A report from an autopsy performed on a 16-year-old Palestinian killed when clashes broke out during an Israeli military raid Tuesday revealed the teen died from a bullet to the chest.
Hebron’s District Attorney Alaa al-Tamimi told Ma’an Wednesday that Omar Yousef Madi al-Jawabreh died after being hit by a single bullet that entered his body from the right side of his chest.
Al-Tamimi said the bullet penetrated the teen’s liver, kidneys, and spleen before exiting his body from the lower left side of his rib cage.
The al-Jawabreh family is expected to hold a funeral on Thursday, Al-Tamimi added.
The 16-year-old was shot when clashes erupted between residents and Israeli forces raiding al-Arrub refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, locals said.
An Israeli army spokesperson said following the teen’s death that Israeli soldiers had “responded with riot dispersal means” to a “number of boys throwing stones at Israeli vehicles on Route 60,” hitting one “demonstrator” with live fire.
The spokesperson told Ma’an at the time that Israeli soldiers were present in al-Arrub during “routine security activity.”
The autopsy report comes as Israel has faced mounting criticism for implementing a “shoot-to-kill” policy on Palestinians, leading to unnecessary deaths of individuals who did not pose sufficient threat for the use of lethal force at the time of their death.
Al-Jawabreh was one of around 170 Palestinians to be killed by Israeli forces or settlers since an escalation in violence spread across the occupied Palestinian in October, including 19-year-old Khalid Mahmoud al-Jawabreh who was shot in al-Arrub in November.
The Hebron district in particular grew as a flashpoint in November and December, and the Israeli military shut down movement in large portions of the district, including al-Arrub camp. Many restrictions have since been lifted but sporadic closures continue.
While the majority of Palestinians to be killed in the recent unrest were shot during attacks on Israeli military, around 50 were shot during clashes with the Israeli military that broke out during demonstrations or search raids.
Search and arrest raids — last year’s weekly average numbering nearly 90 according to UN documentation — frequently result in clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli military.
Human Rights Watch last year criticized Israel for large-scale violations carried out during arrest campaigns. Violations included arbitrary arrest, excessive use of force against residents who did not pose sufficient threat for the lethal use of force, and damage to property and homes.
This year has seen a weekly average of 318 night raids into Palestinian villages and cities in the occupied West Bank, many of which have been carried out following attacks on Israeli military targets or settlements.
(MAAN)
