Mounting Palestinian Suffering: Israeli Forces Kill Teen in West Bank as Gaza Faces Medical Collapse and Child Health Crisis
Mounting Palestinian Suffering: Israeli Forces Kill Teen in West Bank as Gaza Faces Medical Collapse and Child Health Crisis
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Israeli forces killed a 15-year-old Palestinian boy and demolished homes in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, while Gaza’s humanitarian and health catastrophe continued to worsen under Israel’s ongoing siege and restrictions on aid.
According to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Ministry of Health, Murad Fawzi Abu Seifen, 15, was fatally shot by Israeli troops during a pre-dawn raid in Ya’bad, west of Jenin. Witnesses said Israeli soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching him, causing him to bleed to death before his body was taken away. His killing brings the death toll in Jenin to 56 Palestinians since January 2025, with more than 200 wounded amid near-daily raids.
On the same day, Israeli forces demolished two homes belonging to the Houshieh family in Qatana, a town in occupied East Jerusalem, displacing around 50 people. Each house, approximately 150 square meters, had housed more than 20 residents. Israeli authorities cited construction “without permits,” though rights groups note that Palestinians in East Jerusalem are systematically denied building approvals. The demolitions come amid intensified Israeli operations across Qatana and Qubeiba, where at least 25 demolition raids in October targeted homes and agricultural sites, according to Wafa news agency.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 16,500 people in Gaza urgently need medical care. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said 19 critically ill patients and 93 companions were evacuated to Italy this week, urging more countries to assist.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) warned that one in five children in Gaza has missed routine vaccinations amid Israel’s 2023–2025 war and blockade. A joint UNRWA–WHO–UNICEF campaign launching Sunday aims to reach 44,000 children across 150 health centers.
Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed nearly 69,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 170,600, devastating Gaza’s health system and deepening the region’s humanitarian crisis.
