RAMALLAH: Israel on Tuesday claimed that a Palestinian teenager’s severe head injury was caused by a bicycle accident and not an Israeli bullet, sparking angry comments from activists and his family.
Israeli rights group B'Tselem produced medical documents appearing to verify that Mohammed Tamimi, 15, was shot.
A cousin of prominent jailed Palestinian teenager Ahed Tamimi, he was allegedly shot in the head with a rubber bullet during a protest in the occupied West Bank in December, leaving part of his skull missing.
It occurred the day Ahed Tamimi, 17, slapped and kicked two soldiers next to her house in a video that later went viral. She faces a long potential jail sentence in a case that has gained international attention.
Mohammed’s alleged shooting has been a key line of defense for Ahed’s actions by her lawyer in court hearings.
But on Tuesday, an Israeli Defense Ministry unit that oversees affairs in the Palestinian territories said Mohammed had confessed the injury was the result of falling off a bike.
“In December 2017, the young man Mohammed Tamimi injured his skull when he was riding his bicycle and fell off,” it said in an Arabic language statement posted on Facebook.
“Today his father Abu Fadel Tamimi is claiming in the media that his son was injured by a rubber bullet in his skull,” it said, adding in bold red letters “fake news.”
The army detained Mohammed for several hours on Monday along with a number of other residents from Ahed’s village of Nabi Saleh.
His uncle, Atallah, said when the teenager was arrested he did not want to tell the army that he was injured during a protest fearing he could be jailed.
But he did not admit falling off the bike, added the uncle.
“They asked him to sign a paper and he refused.”
B'Tselem produced what it said were complete medical notes from the hospital in Ramallah showing Mohammed was taken there with a “bullet injury.”
Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli activist who said he was at the demonstration, told AFP he was around 20 meters away when Mohammed was shot.
He said the teenager was climbing a ladder toward a house, which Israeli soldiers were in.
Pollak said he heard the shot but did not see it, though afterward it was clear to him and others that it was a bullet injury.
“This was one of the bloodiest injuries I have ever seen. He had a hole in his face to the left of his sinus. I was worried he would suffocate to death from all the blood... It was very obviously a bullet wound.”
The protest took place against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s controversial recognition of Jerusalem, which sparked major protests by Palestinians.
Palestinians reject Israeli claim boy was hurt in bike accident
Palestinians reject Israeli claim boy was hurt in bike accident
Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen: Aidrous Al-Zubaidi Flees to Unknown Location
- Aidrous Al-Zubaidi fails to board plane bound for Saudi Arabia
RIYADH: Official Spokesperson of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen Major General Turki Al-Malki stated that the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidrous Al-Zubaidi has fled to an unknown location.
Major General Al-Malki announced that on Jan. 4, 2026, the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition informed Al-Zubaidi that he must travel to Saudi Arabia within 48 hours to meet with President of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) of the Republic of Yemen Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, and the Coalition Forces Command to address the reasons behind the escalation and attacks by forces affiliated with the STC on the governorates of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
On Jan. 5, the Presidency of the STC reiterated its appreciation for the efforts led by Saudi Arabia in preparing for a comprehensive Southern conference to discuss ways to resolve the Southern issue, and affirmed its active participation in ensuring the conference’s success.
Consequently, Al-Zubaidi informed the Kingdom of his intention to attend on Jan. 6, and the delegation proceeded to the airport.
However, the departure of Yemenia Airways flight IYE 532, scheduled for 10.10 p.m. and carrying the delegation, was delayed for more than three hours. The legitimate government and the coalition received intelligence indicating that Al-Zubaidi had moved a large force—including armored vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, and ammunition—from the Jabal Hadid and Al-Solban camps towards Al-Dhale' around midnight.
Subsequently, the aforementioned flight was allowed to depart, carrying a large number of STC leaders but excluding the council's head Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, who fled to an unknown location.
He left the members and leaders of the STC without any details regarding his whereabouts. This occurred after he distributed weapons and ammunition to dozens of elements inside Aden, led by Mu'min Al-Saqqaf and Mukhtar Al-Nubi, with the aim of creating unrest in Aden in the coming hours.
This prompted the National Shield Forces and the coalition to request Vice President of the Presidential Leadership Council Abdul Rahman Al-Mahrami (Abu Zara'a) to impose security, prevent any clashes within Aden, spare its residents any disturbances, protect lives and property, and cooperate with the National Shield Forces.
The coalition forces monitored the movement of the aforementioned military units as they emerged from the camps and took up positions in a building near Al-Zand camp in Al-Dhale' Governorate. At 4 a.m., coalition forces, in coordination with legitimate government forces and the National Shield Forces, launched limited preemptive strikes to disrupt these forces and thwart Al-Zubaidi's attempts to escalate the conflict and extend it into Al-Dhale'.
The Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen affirms that it is working with the Yemeni government and the local authority in Aden to support and maintain security efforts and confront any military forces targeting cities and civilians. The command urges all residents to stay away from camps in Aden and Al-Dhale', avoid any gatherings of military vehicles for their own safety, and provide information to security agencies regarding any suspicious military movements.
