Palestinians mourn the death of 15-year-old boy shot dead by Israeli forces

West Bank, Israel: Hundreds of Palestinian mourners gathered on Tuesday to attend the funeral of a 15-year-old boy killed by the Israeli forces during a raid in the West Bank area of Palestine. The 15-year-old boy, Imad Hashash, was killed by the Israeli forces in the Balata refugee camp near the city of Nablus during an operation to arrest a suspect.

Imad Hashash was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. As per the Israeli Army, the troops came under fire and pelted with rocks from suspects on rooftops during the operation in the Balata refugee camp. Israeli forces fired back, hitting one of the targets trying to throw a large object. No Israeli soldiers were injured in this operation.

Meanwhile, Imad Hashash is the 11th Palestinian child killed in the West Bank this year. According to the advocacy group Defense for Children Palestine, the number has surpassed the total number of children killed in 2020 in the West Bank.

Last month, Israeli forces opened fire on a car in the southern West Bank town of Beit Ummar. A 12-year-old boy Mohammed al-Alami was killed as he was travelling with his family to get snacks from a store. The killing of the 12-year-old boy sparked a two-day protest in which one more Palestinian was killed during clashes with Israeli forces.

In July, Israeli forces shot and killed a 17-year-old Palestinian during clashes in the West Bank village of Nabi Saleh. Nabi Saleh is witnessing frequent protests over the years against the nearby Israeli settlement.

Israel has captured the West Bank territory in the six-day war in 1967. The country has established several settlements in which around 5,00,000 Israeli civilians reside. These settlements are heavily guarded and are often the friction point between the Israelis and the Palestinians. The Palestinians believe that the West Bank area is a key part of their future state and see the settlements as an obstacle to resolve the issues.