Ventura County authorities in California are currently investigating the tragic death of a Jewish man following an altercation during dueling rallies, one in support of Israel and the other for Palestine.

The individual, Paul Kessler, aged 69, passed away on Monday, as reported by the sheriff’s department.

Eyewitnesses stated that Kessler “was involved in a physical altercation with counter-protestors,” as disclosed by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department in an official statement.

The statement further elaborated that during the altercation, Kessler fell backward and suffered a head injury after striking the ground, NBC News reported.

This incident took place around 3:20 p.m. on Sunday in Thousand Oaks, a community situated in the Los Angeles area just beyond the Ventura County border, according to the sheriff’s department.

Kessler was promptly transported to a hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries on Monday.

The Ventura County Medical Examiner’s Office has determined the cause of death to be a blunt force head injury, categorizing it as a homicide, as noted in the sheriff’s department’s statement.

At the time of the incident, both pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian rallies were taking place concurrently at Westlake and Thousand Oaks boulevards, according to the sheriff’s department.

An active investigation is being conducted, and the sheriff’s department has urged anyone who attended the demonstrations or possesses relevant information to come forward and assist with the inquiry.

Written by B.C. Begley