The Scotsman

Boy, 12, dies of gunshot after Israel army raid

- By MARGARET NEIGHBOUR

A 12-year-old Palestinia­n boy has died after being shot and wounded by israeli soldiers during a weekend army raid on a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinia­n Health Ministry said. Mahmoud Samoudi was shot in the abdomen during the raid in Jenin, a refugee camp and stronghold of armed Palestinia­ns, on Saturday.

During the raid, soldiers entered the camp and surrounded a house.

In videos circulated on social media, exchanges of fire could be heard.

At the time, Palestinia­n health officials said two youths, aged 16 and 18, were killed and that 11 other people were wounded.

Israel has been carrying out nightly arrest raids across the West Bank since a spate of attacks against Israelis in the spring killed 19 people. The army said it had traced some of the perpetrato­rs of those attacks back to Jenin.

Israeli fire has killed more than 100 Palestinia­ns during that time, making it the deadliest year in the occupied territory since 2015.

The Israeli military says the majority of those killed were militants or stonethrow­ers who endangered soldiers. But several civilians have also been killed during Israel's monthslong operation, including a journalist and a lawyer who apparently drove unwittingl­y into a battle zone.

Youths who took to the streets in response to the invasion of their neighbourh­oodshave also been killed.

Israel says the arrest raids are meant to dismantle militant networks.

The Palestinia­ns say the operations are aimed at strengthen­ing Israel's 55-year military occupation of territorie­s they want for an independen­t state.

 ?? ?? ↑ Israel has been carrying out nightly arrest raids
↑ Israel has been carrying out nightly arrest raids

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