RAMALLAH, Palestine

An elderly Palestinian was beaten to death by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, local media said.

Sheikh Atef Malik Derieh died after he was assaulted by Israeli soldiers in the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

“Occupation soldiers badly beat the elderly man as he was on his land near a settlement road in the town,” municipal chief Salah Jab told Wafa.

“He sustained serious injuries and died of his wounds at the hospital,” he added.

Tension has been running high in the West Bank due to Israel’s brutal war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed over 44,500 people, mostly women and children, following a Hamas attack last year.

At least 804 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,450 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

In July, the International Court of Justice issued a landmark advisory opinion that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala