance to the city of Al-Bireh.

The reason for the attack is unknown, while the identity of the Palestinian has yet to be revealed.

Israel occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed East Jerusalem in 1980, claiming it as its "undivided and eternal capital" -- a move never recognized by the international community.

Palestinians hope that East Jerusalem might one day serve as the capital of a future Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders.