Israeli Forces Kill One West Bank Teen Weekly

Why this is here: A surgeon in the West Bank now primarily treats lethal gunshot wounds to the chest and head, a change from previously seeing mostly minor injuries from rubber bullets and stones.

Unicef reports Israeli forces kill roughly one Palestinian minor each week in the West Bank. Since January 2025, about 70 teenagers aged 15 to 16 have died, with 65 deaths caused by Israeli forces. The military states these teens were throwing stones at soldiers, labeling the act as terrorism.

Witnesses describe soldiers opening fire on a group of boys in Nablus after they saw them throwing stones from a side street. Youssef Shtayyeh, 15, was fatally shot in the back and chest near his home on April 23. A surgeon at the hospital noted a shift from treating minor injuries to primarily seeing lethal wounds since the October 7 attack.

The Israeli military consistently responds to these incidents by stating soldiers followed “standard arrest procedure.” Haaretz reported a military commander said troops killed 42 Palestinians for stone-throwing in 2025 alone. The investigation into these deaths continues, and the reasons behind the escalating violence remain unclear.