Ramallah, April 17, 2025 — Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy in Jalazone refugee camp near Ramallah earlier this week.
Malek Ali Ibrahim Al-Hattab, 16, was shot in the abdomen by an Israeli soldier from about 30 meters (92 feet) away during an Israeli military incursion into Jalazone refugee camp that began around 12:30 a.m. on April 14, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine. Wounded, Malek attempted to crawl out of the line of fire. A young man tried to reach him, but Israeli forces fired additional shots to prevent aid. After about 30 minutes, the same man returned and managed to pull Malek to safety. With Israeli forces blocking ambulances at the camp’s entrance gate, Malek was transported in a private vehicle to Istishari Hospital in the nearby Rayhan suburb via Jifna village. Malek received emergency surgery then remained in the intensive care unit until he was pronounced dead at 8:30 p.m. on April 15.
“Expanding bullets, which likely caused Malek's severe internal injuries, are explicitly prohibited under international humanitarian law, and have been since 1868, due to the extreme and unnecessary suffering they cause,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at DCIP. “Yet, Israeli forces use these illegal weapons against Palestinian children with no consequences from the international community.”
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on April 14, Israeli forces raided the camp using two heavily armored military vehicles, one mounted with a rooftop machine gun. During the operation, Israeli forces repeatedly cut off electricity and disrupted all communication networks, effectively isolating the camp. One military jeep deployed soldiers to the al-Safi neighborhood, where they took up sniper positions on the balcony, while the second military vehicle advanced toward the market area, where around 30 young men and children had gathered. One soldier stationed on the balcony later shot Malek.
The bullet that struck Malek was likely an expanding bullet, according to documentation collected by DCIP. These bullets used by Israeli forces are designed to expand inside the body upon impact, causing massive internal injuries. Customary international law prohibits the use of expanding bullets, or any bullets that expand or flatten easily in the human body, though DCIP regularly documents fatalities and injuries seemingly as a result of expanding bullets, also known as dumdum bullets. At least five Palestinian children, including Malek, have been killed by expanding bullets in the occupied West Bank since October 7, 2023, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
The bullet severed a major artery and caused massive damage to Malek's kidneys, intestines, and colon. He received 14 units of blood, equivalent to the amount of blood within an adult, along with plasma and platelets, but his condition deteriorated. Malek succumbed to his wounds after nearly 20 hours in intensive care.
Israeli forces have killed 21 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank in 2025, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
The use of expanding and exploding bullets is recognized as a violation of customary international law, as it inflicts suffering far beyond what is necessary to neutralize a target, thereby breaching the foundational humanitarian principle that prohibits excessive harm. This prohibition was first codified in the 1868 St. Petersburg Declaration, one of the earliest arms control treaties, and has been consistently reaffirmed by modern legal instruments and state practice. The anti-personnel use of expanding and exploding bullets is therefore universally condemned and constitutes a war crime.
Despite this clear legal framework, Israeli forces have used expanding bullets against Palestinian civilians, including children like Malek, in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. These projectiles cause catastrophic internal injuries, making even survivable wounds lethal due to severe organ damage and uncontrollable bleeding. Such use represents not only an egregious breach of the laws of war but also reflects a broader pattern of Israel’s disregard for international legal norms governing the conduct of hostilities and the protection of civilians under occupation.
