Palestinian boy killed by IDF in West Bank
Baha Bader, 13, dies from gunshot to the chest; IDF says he threw firebomb at troops; PA forces kill Palestinian in Hebron
Ilan Ben Zion is an AFP reporter and a former news editor at The Times of Israel.
A Palestinian boy was shot and killed near Ramallah by Israeli soldiers Thursday evening after throwing a Molotov cocktail.
Palestinian media reported that Baha Samir Bader, 13, was shot in the chest by IDF troops in the West Bank town of Beit Liqia.
The IDF said that the soldiers fired at the boy when he threw a firebomb at the unit while it was leaving the village north of Ramallah, near the West Bank settlement of Beit El.
A photo of the boy was shared on Twitter by Israel Radio reporter Gal Berger.
הנער הפלסטיני שנהרג מאש צהל בבית ליקיא pic.twitter.com/4KG6lZgxeL
— Gal Berger גל ברגר (@galberger) October 16, 2014
In a separate incident, four firebombs were thrown at a house in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Nof Zion, causing no injuries but inflicting damage to a vehicle and a wall. Police were searching the area for suspects.
Police on Thursday evening also reported that Molotov cocktails were thrown at a private vehicle and police car in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. No injuries were reported, but light damage was inflicted upon the vehicles. Officers were searching for suspects.
Early Thursday morning, Palestinian security forces shot and killed 25-year-old Bilal al-Rajabi during a raid on a house south of Hebron. According to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency, seven security officers were injured in a shootout with wanted men, and al-Rajabi succumbed to his wounds in the hospital afterwards. The allegations against al-Rajabi and the others were not clear.
Earlier in the day, masked Palestinians, including minors, threw firecrackers and rocks at a home claimed by Jewish millionaire Irving Moscowitz in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Ras al-Amud, injuring one Border Policeman.
The officer was wounded in the neck and taken to Hadassah Hospital on Mount Scopus in light to moderate condition.
Security forces responded with riot dispersal means at the scene.
The incident came after three policemen were injured Wednesday during protests against restrictions on Muslim worship at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said three officers were lightly hurt by stones hurled by protesters in the Old City. The incident occurred at the Gate of the Tribes near the Temple Mount, and prompted police to close the Temple Mount to visitors.
Four Palestinians were also arrested, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.
Police used stun grenades as a crowd of about 400 people gathered near the entrance to the mosque, an AFP photographer reported.
Police had announced early Wednesday that access to the mosque for men would be limited to those over the age of 50 and were preparing for protests and possible riots in response to the measure.
Police have regularly limited Temple Mount access to both Muslim worshipers and other visitors throughout the past month due to simmering tensions during the Jewish holiday season, which sees Jewish worshipers flock to Jerusalem to pray at the Western Wall below the Temple Mount.
Also Tuesday, assailants once again pelted a Jerusalem light rail car with rocks, causing damage but no injuries before fleeing the scene. On Sunday, the transportation company responsible for the trains announced that nine of the 23 light rail trains in Jerusalem have been damaged by rock-throwers in the eastern part of the city and are no longer operational.
On Monday morning, Israel Police forces surrounded the al-Aqsa mosque and entered the plaza atop the Temple Mount after receiving information that Palestinian activists had gathered stones and set barbed wire obstacles in preparation for planned attacks against Jewish visitors to the site. Upon entering the site, police were met with rocks, firebombs and fireworks, which were hurled at them by the protesters, Israel Radio reported. The rioters were then pushed back into the mosque. Police removed multiple obstacles at the site, including stretches of barbed wire, and it was finally opened to non-Muslim visitors at 7:30 a.m.
