Beitunia killings: Autopsy reveals Palestinian teen shot by live fire

An autopsy of Nadim Syam Nuwara, one of the two teenagers killed last month during the Nakba Day protests in Beitunia, reveals that that the teen was killed by live fire, according to a report by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem.

According to B’Tselem, Nuwara’s body has been well-preserved, making the point of entry and exit, as well as the route of the bullet, easily identifiable.

Relatives of Nadim Seeam Abu Kara mourn in the hospital before his funeral procession in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 16, 2014. Abu Kara and Muhammad Abu Da'har were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes the previous day outside the Israeli-run Ofer prison following a protest commemorating the Nakba. Foreign press published that the two died in a Ramallah hospital after being shot in the chest during a protest to demand the release of thousands of Palestinians held by Israel. (Activestills.org)
Relatives of Nadim Sayam Nuwara mourn in the hospital before his funeral procession in the West Bank city of Ramallah on May 16, 2014. (Activestills.org)

Although the report is slated to be released in the next several days, doctors have rejected the possibility that the cause of death was rubber bullets, and are fairly confident that the bullet entered through Nuwara’s front side. The autopsy was performed by a team of Palestinian specialists, in the presence of Danish, Portuguese, American, and two Israeli doctors.

WATCH: Footage shows Israeli army’s killing of two Palestinian teens

Furthermore, the doctors also removed four pieces of shrapnel from the body, and one of the pathologists told B’Tselem that he is convinced that they are made of lead and came from the bullet.

Those who have been following the story closely may recall that the IDF immediately denied using live bullets in the deaths of Nuwara, 17, and Mohammad Mahmoud Odeh, 16. Initially, military investigators claimed that shots may have been fired by the Palestinian side, rather than by Israeli troops, while top Israeli officials claimed the video, captured by security cameras, was actually forged.

A few days later, CNN footage revealed that it was likely that a Border Policeman was responsible for firing at at least one of the teens, but did not provide any conclusive evidence regarding the kind of bullets used. The Israeli mainstream media unquestioningly adopted the narrative of the defense establishment. Ever since the killings, Palestinian doctors, as well as the family members of Nuwara and Odeh, have repeatedly stated that the boys were killed by live fire.

More +972 analysis on the Beitunia killings:
On the media’s incredibly high bar for Palestinian stories
Truth, tapes and two dead Palestinians