Israel on high alert after death of Palestinian minister

Israeli forces have gone on a high state of alert, bracing themselves for clashes across the West Bank following yesterday’s death of a Palestinian minister during a confrontation with Israeli troops.

Ziad Abu Ein (55), a minister without portfolio with responsibility for opposing Jewish settlements, led dozens of activists who were protesting against land confiscations in the West Bank village of Turmus Aya, close to Ramallah.

The protesters were blocked by about 30 Israeli soldiers and video footage clearly shows one of the soldiers grabbing Mr Abu Ein by the neck as scuffles broke out.

However, there was no evidence to back Palestinian claims that he was beaten or hit by a tear gas canister. Shortly after giving an interview against Israeli policy, Mr Abu Ein laid down on a stretcher clutching his chest.

After being initially treated by an Israeli military medic, Mr Abu Ein lost consciousness and was evacuated by ambulance to a Ramallah hospital. He died on the way.

The cause of death is unclear and an autopsy will be conducted by a Palestinian, Jordanian and Israeli pathologist.

The Israeli military is investigating the incident and Israeli officials suggested the minister may have suffered a heart attack.

Riots broke out at various West Bank locations last night and a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was seriously wounded. Israeli troops are bracing themselves for more trouble ahead of today’s funeral.

Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas announced three days of mourning and halted all contacts and security co-ordination with Israel. He condemned "the brutal assault that led to the martyrdom" of Mr Abu Ein, calling it "a barbaric act that cannot be tolerated or accepted".

He said the Palestinians will take the “necessary measures” after the results of the investigation into the incident.

Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat warned that “this new assassination will have severe consequences”.

It remains to be seen if the cessation of security co-operation amounts to a short-term response or is part of new strategy by the Palestinian leadership, which may lead to further escalation.

Security co-operation has always been Israel’s top priority in contacts with the Palestinian Authority, and the close co-ordination has done much to ensure the relative quiet in the West Bank over recent years.

Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu sent a message to President Abbas promising that Israel will investigate the incident, and he stressed the need to calm the situation and act responsibly.

Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya’alon expressed regret over the death and said Israel had proposed to conduct a joint investigation with the Palestinians. He stressed the importance of maintaining security cooperation, which, he said, was “important for both sides”.

European Union foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said reports of excessive force by the Israeli army were extremely worrying. "I call for an immediate, independent investigation into minister Abu Ein's death. This is a dramatic reminder for the entire international community of the deteriorating situation on the ground," she said.

She called for all sides to show maximum restraint and to avoid all actions that would further raise tensions.

United Nations special co-ordinator in the Middle East Robert Serry urged Israel to conduct a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.

Mr Abu Ein was a senior figure in Mr Abbas’s Fatah movement in the West Bank. He was sentenced to life imprisonment by an Israeli court for a 1979 bombing in Tiberias that killed two Israeli teenagers.

He was released in 1985 as part of a prisoner exchange that saw the release of three Israeli soldiers captured in Lebanon.