Palestinian teenager shot dead by Israeli police

Palestinian teenager shot dead by Israeli police
Israeli police reportedly prevented paramedics from reaching 17-year-old Palestinian after shooting the teenager for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli officer.
2 min read
19 March, 2016
Israel has been accused of responding to knife attacks with excessive force [Getty]
A 17-year-old Palestinian was shot dead by Israeli police after allegedly attempting to stab an officer on Saturday.

The shooting took place at an Israeli checkpoint near an Israeli-only settlement in the occupied West Bank.

Abdullah Muhammad al-Ajlouni attempted to stab an Israeli officer at the checkpoint, wounding him lightly, Israeli police said.

An ambulance arrived at the scene to treat the Israeli officer while Ajlouni was left to bleed to death.

"The Israeli forces prevented our ambulance and paramedics from reaching the teenager," a medical source at the Red Crescent told The New Arab.

"We were unable to determine his medical state after the shooting," the source added.

In the past six months, there has been a series of similar incidents reported, of Palestinians shot and left to bleed by Israeli officers.

At least 207 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since October, 41 of them under the age of 18.

Most of the Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces for allegedly attempting knife attacks against Israeli soldiers. 

Some 28 Israelis and five foreign civilians have been killed in the same period.

The UN and human rights groups have voiced concern that Israeli security forces are responding to suspected attacks with excessive force. 

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom called for investigations into the deaths of Palestinians accused of stabbings to determine whether Israeli forces were guilty of "extra-judicial killings".

Israel denies the charges and claims that a Palestinian campaign of incitement is fuelling the violence.

Palestinians say attacks are rooted in frustration stemming from nearly five decades of Israeli military occupation.