Israeli forces use explosive bullet to kill Palestinian youth

Israeli occupation forces used explosive ammunition to kill a Palestinian youth, it has been alleged. Police Cadet Mutaz Al-Sharawneh, 19, was shot and killed on Monday night in the village of Dura, near Hebron. Initial reports claimed that he was knocked over by an Israeli jeep but medical examination revealed that he was killed by a bullet. The Israelis later admitted the shooting and said that an investigation will be held.

Palestinian sources said that children threw stones at the Israeli forces who responded with live fire. Al-Sharawneh was shot in the chest and rushed to hospital by Red Crescent ambulance. He was pronounced dead in Hebron Hospital. The young man was a cadet at the Palestinian Security Academy in Jericho.

Explosive bullets are prohibited for use as part of crowd control measures. That is why, claimed one Palestinian activist, the Israelis said that the death was an accident involving a motor vehicle. This was accepted by the Israeli and Palestinian media until the hospital report was released, which revealed the real cause of death.