Israeli occupation forces’ killing of Palestinian children continues in contravention of all international law, which prohibits attacks likely to kill or injure civilians or damage civilian property.
Today at dawn, 16-year-old Ahmed Amjad Shahaadeh was struck and killed by a bullet fired by Israeli occupation soldiers during an operation in the city of Nablus, in the northern West Bank. Shahaadeh was shot in the heart.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced that five people including Shahaadeh were admitted to hospitals in Nablus with gunshot wounds. One of the injured is in critical condition, following a wound to the abdomen. The remaining three patients are stable, the ministry reports.
The particular operation involved dozens of Israeli military vehicles storming an area in Nablus’ east. Heavy gunfire, including sniper fire, was reported to have occurred.
Several buses carrying illegal settlers entered the same area, after which the settlers performed religious rites at what they refer to as ‘Joseph’s Tomb’, under the protection of Israeli armed forces.
The cities of the occupied West Bank, including Jerusalem, or al-Quds as it is known in Arabic, are currently suffering near-daily incursions by both occupation forces and settlers, involving attacks against Palestinians which result in death, injury, and the destruction of property.
Last January, Israeli occupation leaders issued new orders to soldiers, permitting them to shoot at Palestinians throwing Molotov cocktails and stones, even after they had ceased throwing them and when withdrawing from the confrontation, that is, whilst not posing a danger to the soldiers.
In such cases, Israeli soldiers are no longer obliged to distinguish between children and adults.
