In the occupied West Bank, two Palestinian teenage boys lost their lives on Friday as Israeli forces opened fire, adding to the growing toll of violence and unrest in the region. The tragic incidents have further heightened tensions and underscored the ongoing volatile situation.
The first victim, identified as 17-year-old Muhammad Fouad Atta al-Bayed, was shot in the head during unrest in the village of Umm Safa, located near Ramallah. He was taken to the Istishari Arab Hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Reports suggest that Israeli forces employed live ammunition, tear gas, and stun grenades during confrontations with the residents.
The Israeli army stated that a member of the paramilitary border police unit fired in response to masked suspects throwing stones and rocks at the Israeli forces. The military confirmed that a person was hit by gunfire but provided no further details, stating that the soldiers acted after facing stone-throwing and explosives, targeting an individual who allegedly threw a bomb.
In another incident later on Friday in the Nablus governor-ate of the occupied West Bank, one person was killed, and another was severely injured. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported the casualties without providing further context.
The killings are part of a year-long period of violence in the region, characterised by repeated Israeli raids on the occupied West Bank, with no signs of abating. So far, this year, a total of 202 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem and Gaza, with 165 of those deaths occurring in the occupied West Bank. Shockingly, 31 of the victims were under the age of 18, further highlighting the grim reality on the ground.
The West Bank raids have become increasingly lethal under Israel’s far-right government, which assumed power earlier this year. The government includes figures from Israel’s settler movement, aiming to expand illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank at the expense of Palestinian communities.
Earlier this month, in Umm Safa, 24-year-old Abdel-Jawad Hamdan Saleh was also fatally shot in the chest during a demonstration by Israeli forces. Last month, several dozen settlers rampaged through the West Bank village, setting fire to vehicles and homes in retaliatory attacks after four Israeli settlers were killed at a petrol station between Ramallah and Nablus.
