Last November, 14-year-old Palestinian boy Jad Jadallah was shot at close range by Israeli soldiers in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

As Jad lay collapsed in an alley, soldiers created a cordon around him and blocked two Palestinian ambulances from reaching him.

According to video footage and eyewitness testimony, 14 soldiers then stood around Jad casually for at least 45 minutes while he bled from gunshot wounds. All Israeli soldiers receive trauma treatment training, and any combat unit should contain a trained medic, but none appeared to provide Jad with life-saving medical aid.

The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) told the BBC that soldiers provided "initial medical treatment," but a spokesperson refused to give details about its nature or timing. The IDF also accused Jad of throwing a rock, which, under their rules of engagement, can permit the use of lethal force.

However, footage shows an IDF soldier dropping an object next to Jad after he was shot, then photographing it—an action Jad's family and a leading human rights group say appears to be an attempt to frame him. Soldiers eventually loaded Jad into an Israeli military vehicle, but the exact timing and circumstances of his death remain unclear.

Jad was born and raised in al-Far'a refugee camp in the West Bank, home to about 10,000 Palestinians. Israel conducts frequent military raids in such camps, stating they are necessary to counter armed groups.

According to the UN, 55 children were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank last year, and 227 have been killed there since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. Jad's death stands out due to the prolonged lack of medical treatment despite the presence of soldiers and the emergence of verified video footage of the incident.

Source: www.bbc.com