RAMALLAH, June 2 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli army on Monday shot and killed a Palestinian boy who was allegedly throwing stones and Molotov cocktails near the West Bank city of Ramallah, according to Palestinian and Israeli sources.
The Ramallah-based Health Ministry said in a brief statement that "the General Authority for Civil Affairs informed us of the killing of 14-year-old Yousef Fuad Fuqaha by Israeli army gunfire in the town of Sinjil, north of Ramallah."
Palestinian security sources told Xinhua that Israeli forces shot Fuqaha while he was in the northern part of the town and took his body.
The sources added that Israeli forces later raided a Palestinian home near the area where the boy was killed and erased surveillance camera footage.
In a statement, the Israeli army said its forces had identified a Palestinian attempting to throw stones at a civilian road and hurling two bottles containing a dangerous substance at soldiers.
Upon identifying the suspect, the forces opened fire, killing him, according to the statement. It added that the army would continue efforts to "thwart terrorism in the West Bank to preserve the security of the region's residents."
The West Bank has seen escalating tensions for around 20 months, coinciding with the ongoing Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip. ■
