13-year-old Palestinian killed by IDF fire

A 13-year-old Palestinian was killed Monday night when he was shot by soldiers lying in ambush near the access road to his village.

According to his relatives, Munadel Abu Aalia left his home in Al-Mughar, near Ramallah, around 8 P.M. and went out to the access road along with two friends. They had apparently planned to block the road and throw stones at Israeli cars passing on the nearby Allon Road.

About half an hour later, one of his friends knocked on the family's door and told them that an IDF force had opened fire on them and Munadel was seriously wounded. An hour later, the Palestinian Red Crescent informed the family that he had died of his wounds.

"We heard the shots, but we didn't know what happened," Munadel's cousin, Ihab Abu Aalia, told Haaretz yesterday. "Then his friend came and told us, and we also saw army vehicles and ambulances and even a helicopter, and then we were notified that Munadel was dead. He was never politically identified or connected with any organization. He was just a boy who didn't understand life and went out to face off against the settlers near the village. He wasn't armed, and I don't understand how they can shoot an unarmed boy like that."

A response from the IDF could not be obtained as of press time last night.