A YOUNG Palestinian boy has reportedly been shot and killed by Israeli troops.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have launched a probe into the death of Abdullah Hawash, 11, after claims the boy threw stones at military trucks as they passed in the West Bank.
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Footage shows the moment a line of IDF armoured vehicles pass through the city of Nablus in occupied Palestine on Tuesday.
The troops were reportedly leaving the city after completing a raid and arrest on a wanted individual hiding out in the city.
A boy – later identified as Hawash – was caught picking up and launching stones at the jeeps as they passed by.
He was standing with a group of other Palestinian civilians around 164ft away from the main road.
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As the final truck passed by Hawash was fired at and fell to the ground.
An Israeli soldier shot a single bullet towards Hawas and hit him in his chest, according to an investigation by NGO Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP).
The bullet pierced an area near to his heart before leaving through his back, they added.
The IDF has since responded to the claims it shot the child saying the “incident is under investigation”.
A statement from the spokesperson’s office said: “Suspects blocked routes and threw stones at the forces, who responded by firing at a suspect.
“A hit was identified. The incident is under investigation.”
Hawash posed “no realistic threat”, said the United Nation’s Human Rights office.
The fatal shooting has rocked the Palestinian community with Hawash’s dad speaking out at his pain.
Heartbroken Jamal told the MailOnline: “I never imagined I would lose a child so young.
“The pain I have felt since the moment I realised my little boy was dead is beyond description.”
Hawash was playing with his older brother Nidal, 12, and their cousin moments before the IDF trucks passed.
The group of youngsters hid down a side street before Hawash ran to the side of the road and picked up some stones, Nidal says.
Nidal said he was just a few feet away from his brother when the gunshot rang out.
He saw Hawash collapse to the ground before rushing to his side.
Nidal claimed: “We had been playing on the bikes with our cousin.
“When I saw the jeeps, I grabbed Abdullah to hide him out of the way because I was afraid of something bad happening.
“But he managed to escape and started throwing stones.
“I kept telling him ‘Come back, come back!’ but he just replied ‘I’m not scared of them!’.
“As Abdullah went to throw a stone, they shot him.”
Hawash was quickly taken to hospital for emergency treatment where his dad met the unconscious boy.
Jamal says he “watched helplessly” as doctors worked tirelessly to resuscitate Hawash.
The father begged him to keep on fighting but he was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.
Thousands of people attended Hawash’s funeral on Tuesday evening.
More than 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza so far and over 96,000 injured, according to local health centre figures.
It comes after one man died and dozens were left injured after a truck rammed into a bus stop outside an Israeli army base in a suspected terror attack.
At least six are in serious condition after the attack in Glilot, north of Tel Aviv, on the day that Israel marked a national day of mourning for those killed in the October 7 massacre last year.
Police said the truck driver was shot and “neutralised” by armed civilians in the area.
Fears are growing that the attack could stoke escalating tensions in the region which are already running high after Israel’s attack on Iran on Saturday morning.
The IDF launched three waves of airstrikes at Iran overnight on Saturday, blitzing missile production bases and military strongholds.
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Some four Iranian soldiers were killed, according to state news agency Tasnim News.
Israel said it was hitting back at a missile barrage from Tehran on October 1, and attacks by its proxy groups across the region since October 7 last year.
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