Palestinian teen succumbs to wounds after Israeli forces shoot him in the head

A Palestinian teenager died on Thursday after being shot in the head by Israeli forces a day earlier during a protest against plans to build an illegal settlement outpost on occupied land in the West Bank. 

Ahmed Shamsa was wounded on Wednesday when the Israeli army used live ammunition to disperse a protest held by residents from the village of Beita. 

The 16-year-old was taken to Rafidia Surgical Hospital in Nablus, where he succumbed to his wounds and died in the early hours of Thursday. 

He is the fourth Palestinian to be killed by Israel during protests against settlements - which are illegal under international law - since protests began in Beita.

Last week, 15-year-old Mohammed Hamayel was shot and killed by Israeli forces during protests in Beita after Friday prayers. 

Residents of the Beita village have held protests for five consecutive weeks against plans to build a new Israeli settler outpost on a mountain called Jabal Sabih.  

Locals told Middle East Eye that around 17 Palestinian families own land on Jabal Sabih and rely financially on harvesting their olive trees on the mountain.

In early May, a group of Israeli settlers set up caravans on Jabal Sabih, and with the help of Israeli forces, have since prevented any Palestinian access to the area, which is home to vast olive groves belonging to Beita’s residents.

Since then, the people of Beita have spent every day protesting against the new settler outpost, which lies on the southern outskirts of the village and comprises an estimated 30 percent of Beita’s entire land area.