Palestinian rock thrower killed in clash with IDF

Soldiers fired live rounds, aiming at the legs of suspects, and striking one of them, an army spokeswoman said.

FEBRUARY 10, 2016 18:58

Updated: FEBRUARY 11, 2016 01:09

Stone-throwing Palestinians clash with Israeli police in Sur Baher, a village in the suburbs of east Jerusalem (photo credit: REUTERS) — Stone-throwing Palestinians clash with Israeli police in Sur Baher, a village in the suburbs of east Jerusalem

(photo credit: REUTERS)

A Palestinian teenager who threw rocks at Israeli vehicles was shot and killed by soldiers near al-Arroub north of Hebron on Wednesday, according to an army spokeswoman.

The incident began when an IDF unit spotted a group of Palestinians hurling rocks at Israeli traffic on Route 60. Soldiers fired live rounds, aiming at the legs of suspects, and striking one of them, a spokeswoman said.

But Palestinians said the teen, Omar Yusef Madi Jawabra, 16, was shot during clashes with soldiers in al-Arroub refugee camp where he lived.

The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Health said Jawabra was rushed to al-Mezan Hospital in Hebron in critical condition and later died of his wounds.

The PA announced it has decided to perform an autopsy on Jawabra’s body to determine the cause of death.

Sources in the camp claimed that IDF soldiers shot the boy during clashes that erupted in the camp. The sources said that the soldiers also fired tear-gas at a group of teenagers who were throwing stones at them and Israeli vehicles on Highway 60.

On his Facebook page, Jawabra wrote on October 26, 2015: “If I leave the arena of life, my heart will rest; Oh eye, do not shed a tear; my homeland, call out on the day of my martyrdom.”

Members of his family who arrived at al-Mezan Hospital condemned the killing as a “cold blooded execution.”

Palestinians said that Jawabra is the 53rd Palestinian from the Hebron area to die since the current wave of attacks against Israelis began in October 2105.

Separately, Israeli police arrested a resident of the Karnei Shomron settlement on suspicion that he had attacked a Palestinian vehicle with an ax, shattering the windshield, while the driver was inside.

The non-governmental group Rabbis for Human Rights distributed a photograph of the damaged vehicle and the ax to the Israeli media.

Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.