Israeli forces shoot two Palestinian teenagers in apparent self-defense incident

Two Palestinians, an 18-year-old bride-to-be and a 13-year-old boy, remain hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the head by Israeli snipers.

Hala Salem Darwish, 18, was preparing dinner for her family when she was struck by an Israeli sniper’s bullet east of the Maghazi refugee camp in central Gaza. She is currently on life support at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Gaza’s Deir el-Balah. Mohammad Saber al-Sheikh, 13, was playing football outside his home in the Jalazone refugee camp when he was shot by an Israeli sniper during a raid on the camp. He is receiving treatment at the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah.

The shootings are part of a recent surge in violence against Palestinian minors. On Tuesday, 16-year-old Mohammad Majdi al-Jabari was killed after being struck by a vehicle belonging to an Israeli minister’s security convoy in Hebron. At least four Palestinians were killed, including two boys, in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.

According to reports, Israel has killed nearly 800 Palestinians since October 2023, breaching a US-brokered ceasefire. The Palestinian government media office states that Israeli forces have killed 237 children in the occupied West Bank between October 2023 and mid-April. International humanitarian organizations have reported an increase in settler violence and Israeli crackdowns in the West Bank, displacing thousands of Palestinians.

The Maghazi refugee camp is home to over 10,000 Palestinians, while the Jalazone refugee camp has a population of around 5,000. The occupied Palestinian territory has seen significant violence against civilians, with many killed or injured by Israeli forces and settlers.

Source: Al Jazeera