21 feb 2016
land of [their] forefathers, adding that the “Palestinian narrative negates the existence of Israel.”
Hotovely concludes by saying that Israel “has the obligation to refute the industry of lies” and speak the historic truth.
This rhetoric came shortly after the extremist right wing lawmaker, Anat Berko, has said that there has never been a Palestinian state because the letter “P” does not exist in Arabic language.
These claims sparked sarcasm amongst local and international activists, since the word “Palestine” is pronounced with an “F” in both Arabic and Hebrew.
Israel, which has been established on Palestinian land in 1947, has maintained a brutal military occupation on the occupied West Bank, which included illegal settlement expansion, kidnappings, home demolitions, executions and controls the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank by placing hunderds of checkpoints between the West Bank cities and villages.
Hotovely concludes by saying that Israel “has the obligation to refute the industry of lies” and speak the historic truth.
This rhetoric came shortly after the extremist right wing lawmaker, Anat Berko, has said that there has never been a Palestinian state because the letter “P” does not exist in Arabic language.
These claims sparked sarcasm amongst local and international activists, since the word “Palestine” is pronounced with an “F” in both Arabic and Hebrew.
Israel, which has been established on Palestinian land in 1947, has maintained a brutal military occupation on the occupied West Bank, which included illegal settlement expansion, kidnappings, home demolitions, executions and controls the movement of Palestinians within the West Bank by placing hunderds of checkpoints between the West Bank cities and villages.
17-year-old girl arrested at Tapuach Junction with knife, admits to planning attack; 14-year-old arrested near Bani Naim after trying to stab soldiers; another attacker in Tapuach Junction shot and killed while attempting stabbing attack; none hurt on Israeli side.
Israeli security forces stopped three terror attacks on Sunday morning. No Israeli troops were hurt in any of the incidents.
Around 8:30am, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl arrived at the Tapuach Junction with a knife in her possession. She was stopped by troops stationed at the roadbloack.
In initial questioning, the girl admitted that she planned to commit an attack after watching inciting videos on social media. The Kutzra resident was arrested and taken for further questioning.
Three hours later, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from the village of Bani Naim, close to Hebron, tried to open the door of an army vehicle and stab one of the soldiers inside. The troops overpowered and handcuffed him without opening fire.
Several minutes later, another attacker tried to stab soldiers near the Tapuach Junction. He was shot and seriously wounded, and later succumbed to his wounds.
On Saturday night, a stabbing attack was thwarted near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem - the ninth attack there over the past three weeks.
Israeli security forces stopped three terror attacks on Sunday morning. No Israeli troops were hurt in any of the incidents.
Around 8:30am, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl arrived at the Tapuach Junction with a knife in her possession. She was stopped by troops stationed at the roadbloack.
In initial questioning, the girl admitted that she planned to commit an attack after watching inciting videos on social media. The Kutzra resident was arrested and taken for further questioning.
Three hours later, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy from the village of Bani Naim, close to Hebron, tried to open the door of an army vehicle and stab one of the soldiers inside. The troops overpowered and handcuffed him without opening fire.
Several minutes later, another attacker tried to stab soldiers near the Tapuach Junction. He was shot and seriously wounded, and later succumbed to his wounds.
On Saturday night, a stabbing attack was thwarted near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem - the ninth attack there over the past three weeks.
US secretary of state John Kerry arrived in Amman on Saturday for meetings with King Abdullah II of Jordan and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas in an effort to restart the peace talks and stop the escalating Palestinian intifada (uprising).
This is considered Kerry's second visit to the region during the current intifada. He has tabled, during his first regional tour, ideas allowing the Jewish settlers to enter the Aqsa Mosque and proposing the installation of security cameras in its courtyards in a desperate attempt to ease the tension on the ground.
According to the official Jordanian news agency, Kerry will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and the occupied Palestinian territories as well as the mutual relations between the two countries.
