Ramallah, November 16, 2022—Israeli forces shot and killed a 14-year-old Palestinian girl in the central occupied West Bank on Monday.
Fulla Rasmi Abdulaziz Mallouh, 14, was shot and killed by Israeli forces around 4 a.m. on November 14 in the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine. Fulla was in the passenger seat of a car driving on Mahmoud Imwasi street when Israeli forces opened fire on the car, firing at least 20 live bullets. Fulla sustained gunshot wounds to her head and chest. Israeli forces collected her body, removing it from the scene, and then later transferred her body to Palestinian authorities.
“Palestinian children live in a hyper-militarized context where the Israeli military's nighttime 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 resort to intentional lethal force in situations not justified under international law and make no effort to impartially investigate or ensure that Israeli soldiers act in accordance with international standards.”
After Israeli forces fired live ammunition at the car, the driver exited the car with his hands raised. Israeli forces beat and detained him. Then, Israeli forces opened the passenger door and laid Fulla on the ground, where one soldier briefly attempted to resuscitate her, according to information collected by DCIP. Israeli forces moved Fulla to a stretcher, carried her a short distance, then put her back on the ground with some force. Fulla remained on the ground without medical attention while Israeli forces took the detained man to a military vehicle.
Two Israeli soldiers then picked up Fulla on the stretcher, placed her in the back of an Israeli military vehicle, and drove away, according to information collected by DCIP. Israeli forces then handed Fulla off to the Palestinian liasion, which transferred her to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, where doctors pronounced her dead.
Israeli forces have intensified arrest operations and incursions into Palestinian cities in the occupied West Bank in recent months, leading to an increase in the number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces. Dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the Israeli military launched its Operation “Break the Wave” on March 31, 2022.
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.
Israeli forces have killed 26 Palestinian girls in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 2000, according to documentation collected by DCIP. The last Palestinian girl shot and killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank was 16-year-old Samah Zuheer Ahmad Mubarak in January 2019.
Israeli forces have killed 521 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank since 2000, according to documentation collected by DCIP.
49 Palestinian children have been killed in 2022, according to documentation collected by DCIP, including 32 Palestinian children shot and killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the occupied West Bank. DCIP documented the killing of 17 Palestinian children between August 5–7 after Israeli forces launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip. DCIP continues to investigate several incidents.
2021 was the deadliest year for Palestinian children since 2014. Israeli forces and armed civilians killed 78 Palestinian children, according to evidence collected by DCIP.
