A 15-year-old Palestinian boy was killed by Israeli military gunfire on Wednesday in the northern West Bank town of Kabatya near Jenin.
The boy, identified as Mujahid Amin Al Samarra, was died from wounds to his chest and head, according to the Ramattan. Samarra reportedly suffered from mental retardation.
Israeli soldiers believed that Samarra was armed and claimed to have acted in self-defense.
Elsewhere in the West Bank, Israeli arrests of Palestinians continued on Tuesday night with the arrest of 18 men accused by Israel of involvement in attacks or planning of attacks against Israel.
Five members of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad were arrested near the West Bank towns of Ramallah, Jenin and Nablus, according to Ynet, while nine men, including seven Hamas members, a Tanzim member and an Islamic Jihad member were arrested in the West Bank town of Tul Karem. Another four Islamic Jihad members were arrested in Jenin.
In the town of Qalqilya, Molotov cocktails were thrown at an Israeli bus traveling east of the town. No injuries were reported in the incident.
© 2006 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
