Rights and Accountability 27 June 2022
Muhammad Abdullah Salah Suleiman
Defense for Children International-PalestineA 16-year-old boy died after being shot and left to bleed by Israeli forces on Friday.
Israeli occupation forces were deployed near Route 60, south of the occupied West Bank village of Silwad, when Muhammad Abdullah Salah Suleiman was shot.
Route 60 is a highway used by Israeli settlers.
Many Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire in this area.
Muhammad was shot “from a distance of 50 meters,” from a military watchtower, “where no events took place,” according to an investigation by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR).
An Israeli ambulance transported Muhammad to the Shaare Zedek medical center in Jerusalem after he bled for 45 minutes, according to a field investigation by Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP).
PCHR’s investigation says he was left to bleed for two hours.
Israeli occupation forces “left Muhammad to bleed for about two hours, prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching him and indiscriminately and heavily opened fire to prevent anyone from approaching him as well,” PCHR stated.
“Soldiers know no bounds”
The child later died from his wounds, and his parents were informed of his death in the early hours of Saturday.
Muhammad’s father, Abdullah Suleiman, told PCHR that Muhammad was shot with a live bullet to the chin.
“It is unclear exactly where on his body Mohammad sustained gunshot wounds because Israeli authorities have not yet released his body to Palestinian authorities or to Muhammad’s family,” DCIP said.
Israel’s withholding of the teen’s body hampers an investigation into his death and prevents his family from holding a burial.
“Israeli soldiers know no bounds and kill Palestinian children with impunity,” Ayed Abu Eqtaish from DCIP said.
Muhammad’s killing brings to 15 the number of Palestinian children killed by Israeli fire since the beginning of the year.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF posted a tweet about the killing, omitting the fact that Israeli occupation forces were responsible.
