Death of 2 Palestinian boys within days ‘underscores Israeli army impunity’

A 12-year-old Palestinian boy wounded by Israeli army fire in the occupied West Bank has died of his wounds.

Mohammed Al Alamy was shot in the chest while travelling in a car with his father in Beit Omar, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron, the Palestinian health ministry said in a statement.

The incident took place just after 3pm on Wednesday, and Mohammed was taken to Ahli hospital in Hebron, where he was pronounced dead at around 8pm that evening.

He is the second young Palestinian to die of wounds sustained by Israeli fire in days, after 17-year-old Mohammed Munir al Tamimi was shot at a protest against illegal Israeli settlements last Friday, and died in hospital the next day.  

Army investigating the incident

The Israeli army said it has launched an investigation into the incident.

"The incident is being reviewed by senior commanding officers. In addition, the military police has launched an investigation into the circumstances of the event," a spokesperson said in a statement.

The army said soldiers had seen men get out of a vehicle near a military checkpoint and begin digging in the ground.

"Troops approached the scene with caution and upon examination found two bags, one of which contained the body of a newborn infant," the statement added.

When a vehicle approached the same spot a little while later, the army "concluded that it was the same vehicle as before" and attempted to stop it by shouting and firing shots into the air.

When the vehicle did not stop, a soldier fired at the vehicle.

Beit Ummar Mayor Nasri Sabarneh said that village resident Moayad al Alami was driving with his son and daughter when he made a U-turn to stop at a shop, according to news agency reports.

READ MORE: Palestinian teen in West Bank shot dead by Israeli forces

Lack of accountability

According to Defense for Children International (DCI) Palestine, Mohammed is the 11th Palestinian child to be shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2021.

The NGO says evidence it regularly collects about such incidents in the West Bank suggests that "Israeli forces use lethal force against Palestinian children in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or wilful killings," adding that under international law the use of lethal force is only allowed where there is a direct threat to life or of serious injury.

“Systemic impunity enables Israeli forces to continue killing Palestinian children,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP.

The UN has also repeatedly called for "impartial and independent" investigations.

Ongoing protests

Mohammed Munir al Tamimi died of gunshot wounds he suffered at a protest against settlement expansion in the Palestinian village of Beita, near Nablus in the southern West Bank. 

Beita has been a flashpoint in recent months and Palestinians had gathered to protest against the nearby wildcat Jewish settlement outpost of Eviatar, set up on the village's land last March.

Clashes that broke out with the Israeli army resulted in 320 Palestinians being wounded, according to the Red Crescent.

Late on Tuesday, a 41-year-old Palestinian was shot dead near Beita, the Palestinian health ministry said. He is the seventh Palestinian to be killed in Beita since protests began. The international community considers Israeli settlements illegal under international law.

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