RAMALLAH, Palestine

A Palestinian teen was killed by Israeli army gunfire near the city of Jericho in the eastern West Bank, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society said Saturday.

“Our teams received a 15-year-old martyr from the southern checkpoint of Jericho city and are transferring him to Jericho Governmental Hospital,” said the group in a brief statement.

In a previous statement, the Red Crescent said “the occupation forces (Israel) are preventing our teams from reaching two injured individuals in Aqabat Jabr refugee camp (south of Jericho) and are arresting the injured.”

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society did not clarify whether the teen was among the injured or if it was a separate incident.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed in a brief statement: “A martyr shot by the occupation was brought to Jericho Governmental Hospital.”

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa: “The teen was killed and another minor was injured by Israeli occupation forces' gunfire during their raid on Aqabat Jabr camp.”

"Occupation forces raided the camp and shot at two young men while they were near the western cemetery in the camp,” added the agency.

Tensions have been high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 520 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,000 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where more than a million displaced Palestinians had sought refuge.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala in Istanbul​​​​​​​