The Palestinian health ministry reported that Israeli forces fatally shot a 16-year-old boy in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, marking the second reported killing of a Palestinian teenager within a week. The incident occurred at the Qalandia refugee camp near Ramallah, where two other boys, both aged 14, were also injured.
Details of the Incident
According to the ministry, “Sixteen year old Waleed Nidal Waleed Abu Sneineh was pronounced dead after being shot by Israeli forces.” The statement added that “two other children sustained gunshot wounds to... lower limbs in the same incident.” The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Escalation Since Gaza War
Violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has escalated since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023. An AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry data indicates that Israeli soldiers or settlers have killed at least 1,087 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023, including both militants and civilians. 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 over the same period.
