UN, EU denounce IDF shooting dead of Palestinian teen during protest

• Published date: 06 December 2020
• Author: TOBIAS SIEGAL
• Date: 06 December 2020

"Children enjoy special protection under international law and must be protected from violence," the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov tweeted. He added that the incident was "shocking and unacceptable."

The EU delegation to the Palestinians asked, "How many more Palestinian children will be subject to the excessive use of lethal force by the Israeli security forces?"

Both the EU delegation and Mladenov called for an independent investigation by the Israeli authorities into Ali Ayman Abu-Alayya's death.

The IDF is investigating the incident, which it said occurred when dozens of Palestinians threw stones and rolled burning tires along the Alon Road, close to al-Mughayyir village in the Binyamin region.

An IDF spokesman said the objects thrown were more like large slabs than stones, and posed a clear danger to passing vehicles on the road, which is used by Palestinians and Israelis.

Al-Mughayyir Mayor Amin Abu Alayya said that "Israeli troops stationed at the eastern entrance to the village targeted a number of teenagers with live ammunition and metal-coated bullets during clashes.

"The 14-year-old boy and four others were injured and the boy, who was hit in the stomach, was rushed to the Palestine Medical Center in Ramallah, where he died of his wounds. Eyewitnesses said the boy was shot from close range. There have been daily clashes between teenagers and the soldiers in the past few weeks."

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Abu-Alayya was hit by a live bullet in his abdomen and was taken for treatment at a hospital in the Palestinian city of Ramallah where he later died.

A resident of the village, who asked not to be identified by name, said: "The incident began when residents protested against settlement construction and land confiscation. Some of the boys threw rocks at the soldiers, who responded by firing live ammunition. Ali was hit in the stomach. In the beginning, we thought it was a light injury but the ambulance team that examined him saw it was serious and decided to take him to hospital."

The IDF...