Palestinian Boy, 13, Shot Dead by Israeli Soldiers in the West Bank

A Palestinian teen shot by Israeli forces during a protest in his village of al-Mughayir, northeast of Ramallah on Friday, December 3, died of his wounds within hours, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced later in the day. According to the Palestinian Red Cross, Ali Abu Aliya, 13, was hit by live fire in the abdomen and was taken in critical condition to a hospital in Ramallah for surgery. The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death hours later. Palestinian officials said four other persons were wounded by rubber bullets fired by Israeli forces in the same incident.

The funeral of Ali Abu Alia in the city of Ramallah, Saturday morning, December 5, 2020

The funeral of Ali Abu Alia in the city of Ramallah, Saturday morning, December 5, 2020 (Photo: Wafa)

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the shooting, calling it “a hideous crime.” “This crime shows the ugliness of the occupation against the defenseless Palestinian people. It is the latest in a daily series of killings that cannot be tolerated,” Abbas said in a statement.

Joint List chair, MK Ayman Odeh (Hadash) also shared Abu-Aliya’s picture, writing: “A child was killed yet again by Israeli military fire – Ali Abu Aliya… who went out to protest next to his home in the village of Al-Mughayir.” “Another murder victim in a long line of cruel crimes committed in the occupied territories. Stop the occupation,” Odeh tweeted.

United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process Nickolay Mladenov wrote on Twitter that he was “appalled” by the shooting. “Israel must swiftly and independently investigate this shocking and unacceptable incident. Children enjoy special protection under international law and must be protected from violence,” Mladenov said. The EU delegation to the Palestinians asked, “How many more Palestinian children will be subject to the excessive use of lethal force by the Israeli security forces?” Both the EU delegation and Mladenov called for an independent investigation by the Israeli authorities into Abu-Aliya’s death.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates announced on Sunday, December 6, it will prosecute the occupying state of Israel before the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the fatal shooting of the Palestinian child. In a statement, the Ministry called upon the ICC to open an immediate investigation into the crimes of the Israeli occupation and to ultimately hold Israeli war criminals to account.

It held the Israeli occupation’s government of Benjamin Netanyahu fully and directly responsible for Friday’s crime, which it said was a translation of the instructions of the political leadership in the occupying state to its forces, in a way that makes it easy for them to shoot Palestinian citizens with impunity.

On Thursday, December 3, the Justice Ministry’s Police Internal Investigations Department (PIID) said it has closed its investigation into the serious injury of a Palestinian 9-year-old boy, who was wounded by a sponge-tipped bullet during a raid in occupied East Jerusalem in February. The child’s father told Channel 13 News his son had gone to a store to make a purchase. When he came out of the door, “He was hit between the eyes.” He denied that there had been demonstrations prior to the incident.

No officers will be charged over the incident in the neighborhood of Issawiya, the police investigation unit said. The boy, identified as Malek Issa, was hospitalized in serious condition and later had one of his eyes surgically removed. His lawyer condemned the decision by the PIID calling it “shameful.” The move was also condemned by Joint List MK Ofer Cassif (Hadash), who called it a “whitewash” and said it gave police “official permission to keep shooting” Palestinian children.