A 15-year-old Israeli was shot near the border with Egypt in southern Israel on Tuesday and died of his wounds.
The victim, identified as Nimer Abu Amar from Lakiya, a Bedouin village in southern Israel, was employed by a contractor for the Defense Ministry. He was conducting maintenance work on the border fence when shot.
The teenager was immediately evacuated to Soroka Medical Center in Be’er Sheva.
“The wounded Israeli in today’s shooting by the Egyptian border has died from his wounds as he was being airlifted to the hospital,” an IDF spokesperson said on Twitter.
Reports indicate that an Egyptian soldier mistook the teenager for an illegal migrant.
The boy’s father, as well as several Israeli lawmakers, condemned the Defense Ministry for hiring a 15-year-old to work in such a dangerous environment.
“It’s terrible. How can the Defense Ministry hire such a young boy?” Member of Knesset Yehuda Glick stated on his Facebook page.
The IDF is investigating the incident.
By: World Israel News Staff