Israeli forces continue to withhold the body of Palestinian teenager killed near Ramallah

Israeli forces continue to withhold the body of Mohammad Hammad, a Palestinian teenager killed on Friday near Ramallah, his family told The New Arab on Monday.

The 16-year-old was killed late on Friday outside the town of Silwad, east of Ramallah, at the road separating the town from the Israeli settlement of Ofra. An Israeli army spokesperson told AFP that the Israeli military "used lethal fire as a last resort".

"Mohammad was unarmed and posed no danger to Israeli soldiers," his father told The New Arab. "Not only did the Israeli army kill him, but they also took his body and prevent us from mourning him."

"The Palestinian liaison office told us on Friday that the Israeli army had decided to give us back Mohammad's body on Saturday morning, but we haven't heard from them or from the Israelis after that," the father further said.

The Israeli military shot dead this 16 year-old Palestinian child, Mohamed Abdallah Hamed, on Saturday morning in Silwad refugee camp in occupied Palestine. pic.twitter.com/qUWuepzq2b

— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) June 27, 2022

In April, Israeli forces raided Silwad and surrounded the Hammad family's home before arresting his older brother, Ahmad.

"Mohammad had never thrown a stone in his life," the victim's father added, "he had never taken part in confrontations, and always ran to the house when the army raided Silwad."

"Last April, when he watched as the Israeli soldiers violently dragged his older brother out, after surrounding and searching the house. He changed a lot after that," his father said.  "He began to express aggressive feelings towards the Israeli occupation and began to take part in protests and confrontations." 

Israeli occupation forces raid Silwad and arrest a Palestinian young man after shooting him. pic.twitter.com/mamH9nXKbK

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) June 24, 2022

The town of Silwad has been the target of Israeli raids in recent weeks. In April, Israeli forces killed an 18-year-old during an arrest raid in Silwad. Earlier in mid-June, Israeli forces arrested another 14-year-old teenager in the town.

Israel continues to withhold the bodies of 104 Palestinians who have been killed since 2015, the Jerusalem Legal Aid Center - JLAC, which campaigns for their release, told The New Arab.