Ramallah: A 14 year old Palestinian boy was killed when occupying forces in Palestine (Israeli) opened fire during an operation in the village of Burqa, northwest of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, late on Monday, Palestinian officials said.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the boy and confirmed his death on Tuesday. According to the ministry, the occupying authorities were withholding his body.
The incident also left other Palestinians wounded, although reports differed on the number of casualties. The news agencies reported three people injured, while the Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed treating two people and reported being prevented from reaching another wounded person.
Medical teams report obstruction during operation
According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, two young Palestinians were among those injured during the operation.
One, aged 17, sustained injuries to his abdomen and pelvis, while another, aged 19, was wounded in the hand.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society said its ambulance crews were prevented from reaching a wounded person and that three volunteer paramedics responding to the incident were temporarily detained.
Local sources also reported that occupying forces blocked the main road leading into Burqa, restricting access to the village.
Palestinian media reported that the boy’s father was detained during the operation.
These accounts of restricted medical access and detention were attributed to Palestinian sources.
Occupying forces claim response to stone-throwing
The military of the occupying forces confirmed opening fire in Burqa but presented a different account of the circumstances.
In a statement, the military claimed its personnel identified people preparing to throw stones towards vehicles traveling on a nearby highway.
It said the soldiers fired to prevent what they considered an imminent threat.
The military's statement did not establish that the 14 year old boy participated in stone-throwing.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting remain disputed.
Violence increases across occupied West Bank
The incident comes amid escalating violence in the occupied West Bank, where military raids, settler attacks, arrests and restrictions on Palestinian movement have intensified since October 2023.
According to figures cited by Al Jazeera from the United Nations, at least 1143 Palestinians, including 250 children, have been killed in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023. The figure includes deaths attributed to settlers.
No announcement of an independent investigation into the deaths was reported, while Palestinian officials continued to seek the return of his body.
