IDF: Palestinian teen who hurled firebomb at West Bank army post shot dead
Military says 16-year-old Amir Mamoun Odeh approached IDF position on security barrier near Qalqilya, threw Molotov cocktails ‘from close range’ at forces
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Palestinian teenager who allegedly hurled a Molotov cocktail at an army post in the West Bank was shot dead on Friday evening, the military and Palestinian health officials said.
The Palestinian Authority health ministry said 16-year-old Amir Mamoun Odeh was shot in the chest on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Qalqilya.
A military spokesperson told The Times of Israel that the teen had approached an army post near the West Bank security barrier, close to Qalqilya, before hurling a Molotov cocktail at soldiers “from a close range.”
The troops, “who felt in danger,” opened fire at the teen, the spokesperson said, adding that the suspect was hit by the gunfire.
No soldiers were reported hurt in the incident.
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been high for the past year, with the IDF conducting near-nightly raids in the West Bank amid a series of deadly Palestinian terror attacks. Those tensions have ramped up even further in recent weeks amid a cycle of deadly Israeli raids and Palestinian revenge attacks, as well as an uptick in settler violence.
استشهاد أمير مأمون عودة 16 عاماً برصاص الإحتلال في قلقيلية.
يلعن الإحتلال. pic.twitter.com/u0AgHMj5cL
— Raghad???????? (@raghadm48) March 10, 2023
In a terror attack Thursday night, a Palestinian man opened fire outside a Tel Aviv cafe, injuring three Israelis, including one critically.
Early Friday morning, a Palestinian man was shot dead after he entered a settlement farm in the northern West Bank, armed with knives and several explosive devices.
A string of Palestinian terror attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank in recent months left 14 Israelis dead and several more seriously hurt.
At least 77 Palestinians have been killed since the beginning of the year, most of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces, but some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under circumstances that are being investigated.
