JERUSALEM

A 13-year-old Palestinian boy was killed and two others were injured Tuesday when unexploded Israeli ordnance exploded in the central Jordan Valley in the occupied West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

The explosion occurred in the Faroush Beit Dajan area near the town of Jiftlik, according to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

The agency quoted Mayor Ahmad Ghawanmeh as saying the blast was caused by leftover Israeli ammunition.

Israeli forces sealed off the site and prevented residents from approaching the area following the blast, the mayor added.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams received the body of a 13-year-old from Israeli soldiers after what it described as a landmine explosion at a former military camp in Jiftlik. The body was transferred to a hospital in Jericho.

Earlier, the Israeli army said three Palestinians were injured while “handling unexploded ordnance belonging to the Israeli military” near the Tertza military base in the Jordan Valley.

It described the area as an active firing zone where civilian entry is prohibited and “extremely dangerous,” claiming an investigation had been launched.

The Jordan Valley falls largely within Area C of the West Bank, which remains under full Israeli civil and security control and comprises around 61% of the territory.

Israel designates extensive areas of the valley as military training zones, restricting Palestinian access and movement. Palestinian officials say unexploded munitions left behind from training exercises pose an ongoing risk to residents.

Israel has intensified operations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since launching its military campaign in Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. Palestinians view the escalation -- including killings, arrests, displacement and settlement expansion -- as a step toward formal annexation of the territory.

In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Tarek Chouiref