Video reviewed by CNN appears to show an Israeli soldier firing at close range and killing 16-year-old Rayan Muhammad Abdul Qader Abu Mualla in Qabatiya, West Bank. The IDF said the person had hurled a concrete block and described him later as a "suspect," and says the incident is under review. The Palestinian Red Crescent said medics were prevented from reaching the scene; an ambulance was geolocated about 650 feet away. Separately, a 22-year-old man was killed in Silat al-Harathiya; Islamic Jihad said he was an Al-Quds Brigades fighter.
Video Appears to Show Israeli Soldier Fire At Close Range, Killing 16-Year-Old In West Bank
A screengrab from video shows the Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank town of Qabatiya. - From Social Media
Qabatiya, West Bank — Video reviewed by CNN appears to show an Israeli soldier firing at point-blank range and killing a Palestinian teenager identified by Palestinian authorities as 16-year-old Rayan Muhammad Abdul Qader Abu Mualla during an operation in the Al-Sab’aneh neighborhood of Qabatiya.
What The Footage Shows
A 26-second security-camera clip that was shared on social media and geolocated by CNN to Al-Sab’aneh captures the moment the youth approaches an alley where two helmeted Israeli soldiers are crouched behind a corner. The footage includes about 18 seconds before the shot; during that interval nothing visible is thrown from the alley, although the youth’s left hand is at times obscured.
As the individual reaches the corner, one soldier raises his rifle and fires at very close range, causing the person to collapse. CNN could not independently verify who recorded the video or what occurred prior to the clip.
Official Statements And Ongoing Review
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) initially said its soldiers had been attacked and that the person “hurled a block toward the soldiers.” In a later response to requests for comment, the IDF described the individual as a “Palestinian suspected of hurling a block at IDF soldiers” and said the incident is under review.
“Yesterday (Saturday), a Palestinian suspected of hurling a block at IDF soldiers was shot. The incident is under review.” — IDF statement
Palestinian officials, citing the Palestinian General Authority of Civil Affairs, identified the deceased as Rayan Muhammad Abdul Qader Abu Mualla. The Palestinian Ministry of Health said his body remains in Israeli custody.
Medical Response And Other Evidence
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Israeli troops prevented its emergency teams from reaching the scene. CNN geolocated additional videos that show an ambulance with its emergency lights on stopped roughly 650 feet from the shooting location.
Israeli news website Ynet published a photo it said showed Abu Mualla’s left hand clutching a chunk of concrete after his death; CNN was unable to verify whether the hand in that photo matches the person in the security footage.
Aftermath And Related Incident
Abu Mualla’s school announced on Facebook that it would close the following day in his memory and postponed exams by one week.
Separately, the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old man, Ahmed Saed Ziyoud, in Silat al-Harathiya, north of Jenin. The IDF said the individual had “hurled an explosive” at soldiers. The military wing of Islamic Jihad later said Ziyoud was a member of its Al-Quds Brigades and was struck by a sniper’s bullet during the operation; CNN could not independently verify that claim.
Context And Verification
Multiple elements of these incidents remain under review and have not been independently verified. CNN reviewed and geolocated available footage and videos but noted gaps in the record — including what occurred before the security camera begins recording and the provenance of some photographs and clips circulating online.
