Four killed, including teenager in West Bank “Israeli” violence

The Palestinian health ministry said four people were killed in two separate incidents in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, including a 15-year-old boy who it said was shot by “Israeli” troops.

It said the teenager was killed in the northern West Bank town of Al-Yamoun, while three other unnamed people died in a separate clash in the southern village of Kafr Malik.

The “Israeli” military said it opened fire after intervening in a clash between “Israeli” settlers and Palestinians in Kafr Malik.

The Ramallah-based health ministry said in a statement: "The child Rayan Tamer Houshiyeh was killed after being shot in the neck by soldiers" in Al-Yamoun, northwest of Jenin.

Earlier Wednesday, the Palestinian Red Crescent said that its teams had handled "a very critical case" in Al-Yamoun involving a teenager, before pronouncing him dead.

The ministry later said three people died in the village of Kafr Malik in the south of the territory in an "attack" by settlers.

In a statement it reported "three martyrs and seven injuries (including one critical) as a result of the settlers' attack". It did not identify those killed.

The Red Crescent earlier reported that a 30-year-old man suffered a "serious head injury" in Kafr Malik, northeast of Ramallah.

An “Israeli” army spokesperson said in a statement that forces intervened in Kafr Malik in the evening after "dozens of Israeli civilians set fire to property" there, which led to stone-throwing by Palestinians and “Israelis”.

"IDF and police forces were dispatched to the area and acted to disperse the friction," it said.

"Subsequently, several terrorists opened fire from within the village and threw stones at the forces, who responded with live fire toward the source of the shooting and the stone-throwers," it claimed.

"Hits were identified, and it appears that there are several wounded and fatalities."

Stone-throwing lightly injured an “Israeli” officer and five Israelis were arrested, the statement added.

Teenagers killed

Reacting to the reports, Palestinian Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh accused settlers of acting "under the protection of the Israeli army".

"We call on the international community to urgently intervene to protect our Palestinian people," he added, in a message on X.

The Al-Yamoun incident marked the second time a teenager has been reported killed in the West Bank in two days.

On Monday, the health ministry said “Israeli” fire killed a 13-year-old it identified as Ammar Hamayel, also in Kafr Malik.

Earlier this month, the army confirmed it had killed a 14-year-old who threw rocks in the town of Sinjil.

In a similar incident in April, a teenager who held US citizenship was shot dead in the neighbouring town of Turmus Ayya. The “Israeli” military claimed it had killed a "terrorist" who threw rocks at cars.

“Israel” has occupied the West Bank since 1967, and violence in the territory has soared since October 7, 2023.

Since then, “Israeli” troops or settlers have killed at least 941 Palestinians, according to the health ministry.

Over the same period, at least 35 “Israelis” have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during “Israeli” military operations, according to “Israeli” figures.