Ramallah, September 15, 2022—Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian boy early this morning near the city of Jenin in the northern occupied West Bank.
Odai Trad Hisham Salah, 17, was shot and killed by Israeli forces around 5:30 a.m. on September 15 in the village of Kafr Dan, located west of the northern occupied West Bank city Jenin, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine. During confrontations with Palestinian residents, an Israeli sniper deployed in a nearby Palestinian home fired at least two bullets from a window toward Odai. He sustained gunshot wounds to the head and left side of his chest. A Palestinian ambulance transferred Odai to Jenin Government Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
The Israeli military made incursions on Kafr Dan around 4:30 a.m. and began raiding the homes of two Palestinian men alleged to have carried out a shooting attack yesterday at Al-Jalame crossing, which resulted in the killing of an Israeli officer. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition during confrontations with Palestinian residents.
Odai reportedly arrived at the center of the village, the site of confrontations, on a motorcycle while holding a homemade gun around 5:30 a.m. He allegedly attempted to shoot in the direction of Israeli military vehicles parked about 50 meters (165 feet) away. An Israeli sniper fired at least two bullets at Odai from around 150 meters (490 feet) away, killing him. It is unclear if Odai fired the weapon before he was killed, according to information collected by DCIP.
“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. Instead, all Palestinians, including children, are considered targets.”
Odai is the second Palestinian child killed in Kafr Dan this year, according to documentation collected by DCIP. 17-year-old Shawkat Kamel Shawkat Abed was shot with live ammunition by Isareli forces and succumbed to his injuries on April 15.
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.
39 Palestinian children have been killed in 2022, according to documentation collected by DCIP, including 22 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.
