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Teen shot at close range left untreated by Israeli forces
Fourteen-year-old Jad Jadallah lay wounded in an alleyway for at least 45 minutes while Israeli soldiers stood nearby, preventing Palestinian medics from reaching him, according to verified video and eyewitness accounts. The Israeli military later claimed it provided "initial medical treatment" but refused to specify when or what care was given.
Incident captured on multiple cameras
Security footage from al-Far'a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank shows the moment Jad was shot. Three boys, including Jad, peered around a corner after receiving word that Israeli military vehicles had left the area. Unbeknownst to them, four soldiers remained hidden nearby.
One soldier stepped into view less than three meters from Jad, raised his rifle, and fired. Jad appeared to be hit immediately, then fled up the alley as the soldier continued shooting. Bullet marks on a nearby wall match the trajectory seen in the footage.
Separate bystander video, filmed discreetly by a camp resident, shows Jad collapsed on the ground, waving his arms and tossing his hat toward the soldiers in an apparent plea for help. The soldiers ignored his gestures and kicked the hat away.
Ambulances blocked, medics forced to watch
Jad's mother rushed to the scene but was stopped by soldiers, eyewitnesses told the BBC. A Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance arrived within eight minutes of an emergency call but was halted at gunpoint roughly 100 yards from Jad. The lead paramedic, Hassan Fouqha, said his team watched helplessly for at least 35 minutes as the teen bled.
"We tried to advance several times, tried signalling to them to let us reach the child, but we were completely blocked. We could have provided medical aid but were prevented."
Hassan Fouqha, Palestinian Red Crescent paramedic
A second ambulance, dispatched from another direction, was also turned away by soldiers.
Allegations of evidence tampering emerge
The Israeli military stated that Jad threw a rock, justifying the use of lethal force under its rules of engagement. However, footage reviewed by the BBC shows a soldier dropping an object next to Jad after he was shot, then photographing it. Jad's family and human rights groups allege this was an attempt to frame him.
"They dropped a stone next to him so they could frame him, and make it look like he threw stones at them. Anyone who watches the video will see."
Safa Jadallah, Jad's mother
Shai Parnes, from the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, said the footage suggested the soldier may have planted the object to justify the shooting.
"It is hard to determine for certain what we're seeing-whether it's a rock and whether they are trying to frame him with it. But I think anyone who watches it with an open mind will probably come to that conclusion."
Shai Parnes, B'Tselem
The IDF declined to respond when asked specifically about the allegation.
Unanswered questions surround Jad's death
The Israeli military has refused to return Jad's body to his family or disclose details about his injuries, including where and how many times he was shot. It remains unclear whether he died before or after being placed in an Israeli military vehicle.
Israel currently holds the bodies of 776 Palestinians and other nationals accused or suspected of attacks, according to reports. When questioned by the BBC, the IDF did not explain why Jad's body was being withheld.
"Maybe it is only to provoke our nerves, to exhaust us, to kill our patience. But we are patient, and we have hope, and we will keep waiting. Today, tomorrow, or after a hundred years, we will get him back."
Safa Jadallah, Jad's mother
Broader context of child fatalities in the West Bank
Jad's death is part of a larger pattern. The United Nations reports that 55 children were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank in 2025, with 227 fatalities recorded since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel. Human rights groups argue that Israeli soldiers operate under a permissive "open fire" policy, often shooting individuals who do not pose an immediate threat.
