One bullet, two legs, no justice: The death of a Palestinian child

According to Haaretz, the incident took place on October 16 in the village of al-Rihiya in the occupied West Bank. That day, Mohammad was playing in the schoolyard near his home when Israeli soldiers raided the village and began firing shots into the air, causing panic among the children.

The terrified kids ran toward the street. Mohammad, however, stood still by a wall, arms folded — he apparently thought there was no reason to run since the soldiers were far away and the street seemed calm.

Quoting eyewitnesses, Haaretz reported that one of the soldiers suddenly aimed his weapon at Mohammad and fired. The bullet hit his right thigh and exited from his left, destroying major blood vessels and internal organs. Mohammad collapsed within moments and lost consciousness before he could take even two steps. Doctors at the hospital tried to resuscitate him and rushed him into surgery, but it was too late — he died shortly after arriving.

That evening, Israel’s internal security service, Shin Bet, reportedly called Mohammad’s uncle and warned the family against holding any demonstrations during the funeral.

According to Haaretz, the Israeli army had no justification for storming the village or for killing a child — a fact that, the paper noted, “shows that what is permitted in Gaza is also permitted in the West Bank, and even small children are not spared.”

Haaretz journalists Gideon Levy and Alex Levac contacted the Israeli military to ask whether the soldier who shot Mohammad had been arrested or questioned. The military spokesperson’s office gave its standard response:

“The incident is clear, and the Military Prosecutor’s Unit is reviewing it.”

Levy and Levac wrote that, in reality, no investigation has been conducted so far.

“A small child like Mohammad — who means nothing to the Israeli army, nor to the soldier who pulled the trigger — has been killed. The army’s statement means that the case will be quietly closed a year or two from now.

What will happen to that soldier? Will he ever remember the innocent child he killed so coldly? Will he think of him when he becomes a father to a child the same age? Will he see that boy in his nightmares? Does he even realize the devastation he caused this family—or has he already forgotten it all?”

Eyewitnesses told Haaretz that immediately after shooting Mohammad, the soldier raised his hands in celebration, and his fellow soldiers joined in cheering. When local residents tried to rush to the child’s aid, the soldiers fired tear gas at them — then left the scene a few minutes later.