The Israeli military said it shot dead a Palestinian “on suspicion of throwing stones at soldiers” during an operation in the occupied West Bank town of Qabadia on Saturday.
Video reviewed by CNN showed a soldier firing a weapon just feet away from the teen. In an earlier statement, the military did not use the word “suspect” but said the man “threw a wooden block at the soldiers.”
Citing the Palestinian General Authority for Civil Affairs (PGACA), the Health Ministry identified the Palestinian as 16-year-old Rayan Muhammad Abdul Qader Abu Mualla, whose body remains in Israeli custody after he was killed in the Al-Sab’aneh neighborhood of Qabatiya.
A 26-second security camera video shared on social media and located by CNN in Al-Sab’aneh shows the moment Israeli forces shot and killed Abu Mualla.
In the video, a man is seen walking down an alley toward two helmeted soldiers crouching behind a corner. As the man was about to reach the corner, a soldier raised his rifle and fired at close range, causing the man to fall backwards.
In an initial statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said its soldiers had been attacked by “terrorists”. The video shows the 18 seconds before the shooting, during which nothing appears to be thrown in the alley where the Palestinian teen was. However, his left hand was covered. It’s unclear who filmed the video, who originally posted it, or what happened before it began.
On Saturday, the Israeli news website Ynet published a photo of Abu Mualla clutching a piece of concrete with his left hand, which was taken after his death. CNN was unable to verify whether the photo in the security footage showed the same person.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Israeli forces prevented its emergency workers from reaching the scene of the shooting.
A set of geolocated videos from CNN showed an ambulance with emergency lights on parked about 650 feet from the scene of the shooting.
Asked to comment on the video and allegations that emergency workers were prevented from reaching Abu Mualla, the IDF said: “Yesterday (Saturday), a Palestinian suspected of throwing an obstacle at IDF soldiers was shot dead. The incident is under review.”
Late Saturday, Abu Mualla’s school announced on Facebook that it would be closed on Sunday and postpone exams for a week in his honor.
In a separate incident on Saturday, the Health Ministry said IDF shot dead a 22-year-old Palestinian man named Ahmed Saed Ziyoud in Silat al-Harathiya, a town north of Jenin in the West Bank.
The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement on Telegram that they shot and killed a man who “threw explosives” at soldiers in Silat al-Harathiya.
On Sunday, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement said he was a fighter with the Quds Force. He was hit by an Israeli sniper’s bullet during an IDF attack on the town.
CNN’s Dana Karni contributed to this report.
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