Palestinian teen killed by IDF fire during violent West Bank riot
15-year-old Arkan Thaer Mizher said to have been shot in chest
A 15 year-old Palestinian was allegedly shot dead by IDF troops during violent clashes near Bethlehem overnight, the Palestinian Health Ministry announced on Monday.
Arkan Thaer Mizher died in hospital in Beit Jala after he was said to have been shot in the chest by live IDF fire. Another two Palestinian teenagers were injured in their legs and taken to hospital in stable condition.
According to the IDF, troops had been carrying out an arrest raid in the refugee camp near Bethlehem when a violent riot began with Palestinians throwing firebombs and grenades at the troops. Soldiers responded with crowd-dispersal methods and returned fire against the riot’s instigators.
The IDF is investigating the reports of Mizher’s death. No IDF soldier was injured in the uprising.
Two Palestinians wanted for involvement in terror and criminal activities were arrested by the Etzion Regional Brigade during the raids; a lathe used to make guns was also found in the West Bank refugee camp. Another six were arrested across the West Bank. All eight were handed over to the Shin Bet internal security agency for questioning.
The IDF carries out near-nightly raids across the West Bank, detaining Palestinian suspects wanted for terror attacks, illegal weapons possession and other security related offenses. In early June, a soldier from an elite unit was killed during an arrest raid in the Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah when 32-year-old Islam Yusuf Abu Hamid threw a large marble slab onto his head from the roof of a nearby building.
A July report prepared by the Palestinian Prisoners Club; Addameer Prisoners Support and Human Rights; the Prisoners Commission; and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights claimed that Israel arrested 3,533 Palestinians during the first half of this year. During January and February, 1,319 Palestinians were arrested, with another 449 being arrested in June, including 117 from Jerusalem and 12 from the Gaza Strip.
Another report by Defense for Children International – Palestine stated that 30 Palestinian youth have been killed by IDF fire in the West Bank so far this year compared to 15 in 2017.