Israeli Forces Kill Teenager and Block Infant's Medical Access

Israeli military forces killed a 16-year-old Palestinian boy and contributed to the death of a four-month-old infant in separate incidents near Ramallah on Sunday. Israeli forces shot and killed Waleed Nidal Waleed Abu Sneineh in the Qalandia refugee camp and wounded two 14-year-old boys during the same operation.

In a separate incident at the entrance to Deir Ammar, soldiers refused to open a military gate to allow four-month-old Ahmad Marouf Zeid to reach a waiting ambulance for urgent medical care. Governor Laila Ghannam reported that the vehicle was held for over an hour and that soldiers fired tear gas at residents, further delaying the infant's transport. Doctors at the Arab Specialized Hospital later confirmed the child's death. The Deir Ammar gate has been closed for four months as part of a broader closure policy.

Israeli authorities defended the checkpoint system as a necessary security measure to prevent attacks. Conversely, Palestinian officials characterized the restrictions as a violation of fundamental rights to life and medical access. Data from the Palestinian Ministry of Health indicates that Israeli forces have killed at least 1,087 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023.