Israeli forces kill 14-year-old Palestinian boy in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian boy and wounded two other teens during a raid on the village of Burqa in the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the victim on Tuesday as Moataz Iyad Daghlas and said Israeli authorities were withholding his body. According to Wafa, two other teenagers were wounded – a 17-year-old shot in the abdomen and pelvis and a 19-year-old hit in the hand.
The Israeli military confirmed the shooting in Burqa, located near the city of Nablus. In a statement, the military said soldiers opened fire to prevent Palestinians from throwing stones at Israeli vehicles.
The forces responded with gunfire to neutralise the threat and several hits were confirmed.
Detentions and Ambulance Blockade
According to Wafa, soldiers detained Moataz's father and stopped an ambulance from reaching the wounded. They briefly held three volunteer paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent Society who were working in the area.
Escalating Violence
The attacks come as Israeli operations in the occupied West Bank surge to what the United Nations has called an "unprecedented level", following the Hamas-led attacks on southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and the subsequent war on Gaza.
According to the UN, at least 1,143 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, including 250 children. The figure includes Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers living in illegal settlements.
ACLED reported that 2026 is on track to be the most violent year for settler-related violence since monitoring began a decade ago. Hebron, Ramallah, Nablus, Jenin, and el-Bireh have seen the worst of the settlers' attacks.
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