RAMALLAH, (Palestinian Territories): A human rights activist and critic of the Palestinian Authority died Thursday after security forces stormed his house and violently arrested him, his family said, triggering angry protests in the occupied West Bank.

Nizar Banat's family said he had been hit with an object used to break the window, in an incident that sparked outrage from fellow activists and calls for an investigation, including from the United Nations and European Union.

Banat, 43, from the flashpoint city of Hebron, was arrested early Thursday by Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces, Hebron governor Jibrin al-Bakri said.