Palestinian child killed by Israeli mine explosion in occupied West Bank

By Aysar Alais

ISTANBUL (AA) - A Palestinian child was killed on Saturday when an Israeli landmine exploded in the Bethlehem area in the southern occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death of 7-year-old Mohammad Yasser Ali Rashaida, who was killed by the explosion of an Israeli mine in the Rashida area, southeast of Bethlehem.

"Since Oct. 7, 2023, these remnants of war have killed four Palestinians and injured approximately 86, the majority of whom are children,” Issa Alghnimat, deputy director of the Palestinian Mine Action Center, told Anadolu.

Alghnimat pointed out that the remnants of the Israeli army are particularly concentrated in southern West Bank areas and the northern Jordan Valley, where the Israeli army conducts its training exercises.

He added that the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance have increased since the start of the war on Gaza, posing a significant risk to Palestinians living in various areas of the West Bank.

The Israeli army routinely uses Palestinian land for training and live-fire exercises, leaving behind unexploded shells and bombs, which present a deadly threat to local populations.

Tension has been running high across the occupied West Bank over Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip, where more than 45,100 people, mostly women and children, have been killed.

At least 822 Palestinians have since been killed and around 6,500 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi