Gunmen belonging to Fatah's armed wing, Aksa Martyrs Brigades, on Wednesday night shot and killed a Palestinian who had been suspected of selling land to Jews.

Sources in Ramallah said three gunmen stormed a local hospital and kidnapped Sami Burnat, 51, a resident of Balin village west of the city.

The kidnappers took Burnat to a nearby field, where they sprayed him with bullets, killing him instantly, the sources added.

The Aksa Martyrs Brigades issued a leaflet in which it claimed that Burnat had sold land to Jews, but did not elaborate.

Burnat had been held in a Palestinian prison in Ramallah and was being guarded by ten unarmed policemen when he was brought to hospital.

Palestinian Authority security sources told The Jerusalem Post that the victim was a member of the Village Leagues, a group consisting of several hundred Palestinians that was established and armed by Israel in 1980 in an attempt to undermine the PLO and encourage a new Palestinian leadership to emerge.

They said he was arrested recently by the PA security forces in Ramallah on charges of collaboration with Israel and involvement in land deals with Jews more than 20 years ago.

The PA has repeatedly banned Palestinians from selling lands and houses to Jews. Many Palestinians who were suspected of involvement in real estate deals with Jews have been murdered over the past few decades.

The PA Mufti of Jerusalem issued a 'fatwa' (religious decree) several years ago prohibiting Palestinians from selling land to Jews, saying those who violate would be killed.

"We, the muftis, judges, instructors, orators, imams, preachers and all Muslim scholars in Palestine, after a thorough analysis and deep thought about the consequences of selling Palestinian lands to the Jews, come to the conclusion that this would fulfill the objectives of Zionism, which aims at the 'Judaization' of Islamic holy lands, usurping them and expelling people from their homes," read the 'fatwa'.

"Reviewing the 'fatwas' issued by muftis and scholars in Iraq, Egypt, India, Morocco, Syria, Palestine and other Muslim countries, we found out that they have unanimously agreed that it is 'haram' (forbidden) to sell Palestinian lands to the Jews, and to practice brokerage activities or mediation to facilitate selling the lands by any means or under any form.

"We conclude that those who sell land to the Jews – directly or through mediation – and anyone who acts as a mediator in the selling, would not be entitled to the Funeral Prayer for the dead and must not be buried in a Muslim cemetery. We must boycott, scoff at them and not be friendly or close to them even if they were our fathers, children, brothers or husbands."