Israeli fire kills 15-year-old Palestinian in West Bank raid

Israeli troops killed a teenage boy during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday, the Palestinian health ministry said, with the Israeli military saying forces fired at a stone thrower.

In a short statement, the ministry announced that "15-year-old Youssef Sameh Shtayyeh was killed by the (Israeli) occupation's gunfire in Nablus", in the north of the West Bank.

When asked by AFP about the incident, the Israeli military said that "during security forces' operational activity in the area of Nablus, a terrorist hurled stones toward the forces".

"The forces initiated standard suspect apprehension procedures, which concluded with fire being directed at the suspect," the military said, adding that it was "aware of reports regarding a Palestinian who was killed at the scene".

Abood al-Aker, communications director for the municipality, told AFP that six Israeli army vehicles had arrived in Nablus in the morning.

He said the soldiers spoke to shop owners in the Rafidia district's commercial area and shot the teenager as they were exiting the city.

"We don't know why they shot this kid on their way out," he said.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

Violence has soared in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023.

According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,066 Palestinians -- many of them militants, but also scores of civilians -- in the West Bank since then.

Agence France-Presse