JERUSALEM

The Israeli army claimed on Monday of finding a body of a Palestinian man whom it accused of opening fire on one of its soldiers, local media reported.

“Following an operational and intelligence effort by all the security forces, and after extensive search, IDF fighters located a body, suspected of carrying out a shooting attack in Dolev [settlement],” the Jerusalem Post quoted Israeli Defense Force spokesperson Avichai Adraee as saying.

The body, he added, was found among bushes in a rough area of the valley with an M16 rifle and a pistol nearby.

The defense forces, however, did not reveal the identity of the body.

On Feb. 6, Israeli media had reported a shooting incident near Dolev settlement, claiming that it had resulted in a minor injury to one of its soldiers.

The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967. Thousands of innocent Palestinian citizens have been been martyred, as well as injured, at the hands of the IDF since then.

Last month, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a plan to end one of the longest running disputes in the Middle East. He proposed an independent Palestinian state but with the recognition of Israeli sovereignty over large parts of West Bank and keeping Jerusalem as its "undivided capital".

The so-called peace plan, however, was rejected and condemned by the Arab League and OIC, as well as several other states including Turkey.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara