Israeli police spokesperson Micky Rosenfeld said that a Palestinian attempted to stab Israeli border police at the checkpoint, at which time forces "responded to the threat" and shot the boy.
Rosenfeld did not immediately confirm that the Palestinian was killed, though eyewitnesses said that the boy was dead. Israeli news website Ynet also reported that the Palestinian had been killed.
Rosenfeld added that no Israeli forces were injured in the alleged attack.
Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samari identified the alleged attacker, who she said was “neutralized,” as a 16-year-old from Bethlehem.
According to al-Samri, the boy approached Israeli forces holding a knife in his hand, and “after a short dispute, an Israeli soldier was able to open fire at the suspect who was neutralized and the knife in his possession was seized.”
A spokesperson from the Palestinian Red Crescent said that Israeli forces prevented the service's ambulances from reaching the boy, who witnesses say was covered with a blanket by Israeli forces.
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