Incident Overview
This story contains details and video that some readers may find distressing.
In November last year, 14-year-old Palestinian boy Jad Jadallah was shot at close range by Israeli soldiers in a refugee camp located in the occupied West Bank.
After Jad collapsed in an alley, the soldiers formed a cordon around him and prevented two Palestinian ambulances from reaching him.
Video footage and eyewitness accounts indicate that 14 soldiers stood around Jad for at least 45 minutes as he bled from one or more gunshot wounds.
Although all Israeli soldiers receive trauma treatment training and combat units typically include a trained medic, none of the soldiers appeared to administer life-saving medical aid to Jad. At times, they seemed to disregard his repeated attempts to gain their attention.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) informed the BBC that soldiers had provided "initial medical treatment" but declined to specify the nature or timing of this aid.
The IDF also alleged that Jad had thrown a rock, which under their rules of engagement can justify lethal force.
However, footage shows an IDF soldier dropping an object near Jad after he was shot and photographing it—an action Jad's family and a prominent human rights organization suggest was an attempt to frame him.
The soldiers eventually placed Jad into the back of an Israeli military vehicle, but he died either before or after this transfer. The exact number and location of his gunshot wounds remain unknown, as the Israeli military has refused to return his body to the family and has not answered questions regarding his injuries.
Shot from Close Range
Jad was born and raised in al-Far'a, a refugee camp in the West Bank housing approximately 10,000 Palestinians. Like other camps in the occupied territories, al-Far'a is frequently subject to Israeli military raids, which Israel asserts are necessary to counter armed groups operating in the area.
In many respects, Jad's death aligns with broader patterns. According to the United Nations, 55 children were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank last year, with 227 children killed there since the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
Two aspects of this case are particularly notable. First, Jad remained untreated on the ground for an extended period despite numerous soldiers present while he bled to death. Second, a substantial amount of video footage documenting the incident has emerged, which the BBC has verified.
The exact moment Jad was shot was captured by a CCTV camera in the camp. The footage shows three boys standing at the corner of an alley. They first look to their right, where Israeli military vehicles had recently driven away toward the camp's exit, according to eyewitnesses.
One of Jad's two friends present told the BBC that the boys had gone outside after a post on a camp messaging group indicated Israeli units were leaving. The boys were peeking around the corner to verify this.
Unbeknownst to Jad and his friends, four Israeli soldiers were waiting behind a wall just meters away to their left. Jad's friends noticed the soldiers first and fled up the alley, but Jad either did not see them or saw them too late.
The CCTV footage shows the lead soldier entering the frame less than three meters from Jad, raising his rifle, and opening fire. Jad makes a movement consistent with being hit. Bullet holes can be found in the wall at this location in the camp.
Jad, likely already wounded, then runs up the alley while the soldier appears to follow, firing shots as dust is kicked up ahead, suggesting continued fire from behind.
Jad collapses after a few meters and disappears from the frame. Subsequently, bystander footage, discreetly filmed by a camp resident from another angle, captures some of Jad's final moments.
This footage shows Jad attempting repeatedly to attract the soldiers' attention by waving his arms and throwing his hat toward them. The soldiers appear to ignore these efforts and kick the hat back.
Jad's mother attempted to reach him on foot after being alerted to the shooting but was blocked by Israeli soldiers, according to her and other eyewitnesses. An emergency call was made, and an ambulance was dispatched, arriving eight minutes later, as per call logs provided to the BBC by the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Lead paramedic Hassan Fouqha stated that his team was stopped at gunpoint by Israeli soldiers and prevented from reaching Jad, who was within their sight approximately a hundred yards away.
Fouqha and his crew were forced to observe helplessly as Jad bled from his wounds for at least 35 minutes. They called a second ambulance from a different direction, but it was also blocked by soldiers.
"We tried to advance several times, tried signalling to them to let us reach the child, but we were completely blocked," Fouqha said. "We could have reached him and provided medical aid but we were prevented. The purpose of this, we do not know, but this is what happened."
The IDF told the BBC it had provided "initial medical treatment" after confirming Jad was not wearing a hidden explosive device. Footage of the incident and close-up CCTV footage of Jad leaving home show he was wearing only a T-shirt and jeans.
The IDF declined to specify the nature of Jad's wounds or the medical treatment provided.
Accused of Planting a Rock
The IDF stated that Jad threw a rock and described him as a "terrorist" who "attempted to attack the force."
Jad's family alleges the soldiers attempted to frame him after footage showed a soldier entering the scene from off-camera, dropping a heavy object next to Jad, then photographing it.
"They dropped a stone next to him so they could frame him, and make it look like he threw stones at them," Jad's mother, Safa, said. "You can see it in the video," she added. "Anyone who watches the video will see."
Human rights organizations report that Israeli soldiers in the West Bank operate under a permissive "open fire" policy, frequently shooting individuals who do not pose an immediate threat, including children who throw stones.
Shai Parnes from the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem told the BBC that the footage appears to show a soldier planting a rock next to Jad to justify the shooting.
"It is hard to determine for certain what we're seeing – whether it's a rock and whether they are trying to frame him with it," Parnes said. "But I think anyone who watches it with an open mind will probably come to that conclusion."
He described such an action as "abysmal" and noted that B'Tselem has documented other cases where Israeli forces attempted to frame Palestinians after incidents.
When asked about the allegation of planting a rock, the IDF did not respond.
Many details surrounding Jad's death, including the number of times he was shot and the exact time and place of his death, remain unclear due to the IDF's refusal to return his body or answer detailed questions.
It is common for Israel to withhold bodies of individuals killed by the IDF. Israeli authorities are reportedly currently withholding the bodies of 776 Palestinians or other nationals accused or suspected of attacks.
The IDF declined to explain why Jad's body is being withheld. Jad's mother suggested the action is either to conceal information or to inflict deliberate distress.
"Maybe it is only to provoke our nerves, to exhaust us, to kill our patience," she said. "But we are patient, and we have hope, and we will keep waiting. Today, tomorrow, or after a hundred years, we will get him back. God willing, we will get him back."
Alaa Badarna contributed to this report. Photographs by Joel Gunter.
