Off the wire
• Feature: Kenya's "little Mogadishu" regains luster as safety enhances  • Rebels in east Ukraine to postpone controversial local elections  • Clampdown on school truancy to hit hard up parents, claim teachers' union  • Feature: Rock band journey to Nanjing deepens Sino-Italian knowledge, friendship  • Germany's benchmark DAX index climbs up slightly  • Four BiH citizens found guilty for connections with IS  • Abbas: We don't want escalation with Israel  • Security forces detain son of key ETA leader in Paris  • EU launches public consultation on ties with African, Caribbean, Pacific nations  • French stock market index up 0.95 pct  
You are here: 　 Home

Israeli military finds death of 13-year-old Palestinian "accidental": Israeli media

Xinhua, October 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Following an initial investigation, the Israeli military said it's an accident that a 13-year-old Palestinian teenager was shot dead by an Israeli soldier near Bethlehem, reported Israeli media Tuesday.

Palestinian sources said that 13-year-old Abed al-Rahman Abdullah, who attended a massive protest in the West Bank Monday, was shot in the chest and later succumbed to his wounds in the Beit Jala hospital in Bethlehem.

Several Israeli media outlets quoted Israeli military officials saying that an initial investigation found that the teen's death was accidental.

One Israeli officer told Channel 2 News that an Israeli soldier fired a bullet aiming at the legs of one of the protest leaders, but the bullet hit the ground and ricocheted hitting the 13-year-old teenager standing beside him.

Walla! news website reported that an officer said the incident was "unfortunate," but stressed that Israeli soldiers were then endangered by substantial violence with rocks and firebombs thrown at them.

Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) Spokesperson had no comments on these reports, but stated clearly that the incident is under investigation by the IDF's Central Command unit which is in charge of the West Bank territories.

"The incident is being thoroughly investigated. However as per IDF policy, we cannot elaborate nor offer details on cases under investigation," an Israeli army spokesperson told Xinhua.

Abdullah's death came less than 24 hours after an 18-year-old Palestinian was shot dead during clashes with Israeli soldiers in Tulkarem, also in the West Bank.

Four Israelis were killed in militant attacks in the past week, as well as four Palestinians. They included two Palestinian protesters and two perpetrators of stabbing attacks in Jerusalem who were killed by Israeli police.

Palestinian medical sources reported that almost 700 Palestinians have been injured recently, some by rubber bullets and others by inhaling tear gas due to military measures to disperse riots.

Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian protesters, as well as between Palestinians and Jewish settlers, were ongoing Tuesday with smaller-scale riots at critical areas in east Jerusalem and the West bank. Endit