Border Police stun grenade thrown into car at Qalandia under investigation

Israeli police open probe after stun grenade thrown into car at Qalandia

What happened: A Border Police officer threw a stun grenade into a car at the Qalandia refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, Israeli police said, and the incident is now under investigation after CCTV footage emerged.

Where and when: The event occurred at Qalandia; police confirmed the probe after footage was published this week.

Who commented: Israeli police said the officer did not act “in accordance with procedure” and transferred the matter to the internal police investigations department.

The CCTV shows the officer approaching a vehicle, shouting at those inside, then throwing the stun grenade through an open door and closing it as the driver attempted to flee. There was a visible blast and smoke, and two passengers escaped from the other side of the car.

After the grenade detonated, the footage appears to show the officer firing his rifle as the passengers ducked for cover. Israeli rights group B’Tselem reported that everyone in the car survived.

In a separate incident at Qalandia on Sunday, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old boy, Walid Abu Sneineh, the Palestinian health ministry said. The ministry also reported two other children sustained gunshot wounds to their lower limbs.

Also on Sunday, a critically ill four-month-old infant, Ahmed Zaid, died after, according to the head of the local UN human rights office, Israeli troops refused to open a gate blocking the main entrance to his village west of Ramallah, delaying urgent medical care.

Ajith Sunghay of the UN rights office said an ambulance waited on the other side of the gate outside Deir Ammar and described the death as “senseless” and emblematic of an occupying power showing disregard for Palestinians’ humanity and rights.

The Israeli military told Israel’s Haaretz newspaper that its troops “allowed the baby and his family to pass without any delay to continue receiving medical treatment.” Israeli authorities have not responded to the BBC’s request for comment regarding the killing of Walid Abu Sneineh.