Case Study: Ghassan, 14 years old

Name: Ghassan Gharib Hussein Zahran

Age: 14 

Location: Deir Abu Mashal, west of Ramallah

Israeli forces shot and killed 14-year-old Palestinian Ghassan Gharib Hussein Zahran in Deir Abu Mashal on July 9, 2024, according to documentation collected by Defense for Children International - Palestine.

Ghassan, accompanied by two other children, was playing at the entrance of the village near the Israeli-only road Route 465. Three Israeli soldiers traveling in a civilian vehicle on Route 465 fired live ammunition at the children from a distance of 80-100 meters  (262 to 328 feet). Ghassan was struck with a bullet in the back which exited from his abdomen. A Palestinian vehicle transported him to a medical clinic in Deir Abu Mashal village, then an ambulance brought him to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah, where he was pronounced dead on arrival around 3:15 p.m.

A group of Israeli settlers gathered after Israeli soldiers shot Ghassan and began throwing stones at Palestinian village residents attempting to reach him. Israeli forces opened fire on the Palestinian residents to prevent them from reaching the child, who remained lying on the ground bleeding for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Defense for Children International - Palestine (DCIP) is a local, independent Palestinian human rights organization committed to securing a just and viable future for Palestinian children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.