DCIP: Israeli Soldiers ‘Hid’ Among Olive Trees, Shot Palestinian Teenager ‘in Cold Blood’ in West Bank
Occupied West Bank (Quds News Network)- While hiding among olive trees, Israeli occupation forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy while closing up the shop where he worked, east of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P) said the killing occurred when Israeli troops travelling in two military vehicles deployed in the occupied West Bank’s town of Salem on Thursday afternoon.
Noticing the military presence, the victim, Abdulkhaleq Mosab Abdulkhaleq Jabour, decided to close up the small shop where he worked.
Moments later, he was shot in the chest while closing up and died of his injuries, DCI-P said, adding the Israeli forces who shot the teenager had “hid among some olive trees” close to the shop and had also impeded relatives from providing first aid as the forces forces continued surrounding him for at least 10 minutes.
“Abdulkhaleq was clearly no threat to Israeli soldiers, and yet they fatally shot him anyway, and as usual, no one will be held accountable for killing a Palestinian child in cold blood,” the organisation’s Ayed Abu Eqtaish said in a statement.
Israeli soldiers have now killed 24 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank so far this year, the children’s rights group said.
“Israeli forces are relentlessly targeting Palestinian children from Nablus to Jerusalem to Gaza without a moment of reprieve,” said Abu Eqtaish.
“How many Palestinian children’s bodies is enough for the world to enact sanctions on Israel and force accountability?”
In 2024, Israeli forces and settlers killed at least 93 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, according to DCIP.
Israeli forces and settlers shot and killed 71 Palestinian children with live ammunition, 17 Palestinian children were killed in drone strikes, three Palestinian children were killed in an Israeli warplane airstrike, one child was killed by Israeli-fired ground shell, and one child was killed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by Israeli forces.
