Ramallah, August 28, 2021—A 13-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to his wounds after Israeli forces shot him one week ago during a demonstration in the Gaza Strip.
Omar Hasan Mousa Abu Al-Nil, 13, succumbed to his wounds in Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital shortly after midnight on August 28. Israeli forces shot him in the neck with live ammunition during a protest near the perimeter fence east of Gaza City’s Shuja'iyya neighborhood on August 21, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine.
Omar was standing 70-100 meters (229-328 feet) away from the perimeter fence observing the demonstrations when Israeli forces shot him around 5:30 p.m. He lost consciousness instantly, an eyewitness told DCIP. The bullet entered the front side of Omar’s neck and exited the back side, damaging his windpipe and carotid artery and stopping his heart.
Omar was rushed to Al-Shifa hospital where he received cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and underwent surgery to stop the bleeding. He remained in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for a week until he succumbed to his injuries, according to DCIP’s documentation.
“Israeli forces routinely shoot and kill Palestinian children with impunity in circumstances that suggest unlawful and wilful killings,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP. “The international community must act to hold Israel accountable by ending weapons sales and support for Israeli forces that exhibit complete disregard for international law.”
On the day Omar was shot and injured, hundreds of Palestinians protested near the perimeter fence in the eastern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces fired live ammunition, rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas grenades at protestors, injuring at least 20 children, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
Israeli forces injured a number of other Palestinian children during the same protest east of Shuja’iyya, including at least three who were shot in their lower limbs with live ammunition, according information collected by DCIP. Ismail A., 14, was shot with live ammunition in the lower left foot. Yousef S., 16, and Fares Y., 15, were both shot with live ammunition in their left legs.
Under international law, intentional lethal force is only justified in circumstances where a direct threat to life or of serious injury is present. However, investigations and evidence collected by DCIP regularly suggest that Israeli forces use lethal force against Palestinian children in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or wilful killings.
Omar is the 73rd Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory since the beginning of 2021, according to evidence collected by DCIP. 60 of these children were killed by Israeli forces in May during Israel’s 11-day military assault on the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have shot and killed 12 Palestinian children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Israeli forces shot and killed Imad Khaled Saleh Hashash, 15, on August 24 around 4 a.m. as he stood on the roof of his home as Israeli forces raided Balata refugee camp southeast of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. Imad sustained a gunshot wound to the head and was taken to Rafidia hospital in Nablus where he was pronounced dead.
Israeli forces shot Mohammad Mo’ayyad Bahjat Abu Sara on July 28, while he was a passenger in his father’s car. Israeli forces fired 13 bullets at the vehicle as it retreated from the area in which they were deployed.
Israeli forces shot Mohammad Munir Mohammad Tamimi, 17, in the back on July 24. Mohammad underwent surgery at Salfit governmental hospital but succumbed to his wounds later that evening.
