Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian teen in the occupied West Bank after the military said he hit a soldier in the face with a hammer
The military said the soldier was lightly wounded. It provided a photo of the hammer and a knife, which it said was also in the Palestinian’s possession.
The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death, near the village of Baytin, and identified the teen as Haitham Mubarak, 17, but had no details about the circumstances.
Rights groups accuse Israeli forces of using excessive force in their dealings with the Palestinians, without being held accountable. The military says they contend with complex, life-threatening scenarios.
The violence is the latest in a string of deadly confrontations between soldiers and Palestinians this week. Israel has carried out nightly arrest raids in West Bank cities, towns and villages since a spate of attacks against Israelis in the spring killed 19 people.
Israeli fire has killed dozens of Palestinians during that time, making it the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2016.
The Israeli military says the vast majority of those killed were militants or stone-throwers who endangered the soldiers. But several civilians have also been killed during Israel’s months-long operation, including a veteran journalist and a lawyer who apparently drove unwittingly into a battle zone.
Read the article in The West Australian and The Canberra Times (AAP).