The killing of Ahmad Erekat at an Israeli checkpoint prompted a disputed investigation into whether Israeli officers used extrajudicial lethal force.
Key Facts
- Victim's age
- 26 years old
- Date of incident
- 23 June 2020
- Location
- Military checkpoint near Abu Dis, West Bank
- Times shot
- 6 times
- Investigating bodies
- Forensic Architecture and Al-Haq
- Relationship to Saeb Erekat
- Nephew of Palestinian politician Saeb Erekat
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Ahmad Erekat, a 26-year-old Palestinian man, drove toward an Israeli military checkpoint near Abu Dis in the West Bank on 23 June 2020. CCTV footage shows his vehicle colliding with a group of border police officers near the checkpoint kiosk, striking at least one female officer.
Following the vehicle collision, Erekat exited his car and walked backwards with his hands raised. Israeli officers shot him multiple times. Israeli authorities stated his actions were a deliberate car-ramming attack and that his movements after exiting were perceived as threatening, while Sky News and Forensic Architecture disputed this characterization.
Forensic Architecture and Al-Haq concluded the collision was accidental and that Israeli officers committed an extrajudicial killing with excessive lethal force, also alleging Erekat was denied urgent medical care. Israeli authorities, including the Foreign Ministry, Shin Bet, IDF, and Defense Ministry, denied these findings, stating medical personnel examined him on scene before he was pronounced dead.