Palestinian teen shot dead by IDF troops during clashes in West Bank
Military says suspects hurling stones, including 16-year-old Mustafa Amer Sabah, endangered troops near Tuqu’, south of Bethlehem
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A 16-year-old Palestinian was killed by live fire during clashes with Israeli soldiers near the West Bank town of Tuqu’, the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry said Friday.
Palestinian media outlets identified the teen as Mustafa Amer Sabah.
According to media reports, Sabah was shot in the chest and taken to a hospital in Bethlehem, where he died of his wounds.
A spokesperson for the Israeli military told The Times of Israel that troops had initially opened fire into the air and used riot dispersal means against a number of Palestinians hurling stones near Tuqu’.
“After the rioters continued to approach the troops and hurl stones in a way that endangered the troops, the force responded by with live fire,” the spokesperson said, adding that some of the suspects were hit by the gunfire.
The Israel Defense Forces said it was aware of Sabah’s death, and a military source said he had been involved in previous rioting.
The IDF said it was continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
الفتى مصطفى عامر صباح ( 15 عاماً) الذي ارتقى برصاص قوات الاحتلال خلال مواجهات في خربة تقوع الأثرية جنوب شرق بيت لحم. pic.twitter.com/jVIkPcofgR
— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) April 28, 2023
Tensions between Israel and the Palestinians have been high for the past year, with the Israeli military conducting near-nightly raids in the West Bank amid a series of deadly Palestinian terror attacks.
At least 95 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.
Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 19 people dead since the beginning of the year and several more seriously hurt.
