Palestinians bury teen killed by Israeli army near Ramallah
Mourners carried the body of Palestinian Hamdan Abu Aliya, his head wrapped in a traditional keffiyeh scarf, through the streets of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, and chanted nationalist slogans.
'With our souls and our blood, we will redeem you, martyr,' they said during the procession for the 18-year-old, waving Palestinian flags and banners of the Fatah and Hamas movements.
Late Saturday, the Palestinian health ministry announced the 'martyrdom of Hamdan Musa Muhammad Abu Aliya... by (Israeli) occupation forces in the town of Al-Mughayyir.'
In response to an inquiry by AFP, the Israeli army said 'terrorists' threw stones and Molotov cocktails at its troops during a security operation in the area, and soldiers 'responded with fire.'
When the body of Abu Aliya arrived at the family home for a final farewell, his father Musa Abu Aliya said he had a message for the world: 'Enough betrayal, enough humiliation, enough insult.'
'No matter how many they kill, time is on our side. It is impossible for us to give up our land,' the father added.
Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the war broke out in the Gaza Strip following Hamas's unprecedented attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023.
Since then, at least 971 Palestinians, including militants, have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry.
During the same period, at least 36 Israelis, including soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or during Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.
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