Efrat Weiss | YNet News
30 September 2009
A 17-year-old Palestinian high school student was injured after being hit by an IDF jeep in the village of Yabed near Jenin, and died shortly later of his wounds.
The IDF said the youth was injured during a riot in the area, but his relatives claim he was intentionally run over.
The IDF said the incident occurred during a routine tour of soldiers and representatives of the Mekorot water company, meant to improve the infrastructure in the village.
A violent riot reportedly broke out, and residents began throwing stones at the force. The military vehicle drove backwards and fatally hit the youth. He was evacuated to hospital in Jenin, where he died of his wounds.
The IDF is investigating the circumstances of the incident.
Meanwhile, Palestinian sources in Jenin said the youth, Fouad Naif Turkman was hit by the IDF jeep intentionally. The youth’s uncle, Muhammad Naif, told Ynet, “The students that were with him told me the jeep hit him once at the entrance to the school, drove forward and then backed up again to hit him and run him over a second time on purpose.”
Naif said the soldiers left his nephew to bleed for 20 minutes. “They didn’t let the body be removed, which attests to their intention to hurt the boy,” he said.
The family is preparing to lay the youth to rest later in the day.