Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian teenager in the occupied West Bank town of Qabatiya on Saturday, with security camera footage capturing the moment a soldier fired at him at point-blank range. The Israeli military stated the teen had hurled a block at soldiers, but the video shows no such action in the seconds before the shooting, raising serious questions about the circumstances of his death.
The incident occurred on December 21, 2025, in the Al-Sab’aneh neighborhood of Qabatiya, where Israeli soldiers were conducting an operation. A 26-second video, geolocated to the area and reviewed by CNN, depicts the teen, identified as Rayan Muhammad Abdul Qader Abu Mualla, walking down an alley towards two helmeted soldiers. As he approaches a corner, one soldier raises his rifle and shoots him from just feet away, causing him to collapse backwards immediately.
Abu Mualla, a 16-year-old student, was pronounced dead at the scene. The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed his identity and reported that Israeli forces held his body after the shooting. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they shot a “terrorist” who had hurled a block toward soldiers, but later amended it to say he was “suspected” of doing so. The video shows the 18 seconds leading up to the shooting, during which nothing appears to be thrown from the alley, though Abu Mualla’s left hand is obscured.
Further complicating the narrative, the Israeli news site Ynet published a photo purportedly showing Abu Mualla’s left hand clutching a chunk of concrete after his death, but CNN could not verify its authenticity. The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that Israeli troops blocked its emergency workers from reaching Abu Mualla for approximately 40 minutes, a claim supported by additional videos showing an ambulance stopped about 650 feet from the site. The IDF, when asked for comment, said the incident was under review.
In a separate incident on the same day, Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian man, Ahmed Saed Ziyoud, in Silat al-Harithiya, north of Jenin. The IDF stated that Ziyoud had hurled an explosive at soldiers, and he was later claimed as a fighter by the Islamic Jihad Movement’s military wing. This killing adds to the escalating violence in the West Bank, where tensions have been high since the Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023.
The shooting of Abu Mualla has sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights observers. Al Jazeera reported that witnesses said Israeli forces opened fire directly at the teen and prevented medical aid, leaving him to bleed to death. The network’s correspondent noted that such point-blank killings are often described by Palestinians as extrajudicial executions, with video evidence rarely available to challenge military accounts.
According to Al Jazeera, more than 200 children have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank since October 2023, with the total Palestinian death toll exceeding 1,100. Israeli authorities have arrested nearly 21,000 Palestinians during this period, and attacks by settlers have surged. The international community, including the International Criminal Court, has raised concerns about potential war crimes and genocide in the region.
The incident underscores the ongoing fragility of the ceasefire in Gaza and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Diplomatic efforts, such as those involving the US, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey, are at risk due to repeated violations. As violence continues, the need for accountability and a sustainable peace process becomes increasingly urgent, with the video of Abu Mualla’s killing serving as a stark reminder of the human cost.
