Army claims the teen was attempting to damage the separation barrier; his family says he was foraging for plants.

Israeli soldiers shot and killed a young Palestinian suspected of vandalism in the southern West Bank on Wednesday, Israeli and Palestinian media reported.

The Israeli military spokesperson said the young man was attempting to damage the separation barrier, Ynet reported. His family asserted `he was picking plants for cooking, according to Ma’an.

The army claimed it first shot in the air and then at the young man’s lower extremities. Nevertheless, this is a case of soldiers using lethal force on a teenager suspected of vandalism.

The Ma’an news agency identified the young man as 15-year-old Yousef Nayif Yousef Sawamrah Abu Akar, from the village of Deir al-Asal al-Fauqa.

The Israeli army has killed six other Palestinians since the start of the month, including a Jordanian judge who was shot to death at the Allenby border crossing.

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