The US secretary of state will also meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh at the headquarters of the foreign ministry to discuss different issues of mutual interest. For his part, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Wasel Abu Yousef told Quds Press on Sunday that Abbas and Kerry would meet in Amman on Sunday to explore avenues of reviving the peace process and the Arab peace initiative.
Abbas, Kerry meet in Jordan to discuss latest developments
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in the Jordanian capital of Amman, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Wafa reported that Abbas called on Kerry to pressure Israel to release hunger striking Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qiq and to return the remains of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities after being shot dead during the latest wave of upheaval
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeina said the Palestinian president also spoke with Kerry about his ongoing efforts to organize international powers to come together for a peace conference and in calling or the UN Security Council to condemn illegal Israeli settlement expansion, the statement added.
Rdeina also said Abbas updated Kerry on the latest initiatives for a Palestinian unity government with Hamas, after delegations from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas met in Doha earlier this month.
Rdeina added that Kerry assured Abbas the United States would exert enough efforts to insure the viability of a two-state solution, so as to maintain security and stability in the region.
Israeli media reported that Kerry had no plans of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Middle East trip.
Netanyahu met with Kerry and US Vice President Joe Biden last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
This is considered Kerry's second visit to the region during the current intifada. He has tabled, during his first regional tour, ideas allowing the Jewish settlers to enter the Aqsa Mosque and proposing the installation of security cameras in its courtyards in a desperate attempt to ease the tension on the ground.
According to the official Jordanian news agency, Kerry will meet with Jordanian King Abdullah II to discuss the latest developments in the Middle East and the occupied Palestinian territories as well as the mutual relations between the two countries.
The US secretary of state will also meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh at the headquarters of the foreign ministry to discuss different issues of mutual interest. For his part, senior member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Wasel Abu Yousef told Quds Press on Sunday that Abbas and Kerry would meet in Amman on Sunday to explore avenues of reviving the peace process and the Arab peace initiative.
Abbas, Kerry meet in Jordan to discuss latest developments
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas met on Sunday with United States Secretary of State John Kerry in the Jordanian capital of Amman, according to official Palestinian news agency Wafa.
Wafa reported that Abbas called on Kerry to pressure Israel to release hunger striking Palestinian journalist Muhammad al-Qiq and to return the remains of Palestinians held by Israeli authorities after being shot dead during the latest wave of upheaval
Abbas spokesman Nabil Abu Rdeina said the Palestinian president also spoke with Kerry about his ongoing efforts to organize international powers to come together for a peace conference and in calling or the UN Security Council to condemn illegal Israeli settlement expansion, the statement added.
Rdeina also said Abbas updated Kerry on the latest initiatives for a Palestinian unity government with Hamas, after delegations from the Palestinian Authority and Hamas met in Doha earlier this month.
Rdeina added that Kerry assured Abbas the United States would exert enough efforts to insure the viability of a two-state solution, so as to maintain security and stability in the region.
Israeli media reported that Kerry had no plans of meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his Middle East trip.
Netanyahu met with Kerry and US Vice President Joe Biden last month on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Saturday evening arrested a Palestinian young man near Damascus Gate in Occupied Jerusalem after an alleged stabbing attempt.
The spokeswoman of Israeli police Luba Samri said, in a statement, that a force of border guards stopped an 18-year-old Palestinian based on suspicion and while searching him, he tried to stab one of the soldiers.
The troops rounded up the Jerusalemite youth and investigations were going on amid intensive deployment of Israeli forces, she said.
According to Israeli media sources, this alleged stabbing attempt is the 13th attack in Damascus Gate area since the Jerusalem Intifada which started first of October, 2015.
95 Stabbing operations in addition to 50 stabbing attempts have been carried out since last October.
The spokeswoman of Israeli police Luba Samri said, in a statement, that a force of border guards stopped an 18-year-old Palestinian based on suspicion and while searching him, he tried to stab one of the soldiers.
