Deadly Incident in West Bank Claims Lives of Palestinian Teen and Bystander
The Israeli-occupied West Bank witnessed another tragic escalation of violence on Saturday, December 7, 2025. Israeli soldiers killed two Palestinians in the city of Hebron: a 17-year-old driver and a 55-year-old bystander. This incident further fuels concerns amid a year characterized by a significant surge in regional conflict and fatalities.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge
An Israeli security official, speaking anonymously, stated that the 17-year-old was driving a vehicle that accelerated menacingly towards soldiers stationed at a checkpoint. The Israeli military initially reported that two "terrorists" had been killed, but later revised their statement, clarifying that only one person was involved in the driving incident and that an "uninvolved person" was also struck. No Israeli soldiers sustained injuries in the confrontation. The specific motive behind the teenager's actions has not yet been determined, and no militant organization has claimed responsibility for the incident.
Conversely, the Palestinian state news agency WAFA offered a different perspective on the events. They identified the 55-year-old victim as Ziad Naim Abu Dawood, a municipal street cleaner, asserting he was killed while carrying out his duties. WAFA also confirmed another Palestinian fatality, whom the Palestinian health ministry later named as 17-year-old Ahmed Khalil Al-Rajabi. However, WAFA's report did not elaborate on the specific circumstances that led the soldiers to open fire on the second individual.
Escalating Violence in the West Bank
This latest tragedy highlights the deepening volatility across the West Bank. Figures from the Palestinian health ministry reveal a grim statistic: 51 Palestinian minors under the age of 18 have been killed by Israeli forces since January of this year alone. The region has been plagued by a sharp increase in violent attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians. Simultaneously, the Israeli military has intensified its movement restrictions and conducted numerous sweeping raids in various Palestinian cities. In response, or in parallel, Palestinians have also launched attacks, some of them deadly, targeting both Israeli soldiers and civilians, perpetuating a dangerous cycle of violence.
