X-ray of the injured youth showing live round; Photo credit: Free use
Sunday, June 29, 2025, 13:55 IDF forces arrived at a Jewish outpost on Friday night that was founded a few weeks ago on the Mount Hatzor ridge in the Binyamin region to demolish it. One IDF officer opened fire indiscriminately on the youths at the outpost, seriously injuring a 14-year-old boy. The injured youth was treated at the scene by Hatzala medics and evacuated in moderate to serious condition in a MDA MICU ambulance to the intensive care unit of Hadassah Mt. Scopus Hospital. A bullet entered the youth’s arm and lodged in his back. He suffers from shattered bones in his shoulder and arm, blast injuries to his lungs, and shrapnel injuries. Several other youths were detained during the incident. Honenu Attorney Daniel Shimshilashvilli is representing the hospitalized youth and the detainees.
On Shabbat, the injured youth was transferred from Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital to the intensive care unit at Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Throughout Shabbat, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit did not mention in any of their press releases or briefings that a 14-year-old youth was seriously injured by the officers’ gunfire.
On Sunday police officers came to the intensive care unit at the hospital to interrogate the youth. However, after they understood that his medical condition precluded interrogation, they left. Attorney Shimshilashvilli issued a statement:
“I spoke with the father of the injured boy lying in the intensive care unit, waiting for operations to repair his injuries, including the removal of the bullet. A Hadassah Hospital spokesperson issued an official statement confirming the presence of a bullet from live fire in the body of the youth.”
This announcement contradicts an announcement by the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit that soldiers had only opened fire using sponge rounds.
Attorney Shimshilashvilli continued: “Police officers arrived to interrogate the youth as he lay in intensive care, connected to machines. I am pleased that the officers understood that the youth is in no condition to be interrogated at all or to give any testimony, and left. I thank them for that.”
Attorney Shimshilashvilli underscored the absurdity of the situation: “After an entire Shabbat of unrestrained behavior by various officials, who we clearly see today are politically biased, it is sad to see that in the end, what remains after an incident that began with much noise, is a boy lying in the intensive care unit, waiting for an operation to remove a bullet. We hope that such an incident is never repeated, and that there will be a thorough investigation to understand the events leading up to the injuries caused”
The name of the injured youth for the purpose of prayer is Assif Hallel ben Efrat.
Honenu Attorney Daniel Shimshilashvilli (Hebrew with Hebrew subtitles); Video credit: Honenu