IDF shoots, kills Palestinian youth in West Bank

16-year-old Sameer Awwad was shot three times in chest, neck and legs, Palestinians say; IDF says the youth tried to cross fence.

By YAAKOV LAPPIN, JPOST.COM STAFF
IDF soldiers at West Bank checkpoint 370 (photo credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
IDF soldiers at West Bank checkpoint 370
(photo credit: REUTERS/Ammar Awad)
The IDF opened fire on a Palestinian youth who it said attempted to cross into Israel from the West Bank on Tuesday morning. The youth later died at a Ramallah hospital.
The IDF Spokesman's Office said the teenager had tried to breach the security fence at Budrus, which is northwest of Ramallah, adding that the man ignored orders from soldiers to stop and warning shots fired in the air.
Palestinian sources reported that 16-year-old Sameer Awwad of Budrus was killed after being shot three times by IDF troops.
A statement from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee cited eye witness accounts that the boy was walking away from light clashes with IDF troops when he was shot, once in the the chest, once in the neck and once in his leg. Photos of the teen's body appeared to support those descriptions of the bullet injuries.
An initial army investigation found that a violent disturbance occurred in the area, during which Palestinians attempted to cut open the security fence. The youth got past the fence, army sources aid. Soldiers then attempted to stop him, first shouting verbal warnings and then firing in the air, before opening fire, according to the sources.
A funeral for Awwad was scheduled to be held at 3 p.m. in Budrus.
On Saturday, IDF troops opened fire at and killed a Palestinian man the army said was attempting to enter Israel from the southern West Bank in the south Hebron hills.