A 16-year-old Palestinian child has died from gunshot wounds following an Israeli military raid two weeks ago on the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Muntaser Al-Shawwa yesterday evening adding that he was severely wounded when a bullet fired by an Israeli soldier “pierced through his head from behind his ear and exited through his mouth.”
He was taken to the Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus, his heartbeat could not be found however he was revived and kept in intensive care before passing away yesterday.
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The raid in Nablus imposed by the Israeli military came while they were protecting illegal Jewish settlers who had stormed the site of Joseph’s Tomb.
Al-Shawwa’s family told Al Jazeera that the 16-year-old was standing on the side of the road watching the raid and then he fell to the ground after being shot at.
“They come to our land and kill our children. Please tell me how a 16-year-old – a small child – both by age and size – can represent a ‘threat’ to Israel?” Muntaser’s uncle, Ibrahim Mashharawi, told Al Jazeera.
“The bullet entered from behind his ear and broke his entire jaw. Shortly after he got to the hospital, his brain failed and became fully paralysed. Only his heart was beating, while his brains were dead,” said Mashharawi.
Muntaser is the 51st Palestinian to be killed by Israel since the start of the year. His death comes a week after Israeli occupation forces shot dead 17-year-old Mahmoud Majed Al-Aydi during a raid in Al-Faraa refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank city of Tubas.
He was shot directly in the head and was in a critical condition in hospital until he succumbed to his wounds.
There has been an increase in the number of Israeli raids across the occupied West Bank over the past few months, coupled with violence carried out by illegal settlers who have, at times, even turned against Israeli forces.
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Montather Rassoul