Israeli forces kill 12-year-old boy in West Bank - ministry

A 12-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed during an Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.

The boy was struck in the thigh and abdomen during the shooting in the town of Yamun, near the city of Jenin, the ministry said.

When asked for comment, the Israeli military said the boy had fired an explosive device at soldiers who were on duty in Yamun. "The soldiers then opened fire and eliminated the terrorist," it said.

The account could not be independently confirmed.

The security situation in the West Bank has sharply deteriorated since the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent war in Gaza.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 900 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since then in Israeli military operations, armed clashes and attacks by extremists.

The escalation has also seen a rise in violence by radical Israeli settlers targeting Palestinian civilians.