Palestinian teen framed in al-Khalil, footage apparently shows

A new video released by a Palestinian activist group apparently shows Israeli troops planting a knife next to a slain teenager in the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the occupied West Bank, bringing into question Israeli claims that the teen was killed for trying to stab a settler.

The footage released by Youth Against Settlements on Saturday appears to show an Israeli trooper handing over an object to another of the forces who then bends and throws it next to the body of a person lying on a street in al-Khalil.

The 18-year-old slain Palestinian teen, identified as Fadil Qawasm, was shot dead by a settler earlier in the day. The settler with his gun in hands can be seen at the scene when the Israeli troops surround the body of the Palestinian.

The widely-circulated footage has raised suspicions that the Israeli troops had planted a knife next to the teen’s body to justify his killing.

The shooting took place in central al-Khali’s Shuhada Street in al-Khalil’s Old City, where Israeli forces have restricted Palestinians’ access.

According to Palestinian news agency Ma’an, any Palestinian trying to access the street must “pass through an Israeli military checkpoint with a metal detector.” This has raised further questions among the locals “as to whether Qawasmi could have been carrying a knife at the time of the alleged attack.”

Meanwhile, Israeli troops also reportedly refused access to the body by paramedics from the Palestine Red Crescent. The Israeli troops then covered the young man’s face and took him in an ambulance to an “unknown destination.”

Israeli military claimed that Qawasmi was killed as he attempted to stab the settler. Such a claim is leveled against Palestinians who have been killed in a fresh wave of violence in the occupied territories over the past two weeks.

Meanwhile, the military sources said they have launched an investigation into the incident after seeing the footage. Other reports, however, said that Israeli forces have detained Ahmad Amr, who serves as the media coordinator for Youth Against Settlements, as well as a Palestinian who witnessed the shooting.

Israeli forces, however, have denied any wrongdoing with Israeli army spokesperson Peter Lerner posting a tweet, saying that the object passed between the soldiers was a radio, used to report the incident.

More than 40 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured since Israel began a harsh crackdown in early October on the Palestinians enraged by the settler violence and a plan by Israelis to change the status quo of the al-Aqsa Mosque, a holy site revered by all Muslims around the world.

In the latest incident on Saturday, a Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly stabbing and wounding a soldier at Qalandia checkpoint near the city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. At least three Palestinians across the West Bank and East al-Quds (Jerusalem) were shot dead under similar pretexts earlier in the day. 

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