Latest update December 16th, 2025 12:31 AM
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Israeli forces kill two Palestinian teenagers in occupied West Bank
─ photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi also perished
(AL-JAZEERA) Israeli forces have killed two Palestinian teenagers in separate incidents in Hebron and Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
The Israeli army said 17-year-old Muhannad al-Zughair was shot dead in the Abu Daajan area of Hebron after what it claimed was a ramming attack that injured two soldiers.
Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Ramallah, said, “We do not know whether that attack occurred because no investigation has been launched.”
“The teenager was injured and fled towards Hebron. He was later found and killed inside a car. The body is now being withheld by Israeli forces in what is now standard operating procedure.”
Smoke billows as Israeli forces demolish a house in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday. [Jaafar Ashtiyeh/ AFP]
In a statement, the Israeli army said it had killed a Palestinian who “had begun to stab soldiers near the settlement”. According to the Magen David Adom ambulance service, two Israelis were lightly wounded.
Hamas praised what it called a “heroic stabbing operation”, saying the attack “is a natural response to the crimes of the [Israeli] occupation, and a clear message that its attempts to break the will of our people through military operations, daily killings, arrests, and field executions will not succeed”.
Across the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces have continued to carry out raids. Troops stormed the vicinity of three hospitals in Hebron and demolished two apartments in al-Walaja village, west of Bethlehem.
Israeli settlers also attacked Burqa village northwest of Nablus, setting fire to a tractor and attempting to torch a vehicle, while others sprayed graffiti on a home.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are illegal under international law. The International Court of Justice reaffirmed last year that Israel’s presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and must end.
Journalist killed in Gaza drone strike
Meanwhile, Israel has continued its attacks in Gaza, where an Israeli drone strike in central Khan Younis killed Palestinian photojournalist Mahmoud Wadi.
The Wafa news agency reported that journalist Muhammad Abdel Fattah Aslih was also wounded in the same attack.
Aslih is the brother of Hassan Aslih, a photographer killed in a drone strike on Nasser Hospital in May.
A video posted on Instagram and verified by Al Jazeera shows Wadi’s body with a press vest laid on top, surrounded by mourners.
More than 260 media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, making it the deadliest conflict for journalists on record.
Israel’s war on Gaza has killed at least 70,100 Palestinians and wounded 170,965 since October 2023. A total of 1,139 people were killed in Israel during the October 7 attacks, and about 200 were taken captive.
Israel has continued to attack Gaza despite a ceasefire, which began on October 10. More than 356 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks during that period.
Health system on the brink
The Israeli prime minister’s office said authorities have received “findings” from Gaza that could be the remains of two captives whose bodies have not yet been returned.
The office said the material was transferred via the Red Cross and would be received in a military ceremony before being taken to Israel’s forensic medicine centre for identification.
Hamas had agreed to return the bodies of captives as part of the ceasefire agreement, but has said that widespread destruction across Gaza has made recovery efforts difficult.
Meanwhile, healthcare workers in Gaza say they face critical shortages of medicines and equipment. The UN has described the situation as “catastrophic”.
Less than half of Gaza’s hospitals, and just over a third of its clinics, are functioning at minimal capacity.
Al-Ahli Hospital is treating more than three times the patients it was built for, while al-Shifa, Nasser and al-Rantisi hospitals are also overwhelmed. More than half of essential medicines and two-thirds of medical supplies are out of stock, the UN has said.
Monitoring groups say Israeli forces have killed about 1,000 healthcare workers since the war began. At least 25 medical staff from Gaza are being held in Israeli prisons without charge.
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