Palestinian child killed by Israeli settler gunfire during protest near Ramallah

A Palestinian child was killed by armed Israeli settlers on Friday, succumbing to his wounds two hours after being shot near Al-Mughayer village, close to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.

Amjad Nashaat Abu Alia, 16, was shot when settlers fired live rounds at participants in a march against illegal settlement activity, according to village council chief Amin Abu Alia.

Amin said settlers fired on the march in full view of the Israeli forces present.

The Palestinian health ministry said in a statement that Amjad "died of critical wounds sustained by live bullets in the chest".

Four other people were wounded by live and rubber-coated bullets, The New Arab's Arabic sister service, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, reported.

It was not immediately clear whether Israeli troops were responsible for any of these injuries but Al-Araby Al-Jadeed said Israeli forces suppressed anti-settlement activity.

Activist Kadhim Al-Hajj Mohammed said settlers attacked Palestinian protesters under the protection of Israeli forces.

Several people suffered breathing problems when they inhaled tear gas, he added, saying those injured with live fire were taken to Ramallah's Istishari hospital.

The Israeli army claimed it had intervened after "hundreds of Palestinians instigated a violent riot".

The army and border police responded with "riot dispersal means and live fire," a military statement received by AFP said.

An AFP photographer at the scene reported 300 to 400 Palestinians had gathered for a protest march against Israeli settlement expansion in the Al-Mughayer area.

Another 11 Palestinians were wounded when Israeli forces suppressed a weekly peaceful protest in Beit Dajan village near Nablus, according to journalist Mohammed Abu Thabet.

بالمرايا وقنابل الصوت.. جنود الاحتلال يتعمدون استهداف الصحفيين خلال تغطيتهم مــواجــهات قرية بيت دجن شرق نابلس. pic.twitter.com/u1ulKzw8lD

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) July 29, 2022

One was hurt by rubber bullets, with the remainder injured by tear gas during a march that proceeded from a mosque in the village to an Israeli settlement located to its northeast, Abu Thabet said.

Israeli forces suppressed the protest upon its arrival at the settlement, he added, saying the soldiers used a mirror to obstruct journalists from carrying out their work.

They also suppressed another march protesting the Evyatar settlement outpost located on Mount Sabih, also near Nablus, local writer Majdi Hamayel said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society's Nablus emergency department director, Ahmad Jibril, said that in the Mount Sabih area ambulance crews treated one person wounded with rubber bullets, another five hurt by tear gas, and another injured after falling.

Agencies contributed to this report.