Palestinian youth killed in clashes with IDF troops near Nablus

Israeli youth seriously injured after being struck in the head by a stone

By ANNA AHRONHEIM, JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Israel Police and Magen David Adom. (photo credit: MAGEN DAVID ADOM)
Israel Police and Magen David Adom.
(photo credit: MAGEN DAVID ADOM)
A Palestinian youth was killed and more than a dozen were wounded by Israeli fire during clashes near Nablus in the West Bank early Wednesday morning.
“Some 500 Palestinians took part in a violent disturbance of the peace near the village of Beta,” the IDF said in a statement. “The rioters hurled stones at soldiers and burned tires,” it said.
The 15-year-old died while hospitalized after he was shot in the head by soldiers near a fortress at an archaeological site near Beita. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified him as Mohammad Hamayel.
The WAFA Palestinian news agency quoted the spokesman for the Health Ministry, Tarif Ashour, as saying another 17 Palestinians were brought to Rafidia Government Hospital and given medical treatment after being wounded in the clashes, including two in serious condition.
According to a report in Haaretz, the clashes broke out around 5:30 p.m., ahead of when soldiers came to disperse a group of Palestinian protesters prior to a tour of settlers visiting the fortress, which reportedly dates back to the Hasmonean era.
Meanwhile, a 14-year-old Israeli from the settlement of Yitzhar was seriously wounded Wednesday night after he was hit in the head by a rock thrown by a Palestinian toward the car in which he was riding south of Nablus.
The youth and the other occupants of the car he was driving in had gone to a Purim party and allegedly provoked Palestinians who were in a nearby vehicle, Channel 12 reported.
The youth was struck in the head following a verbal and physical confrontation between the two groups and rushed to Schneider Medical Center in Petah Tikva by Magen David Adom rescue personnel.
“My grandson’s name is Tzadok Aryeh Ben Ayelet. [His] respiratory surgery will be at noon,” the teenager’s grandfather told The Jerusalem Post. “My 14-year-old grandson was wounded last night by rocks thrown at the car in Huwara. He is in critical condition in hospital awaiting surgery,” he said.
Samaria Regional Council chairman Yossi Dagan said the rock throwing was “an attempted antisemitic murder and a nationalistic event in every sense.” He called on the authorities to “capture the terrorists” responsible.
Attorney Haim Blecher of the Honenu legal aid organization said: “This is a serious terrorist incident of stone throwing toward someone’s head in very short range. We are confident that the IDF will arrest the terrorist.”
Referring to the attack as “an attempted murder,” he demanded that the perpetrators be arrested and prosecuted.