'We don't know why they shot this kid on their way out,' Abood al-Aker, communications director for the Nablus municipality, said. A 15-year-old Palestinian was shot in the shoulder and later died Thursday after Israeli forces carried out an early-morning raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian officials and local medical sources said.

What happened in Nablus Local officials said Israeli forces entered Nablus early Thursday in a multi-vehicle operation that moved through the Rafidia commercial district. The official Palestinian news agency Wafa, citing medical sources, reported that a 15-year-old was hit by live ammunition in the shoulder during the operation and later died at a nearby hospital. Abood al-Aker, communications director for the Nablus municipality, said soldiers had spoken with shop owners in the area and shot the teenager as they were leaving the city. "We don't know why they shot this kid on their way out," he said. The Israeli military said personnel were operating in the Nablus area and that soldiers came under projectiles. The military described its actions as part of "standard suspect apprehension procedures" and said that fire was directed at an individual during the operation. The military acknowledged it was aware of reports that a Palestinian had been killed. Immediate local fallout The shooting has sharpened tensions in a city that has seen repeated raids and confrontations. Nablus is one of the West Bank's larger urban centers and has been a frequent flashpoint between Israeli forces and Palestinian residents. The death of a teenager has prompted protests and local leaders to call for explanations and accountability. Palestinian health officials and municipal authorities have used the incident to highlight what they say is a pattern of excessive force in West Bank operations. The Palestinian Health Ministry has also pointed to a wider wave of violence tied to the ongoing war in Gaza, saying settler attacks and military raids across the occupied territory have contributed to civilian deaths. Wider pattern of violence since October 2023 The killing comes against a backdrop of sustained unrest in the occupied Palestinian territories since Israel began its offensive in Gaza in October 2023. Palestinian officials say that the West Bank has seen an increase in both military operations and settler attacks, with mounting civilian casualties and property damage. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Israeli settlers shot and killed a 25-year-old man in Deir Dibwan near Ramallah just a day before the Nablus incident. The ministry said at least 16 Palestinians had been killed in settler attacks so far this year, with victims ranging in age from 13 to 60. Those figures are cited by Palestinian authorities to illustrate a trend they say is worsening: as the Gaza war persists, violence is spreading beyond Gaza's borders and into the West Bank. Legal and political questions Human rights groups and Palestinian officials often criticize Israeli raids in the West Bank for what they call indiscriminate tactics and lack of accountability. Israeli authorities say operations target militants and suspects and that soldiers act when they face threats. The differing narratives make independent verification hard on the ground. In this case, municipal officials and the Palestinian Health Ministry have asked for a clear explanation of why live rounds were used and whether the teenager posed any threat. The Israeli military's account that stones or other projectiles were hurled at forces during the operation is a typical justification cited in such incidents, but it doesn't explain why lethal force was applied against a 15-year-old, municipal leaders say.

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Abood al-Aker, communications director for the Nablus municipality, said: "We don't know why they shot this kid on their way out."

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