The troops rounded up the Jerusalemite youth and investigations were going on amid intensive deployment of Israeli forces, she said.
According to Israeli media sources, this alleged stabbing attempt is the 13th attack in Damascus Gate area since the Jerusalem Intifada which started first of October, 2015.
95 Stabbing operations in addition to 50 stabbing attempts have been carried out since last October.
20 feb 2016
Mourners marched on Saturday in the funeral of a 20-year-old Palestinian shot dead the day before after attempting to ram his car into Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank village of Silwad.
Locals told Ma’an that Silwad residents were joined by Palestinians from neighboring villages for the burial of Abed Raed Abdullah Hamad.
The funeral procession began from Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Hamad’s body was taken via ambulance to his family home in Silwad northeast of the city, where relatives bid him a final goodbye.
Hamad was then laid to rest in the village cemetery following funeral prayers.
Hamad’s mother told reporters during the funeral that he had driven her to a relative’s home before he carried out the attack.
“Before he left he kissed my hand and asked me to pray for him,” the mother said. “Minutes after he left, I heard gunshots and I could feel that something wrong happened to Abed,” she added.
Another of the mother's sons is currently serving a 17 year sentence in Israeli prison, locals said.
Hamad was one of three Palestinians to be killed by Israeli forces on Friday. Another was shot after stabbing two Israeli officers occupied East Jerusalem while the third Palestinian was shot dead during clashes.
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that Hamad had “attempted to ram his vehicle into soldiers” stationed in the area "during violent riots.” The military forces responded with live fire, killing him on site, the spokesperson said.
No Israelis were injured in the incident.
Two Palestinians were killed in Silwad during the month of December, also after reportedly attempting to run over Israeli soldiers as clashes were occurring in the village.
Around an hour before the attack, Hamad posted a photo of his mother and father on Facebook with a caption reading: "The two most beautiful [people] in the world, my soul remains with them.
"Dad, Mom, may God protect you, keep you safe, and keep you precious on this Friday. ... Mom don't cry over me, I need your prayers. Dad, may you be satisfied with me; you have brought up a man."
Locals told Ma’an that Silwad residents were joined by Palestinians from neighboring villages for the burial of Abed Raed Abdullah Hamad.
The funeral procession began from Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Hamad’s body was taken via ambulance to his family home in Silwad northeast of the city, where relatives bid him a final goodbye.
Hamad was then laid to rest in the village cemetery following funeral prayers.
Hamad’s mother told reporters during the funeral that he had driven her to a relative’s home before he carried out the attack.
“Before he left he kissed my hand and asked me to pray for him,” the mother said. “Minutes after he left, I heard gunshots and I could feel that something wrong happened to Abed,” she added.
Another of the mother's sons is currently serving a 17 year sentence in Israeli prison, locals said.
Hamad was one of three Palestinians to be killed by Israeli forces on Friday. Another was shot after stabbing two Israeli officers occupied East Jerusalem while the third Palestinian was shot dead during clashes.
An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that Hamad had “attempted to ram his vehicle into soldiers” stationed in the area "during violent riots.” The military forces responded with live fire, killing him on site, the spokesperson said.
No Israelis were injured in the incident.
Two Palestinians were killed in Silwad during the month of December, also after reportedly attempting to run over Israeli soldiers as clashes were occurring in the village.
Around an hour before the attack, Hamad posted a photo of his mother and father on Facebook with a caption reading: "The two most beautiful [people] in the world, my soul remains with them.
"Dad, Mom, may God protect you, keep you safe, and keep you precious on this Friday. ... Mom don't cry over me, I need your prayers. Dad, may you be satisfied with me; you have brought up a man."
Sergeant Tuvia Yanai Weissman 21
The United States on Friday condemned an attack carried out by two Palestinian teens that killed a dual US-Israeli citizen, remarks that are likely to disappoint Palestinian leadership.
"There is no justification for terrorism,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
“This horrific incident again underscores the need for all sides to reject violence, and urgently take steps to restore calm, reduce tensions, and bring an immediate end to the violence,” Toner said.
