Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian teen in East Jerusalem

Wednesday’s incident reportedly took place near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City. Israeli police have alleged that he had attempted a stabbing attack at a light rail station.

The Palestinian Wafa news agency identified the child as 15-year-old Khaled Samer al-Zaanin. It said the Palestinian al-Zaanin was “assaulted” by illegal Jewish settlers and security personnel, according to witnesses.

A border police officer “directly shot towards the child, killing him in cold blood”, Wafa noted.

The settler who was allegedly attacked suffered light injuries, it added.

Israeli police announced “the suspect was neutralised on the spot”, without elaborating.

A border police officer who was travelling in a train saw the reported attack as it happened and took action, the police said. He “promptly disembarked from the train and fired”, hitting the suspect, they added.

A police spokesman told AFP news agency the attacker was a “minor” from East Jerusalem, but he did not specify the attacker’s age.

Police later raided al-Zaanin’s family home in the village of Beit Hanina, north of East Jerusalem, Wafa reported.

Israeli forces often conduct near-daily pre-dawn raids into the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem in an attempt to crack down on growing armed resistance.

More than 200 Palestinians have been killed this year in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the United Nations has warned that 2023 is on track to be the deadliest year for Palestinians since it started recording fatalities.

Palestinian and international rights groups have long condemned what they see as a policy of “shoot to kill” and excessive use of force.