Israeli forces kill a teenager in East Jerusalem, Palestinian media say

Israel’s Justice Ministry said Wednesday it was questioning an officer who shot dead a youth accused of shooting fireworks at security forces in east Jerusalem.

The shooting took place on Tuesday on the second evening of Ramadan. Sparklers and fireworks are common in celebrations during the holy month.

Israeli police said an attacker, whom they did not name, was shot after he “endangered” officers by shooting fireworks directly at them during a night of “violent disturbances” in the Shuafat refugee camp in East -Jerusalem. He was pronounced dead at a hospital, police said in a statement.

According to the Ministry of Justice, an investigation has been opened.

The Palestinian Authority news agency, Wafa, identified the murdered person as Rami Hamdan al-Halhuli, 13. Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, where he was pronounced dead, said he was 12; it was not immediately possible to reconcile the difference in ages.

Medics who arrived at the scene found him seriously injured with a chest wound and performed CPR, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said. It said he was transferred to an ambulance from Magen David Adom, Israel’s nonprofit emergency medical service, and taken to a hospital in Jerusalem.

The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem Governorate posted a video on Tuesday that it said captured the moment the young man was shot. After setting off fireworks, he falls to the ground. The Times has confirmed that the video was filmed near the checkpoint from the Shuafat camp; no Israeli police forces are visible in the short clip.

Johnatan Reiss And Arijeta Lajka reporting contributed.