Ramallah, February 24, 2026—Israeli forces killed a 17-year-old Palestinian boy in the northern occupied West Bank in the early morning hours on Sunday.
Mohammad Wahbi Abdulaziz Hanani, 17, had just finished evening prayers in the Zalmout Mosque in the Palestinian town of Beit Furik around 8:20 p.m. on February 21 when Israeli forces in heavily armored military vehicles arrived in the area, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine. Mohammad and other young Palestinians allegedly threw stones toward the military vehicles for about two minutes before Israeli forces opened fire, striking Mohammad in the head from a distance of about 40 meters (131 feet).
Soldiers rushed toward Mohammad, who had collapsed on the ground, and searched the area before an Israeli military ambulance arrived and its military paramedics began to administer first aid. A few minutes later, a Palestinian ambulance arrived at the scene, and Israeli soldiers obstructed the paramedics’ access to Mohammad. After several minutes of discussion, the Israeli soldiers allowed the Palestinian paramedics to provide first aid under their supervision.
At 8:30 p.m., the Palestinian ambulance transported Mohammad to the Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus. On the way, it encountered a closed military checkpoint, delaying the trip by several minutes. Mohammad’s heart stopped in the ambulance and paramedics conducted cardiopulmonary resuscitation until they reached the hospital at 8:44 p.m.
Doctors took Mohammad to the operating room where surgery was performed to clean the wound and stop the bleeding. Afterward, he was transferred to the intensive care unit, where he remained until he was pronounced dead at 12:25 a.m. on February 22.
Mohammad is the fourth Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank in 2026, according to documentation collected by DCIP. Israeli forces and settlers killed 56 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank in 2025.
Decades of systemic impunity has created a situation where Israeli forces shoot to kill without limit. As Palestinian children are increasingly targets in the West Bank, Israeli forces’ rules of engagement seemingly allow direct targeting of Palestinian children where no threat exists to justify the use of intentional lethal force.
