A teenager was deliberately struck by an Israeli settler who drove his vehicle at three Palestinian boys as they walked along a road south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, Al Jazeera reports, citing Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCI-P).

The child rights group said 16-year-old Ahmad Wisam Ahmad Odeh was walking at 2:15pm on Monday along the main street in the village of Huwara when an Israeli settler accelerated their car and drove directly at the three boys.

Ahmad was launched some five metres in the air and 10 metres along the road by the force of the impact, sustaining serious injuries, including a liver haemorrhage, 20 stitches in his head, and severe bruising, the rights group said.

“Under international law, Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the Palestinian civilian population from all acts of violence, including from attacks by Israeli settlers,” DCI-P’s Ayed Abu Eqtaish said.

“Yet, Israeli settlers act with near-total impunity, nearly always with full protection from Israeli authorities,” he said.