JERUSALEM — A 15-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli army fire early Friday in the village of Al Lubban Al Sharquiya, north of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, according to a statement from the Palestinian Health Ministry cited by ABC Color.
The ministry identified the victim as Fahd Zaidan Awais and said his body remains in Israeli custody. The Israeli military, in a separate statement, described Awais as a “terrorist” who, along with two others, threw stones at Israeli vehicles on a main road, endangering lives. The army added that the teenager was masked and that another suspect was also hit before the group fled, prompting a pursuit.
When asked by EFE whether the three individuals belonged to an armed group, the Israeli military said it was not aware but reiterated that stone-throwing is considered a terrorist attack under its rules of engagement. Soldiers are permitted to open fire if they feel threatened, a policy that has led to numerous shootings of unarmed Palestinians, including minors.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), about 50 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, 12 of them minors. ABC Color notes that 13 of those deaths were attributed to settlers living illegally in the territory.