Ramallah, July 9, 2025—A 14-year-old Palestinian boy succumbed to his wounds and died early today, three days after Israeli forces shot him with live ammunition in the northern occupied West Bank.
Eyad Abdul-Muati Eyad Shalakhti, 14, was shot with live ammunition by an Israeli soldier positioned inside a heavily armored Israeli military vehicle around 9:30 p.m. on July 6 near the Suleiman al-Nabulsi Street at the borders of the New Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, in the northern occupied West Bank, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine.
Eyad was with two of his friends on the Azmut hill of the camp when an Israeli military operation began in the Masaken al-Sha'abi area, east of Nablus. After their withdrawal, the military vehicles stopped at the bottom of the hill and shot around seven bullets at the children from a distance of about 20 to 40 meters (66 to 131 feet) away.
“Palestinian children live in a hyper-militarized context where Israeli military incursions into Palestinian communities to arrest and intimidate Palestinian civilians is the norm,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP. “During these incursions, Israeli forces routinely use intentionally lethal force in situations not justified under international law and no effort is made to impartially investigate whether Israeli soldiers act in accordance with international standards. Instead, all Palestinians, including children, are considered targets.”
Eyad remained lying on the ground bleeding for around 15 minutes. When his friends tried to lift him they were targeted again with around 20 bullets. The two children got injured, one in the right hand, and the other in the foot, and then left the area and informed the residents of the camp about the incident.
An ambulance arrived at the hill, took Eyad and transported him to Rafidia Hospital, where he was admitted to the emergency room. The doctors determined he had sustained multiple bullet wounds to his right flank, right foot, and abdomen, as well as shrapnel in both hands.
Eyad underwent multiple surgeries to remove the bullets from his body and clean the wounds, and was placed in the intensive care unit until he succumbed to his wounds around 12:10 a.m. on July 9.
Israeli forces have killed 32 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank in 2025, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
206 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
In 2024, Israeli forces and settlers killed at least 93 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank, according to documentation collected by DCIP. Israeli forces and settlers shot and killed 71 Palestinian children with live ammunition, 17 Palestinian children were killed in drone strikes, three Palestinian children were killed in an Israeli warplane airstrike, one child was killed by Israeli-fired ground shell, and one child was killed by unexploded ordnance (UXO) left behind by Israeli forces.
Israel’s routine use of lethal force against Palestinian children reflects a wider policy of violence and impunity that violates international law. Under international human rights law, lethal force may only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life. Yet, Israeli forces continue to target children with deliberate, unlawful killings.
