17-year-old Palestinian boy shot dead by Israeli soldiers near Ramallah, 4th since Wednesday

Israeli forces have shot dead a Palestinian boy near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the fourth since Wednesday. 

The 17-year-old teenage boy, identified as Odeh Mohammad Odeh, was shot dead in the vicinity of the separation wall in the village of al-Midya, west of Ramallah, on Thursday afternoon, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a brief statement.

The ministry said Odeh was brought to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the chest, but he succumbed to his wounds despite attempts to save his life.

Odeh was the fourth Palestinian shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank since Wednesday, and the 63rd since January.

Later on Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh issued a statement, condemning the killing of Odeh by Israeli forces as well as "all the horrific crimes committed against our children and loved ones.”

Shtayyeh said the perpetrators of such crimes are determined to murder Palestinians.

The Palestinian prime minister noted that Odeh is another child killed in continuation of Israeli crimes, which include a long list of targeting children, women and the elderly, "as a result of the international community's continuation of its double-standard policies that encourage the perpetrators to continue their crimes."

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates also condemned the killing of Odeh in a separate statement, calling for international action to stop Israel's crimes against Palestinians.

“70 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since start of year”

Meanwhile, head of an organization representing families of Palestinians killed by Israel said on Thursday that Israeli forces have shot and killed 70 Palestinians in the occupied territories since the start of this year.

Mohammad Sbeihat added that there have been 13 children less than 18 years of age and five women among 70 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since this year began.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli forces shot dead Ayman Mheisen, a 21-year-old Palestinian, during an armed confrontation in the refugee camp of al-Dheisha, south of Bethlehem. 

On Wednesday, Israeli troops fatally shot Palestinian journalist Ghofran Warasnah and a youth, Bilal Kabaha, in separate shootings in the occupied West Bank.

Warasnah, 31, was shot in the chest at the entrance of the Al Arroub refugee camp near al-Khalil city. The Israeli military alleged that the journalist had “advanced” toward soldiers with a knife.

Israeli forces fatally shoot young Palestinian in West Bank raid

Israeli forces shoot and kill another young Palestinian in a raid in the city of Bethlehem, amid rising tensions across the occupied West Bank.

Kabaha, 24, was killed in an Israeli raid north of the occupied West Bank in the village of Yabad near Jenin. After opening fire on her, Israeli forces prevented Red Crescent medics from approaching her for 20 minutes.

Following the murders on Wednesday, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on the international community to immediately interfere to stop the Israeli regime’s extra-judicial killings of Palestinian people, denouncing them as “war crimes.”

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh held Israeli premier Naftali Bennett responsible for the killings.

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