A young Palestinian teen has died after being shot in the stomach by an Israeli soldier during a protest in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said. Israeli officials deny their forces fired live rounds.
The 13-year-old boy was taken to a hospital in Ramallah in critical condition, where he died from his injuries, according to a statement from the health ministry posted on Facebook.
A spokeswoman for Israel’s military said that its personnel had used “riot dispersal means” against Palestinians who were throwing rocks and burning tires in the village of al-Mughayir, some 27 kilometers northeast of Ramallah.
“The reports of the use of live fire during the riot are not true, and claims about a number of rioters injured and one killed are known,” she said.
However, Palestinian media reported that live rounds and tear gas were used against the demonstrators, while four men were wounded during a march that was reportedly staged in protest at Israeli plans to expand settlements in the West Bank.
The mayor of al-Mughayir told reporters that the child had been shot near the entrance to the village.
“This ugly crime is a war crime and a crime against humanity,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement about the reported death.
Footage posted to social media purported to show Palestinians on Friday evening protesting the killing of the boy.
Last week, a Palestinian driver was shot dead after he allegedly tried to ram his car into an Israeli police checkpoint outside Jerusalem.
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