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Palestinian baby reportedly dies after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli troops in the West Bank

Eight-month-old Ramadan Thawabteh died when tear gas seeped into his home

Doug Bolton
Friday 30 October 2015 20:03 GMT
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A Palestinian youth uses a slingshot to throw back a tear gas canister towards Israeli forces
A Palestinian youth uses a slingshot to throw back a tear gas canister towards Israeli forces

A Palestianian baby has reportedly died after inhaling tear gas that was fired by Israeli troops in order to calm clashes in the West Bank.

The baby was named as eight-month-old Ramadan Thawabteh by the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

They said he died after tear gas which was fired at nearby stone throwers seeped into his home in Bethlehem.

A similar incident occurred earlier this month, when 54-year-old Hashem al-'Azza reportedly died as a result of severe tear gas inhalation in Hebron, also in the West Bank.

Tear gas is a non-lethal weapon designed to control rioting crowds, and causes severe eye and respiratory irritation.

However, without proper medical attention, those with pre-existing conditions such as asthma can be at risk of death when exposed.

Two Palestinian attackers were also killed in seperate incidents on Friday.

One was killed after stabbing a man at a Jerusalem train station, and the other was shot after running at an Israeli military checkpoint while brandishing a knife.

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