On June 23, the Israeli army raided the village of Kafr Malik, and shot and killed 13-year-old Ammar Motaz Hamayel allegedly for throwing stones at Israeli settlers.

Israeli forces briefly detained 13-year-old Ammar Mutaz Hamayel after he was shot near the village of Kafr Malik, before handing him over to a Palestinian ambulance crew.

The paramedics took him to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, where he was pronounced dead.

Kafr Malik, which has a population of about 2,500 Palestinians, is located 17 kilometers northeast of Ramallah and is surrounded by the Israeli settlement of Kokhav HaShahar.

Defense for Children - Palestine investigation

Ammar Motaz Mostafa Hamayel, 13, was shot in the back by Israeli forces around 4 p.m. on June 23 while out on a walk with a friend near the bypass road adjacent to the Palestinian village of Kufr Malik.

Israeli forces, stationed in a concealed position behind pine trees, opened fire on Ammar and his friend from a distance of between 500 and 1,000 meters (1,640 to 3,281 feet) away. One bullet struck Ammar in his back and exited from his neck. His friend ran away, and Israeli soldiers approached and detained Ammar for about two hours, preventing anyone from reaching him. Around 6 p.m., Israeli forces handed over Ammar to a Palestinian ambulance which brought him to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, where he was pronounced dead.

According to Ayed Abu Eqtaish the accountability program director at DCIP: “Ammar was walking with his friend when Israeli forces opened fire on him suddenly and without warning, striking him in the back, indicating he was turned away from the soldiers and posing no threat to them" (...) “He is the 29th Palestinian child killed by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank this year as Israel continues its campaign of genocide in Gaza with complete impunity."

While Israeli forces detained Ammar after shooting him, they physically assaulted multiple family members and neighbors who attempted to reach him and provide aid.

Israeli forces also prevented a Palestinian ambulance from providing aid to Ammar.

Who was Ammar ?

Ammar was an outstanding student at his school and a distinguished member of the Palestinian national junior Muay Thai team for more than four years. He won multiple local and international titles. His dream was to become a Muay Thai world champion.

Trageting children is an occupation pattern

Israel’s routine use of lethal force against Palestinian children reflects a wider policy of violence and impunity that violates international law. Under international human rights law, lethal force may only be used when strictly unavoidable to protect life, yet, Israeli forces continue to target children with deliberate, unlawful killings.