RAMALLAH – A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank city of Qalqilya on Wednesday, Palestinian health officials said, amid escalating violence in the territory.
Hamed Muwafi died from a gunshot wound to the head during a confrontation near Israel’s separation barrier on the outskirts of Qalqilya, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Local witnesses said he was shot by Israeli troops and rushed to Qalqilya Hospital in critical condition before succumbing to his injuries.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the incident.
Separately, Palestinian medical sources confirmed the death of Abdul Rahman Nawas, 22, who succumbed to wounds sustained in an Israeli drone strike on December 24, 2024, in the Nour Shams refugee camp near Tulkarm. Nawas had been undergoing treatment at Ramallah’s Istishari Hospital for shrapnel injuries, officials said.
Israeli forces have maintained a monthlong operation in Tulkarm and its refugee camps, including Nour Shams, which Palestinian authorities say has killed at least eight people and led to widespread arrests and injuries.
The West Bank has seen a surge in violence since October 7, 2023. More than 900 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire or shelling in the territory during this period, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
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