Israeli forces fatally shot a 15-year-old Palestinian teenager during a raid in the occupied West Bank on Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said, as violence surges in the Israeli-occupied territory.
Details of the Incident
The Palestinian health ministry identified the teenager as Amir Ahmad Jawad Jaber, 15. He was martyred after being shot in the head and once in the chest by occupation soldiers during their raid in the Umm Al-Sharayit neighborhood in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah.
The Israeli military said in a statement that during a military operation a violent riot began, during which rocks were hurled toward IDF soldiers. The soldiers responded with fire toward a suspect in the area, and a hit was identified.
Emergency Response and Mourning
The Palestinian Red Crescent earlier said its teams were transporting to hospital and trying to resuscitate a 15-year-old who was shot in the head with live ammunition during the raid. Dozens of mourners gathered at the Palestine Medical Complex as grieving relatives wept over the teenager's body.
Laila Ghannam, governor of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, told AFP: "Today, we witnessed a clear-cut execution in broad daylight. This is a disgrace to all institutions who claim to uphold democracy and human rights. When it comes to our cause, they see nothing. They allow this occupation to escalate its campaign of terror every single day — not only across Palestine, but throughout the entire region."
Escalating Violence in the West Bank
Since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, violence has escalated in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967. According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data, Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,085 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023, including both militants and civilians. The data says 71 people were killed in 2026. Official Israeli figures show that at least 46 Israelis, both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war.
