Israeli forces shot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian boy during a military raid in the occupied West Bank and remained at the scene as he bled out, according to a BBC investigation based on verified video footage and eyewitness testimony.
The report reconstructs the events surrounding the November 2025 killing of Jad Jadallah in al-Far’a refugee camp near Tubas. The teenager was shot at close range during an operation in the camp, which is frequently targeted in Israeli raids that authorities say are aimed at countering armed groups.
Incident captured on video
CCTV footage reviewed by the broadcaster shows Jad and two friends standing in an alley after hearing that Israeli forces had begun withdrawing from the area. However, several personnel had remained nearby, positioned out of sight.
The footage shows a member of Israeli forces approaching from close range and opening fire. Jad appears to be struck before attempting to flee and collapsing a short distance away. Bullet marks at the scene correspond with the sequence seen in the video.
Another video filmed by a resident shows the teenager lying injured and trying to attract attention by waving his arms and throwing his hat towards nearby personnel. No immediate response is visible.
According to the investigation, Israeli forces remained around the wounded boy for at least 45 minutes, during which no visible life-saving treatment was provided.
Ambulances blocked
Jad’s mother said she tried to reach her son but was blocked. Emergency call logs provided to the Palestinian Red Crescent show that an ambulance arrived within minutes of the shooting.
Lead paramedic Hassan Fouqha told the BBC that his crew was stopped at gunpoint roughly 100 yards from the injured boy and repeatedly denied access. A second ambulance sent from another direction was also prevented from reaching the site.
The broadcaster noted that Israeli forces receive trauma training and usually include a medic, but no immediate medical intervention was visible in the footage reviewed.
Israeli military response
The Israel Defense Forces said its personnel had provided “initial medical treatment” after confirming that the boy was not wearing an explosive device. The military did not disclose the nature of his injuries or the treatment administered.
It also alleged that the teenager had thrown stones at an Israeli military vehicle in the camp, which it said posed a threat.
However, the BBC said video footage appeared to show a member of Israeli forces placing an object near the injured teenager and photographing it. Jad’s family said this raised concerns about possible evidence manipulation. The military did not directly address the allegation when asked.
Shai Parnes of the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem said the footage raised serious concerns, though he noted that further investigation was needed to determine the full context.
Body yet to be returned
Israeli forces later transported the boy in a military vehicle. It remains unclear whether he died before or after being moved, as authorities have not returned his body to the family.
Israel authorities are withholding the bodies of at least 766 identified Palestinians, nearly half of whom have been held since the start of the genocidal war on Gaza, despite Hamas having returned the bodies of all Israeli captives.
Israeli forces and settlers killed 56 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank in 2025.
Decades of systemic impunity has created a situation where Israeli forces shoot to kill without limit. As Palestinian children are increasingly targets in the West Bank, Israeli forces’ rules of engagement seemingly allow direct targeting of Palestinian children where no threat exists to justify the use of intentional lethal force.
