Defense for Children International - Palestine said on Tuesday that the Israeli occupation forces are continuing to target Palestinian children to kill them, taking advantage of the impunity and lack of accountability they enjoy.
The organization referred to the incident of the killing of the child, Muhammad Munir Al-Tamimi, 17, by the occupation forces, in the village of Al-Nabi Saleh, northwest of Ramallah, on July 23.
The child al-Tamimi was hit by a live bullet in his lower back and exited from his stomach, fired by an Israeli soldier at him from a distance of no more than three meters.
The occupation forces stormed the village of Al-Nabi Saleh at about five o'clock that evening from the eastern side, which led to clashes with many residents.
It was reported that the occupation soldiers fired live bullets, tear gas canisters, and stun grenades.
During this, an Israeli soldier, who was inside a military jeep, fired live bullets at the child Muhammad al-Tamimi from a distance of no more than three meters.
The child was subsequently transferred to the government hospital in Salfit by a private vehicle, where he underwent surgery that lasted for about four hours.
Then, he was transferred to the intensive care unit and his killing was announced later.
The child Muhammad Al-Tamimi is the tenth Palestinian child to be killed by the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied West Bank since the beginning of 2021.
It was pointed out that the systematic impunity exposes Palestinian children living under the Israeli occupation to be killed at any moment without accountability for the killers.
In addition, the organization stated that under international law, intentional lethal force can only be justified in circumstances in which there is an immediate threat to life or serious injury.
However, investigations and evidence collected by Defense for Children International regularly indicate that the occupation forces use lethal force against Palestinian children in circumstances that may amount to extrajudicial or premeditated killing.
According to the Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din, about 80% of complaints submitted to the occupation authorities by Palestinians due to violations and abuse at the hands of Israeli soldiers were closed between 2017 and 2018 without opening a criminal investigation.
in general, the chances of a complaint leading to an indictment against an Israeli soldier for committing acts of violence, including murder, or any other harm, is 0.7%, according to Yesh Din.