Tuvia Weissman, 21, succumbed to wounds shortly after being stabbed in an attack carried out by two 14-year-old Palestinians from the occupied West Bank town of Beituniya.
According to the Israeli army, Weissman was an Israeli soldier and resident of the illegal Maale Mikhmas settlement.
The US State Department statement stands in opposition to statements made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon last month regarding violence carried out by Palestinians.
Ban condemned attacks that have left nearly 30 Israelis dead since October, but slammed Israeli measures that failed to "address the profound sense of alienation and despair driving some Palestinians -- especially young people.
Over 50 unarmed Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces during clashes in the occupied Palestinian territory since October. They are among the nearly 180 Palestinians to be killed during recent unrest, the majority shot dead while attempting to carry out attacks on Israeli military targets.
Ban said: "Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process.”
“As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism," he said.
US officials have historically been slow or completely absent in condemnation of Israeli policy towards Palestinians.
In a rare condemnation of Israeli policy last month, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said the US was "concerned and perplexed" by Israeli policy in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Despite his critical language, the US ambassador maintained condemnation of Palestinian acts of violence and said that US security ties with Israel had "never been stronger," citing in particular $3 billion in military aid the US has agreed to give Israel later this year.
The United States on Friday condemned an attack carried out by two Palestinian teens that killed a dual US-Israeli citizen, remarks that are likely to disappoint Palestinian leadership.
"There is no justification for terrorism,” US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement.
“This horrific incident again underscores the need for all sides to reject violence, and urgently take steps to restore calm, reduce tensions, and bring an immediate end to the violence,” Toner said.
Tuvia Weissman, 21, succumbed to wounds shortly after being stabbed in an attack carried out by two 14-year-old Palestinians from the occupied West Bank town of Beituniya.
According to the Israeli army, Weissman was an Israeli soldier and resident of the illegal Maale Mikhmas settlement.
The US State Department statement stands in opposition to statements made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon last month regarding violence carried out by Palestinians.
Ban condemned attacks that have left nearly 30 Israelis dead since October, but slammed Israeli measures that failed to "address the profound sense of alienation and despair driving some Palestinians -- especially young people.
Over 50 unarmed Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces during clashes in the occupied Palestinian territory since October. They are among the nearly 180 Palestinians to be killed during recent unrest, the majority shot dead while attempting to carry out attacks on Israeli military targets.
Ban said: "Palestinian frustration is growing under the weight of a half century of occupation and the paralysis of the peace process.”
“As oppressed peoples have demonstrated throughout the ages, it is human nature to react to occupation, which often serves as a potent incubator of hate and extremism," he said.
US officials have historically been slow or completely absent in condemnation of Israeli policy towards Palestinians.
In a rare condemnation of Israeli policy last month, US Ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro said the US was "concerned and perplexed" by Israeli policy in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Despite his critical language, the US ambassador maintained condemnation of Palestinian acts of violence and said that US security ties with Israel had "never been stronger," citing in particular $3 billion in military aid the US has agreed to give Israel later this year.
The Hamas Movement has said the "matchless courage" of al-Quds intifada (uprising) youth heralds a bright future of freedom from the occupation.
In a press release, Hamas spokesman Husam Badran applauded "the two heroic operations," which were carried out on Friday and Thursday by Palestinian young men in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Badran described the Jerusalem and Ramallah operations as a natural response to Israel's ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people and urged the intifada young people to continue their painful strikes on the occupation.
In a press release, Hamas spokesman Husam Badran applauded "the two heroic operations," which were carried out on Friday and Thursday by Palestinian young men in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
Badran described the Jerusalem and Ramallah operations as a natural response to Israel's ongoing crimes against the Palestinian people and urged the intifada young people to continue their painful strikes on the occupation.
19 feb 2016
The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera crew in occupied Jerusalem said they witnessed Friday’s fatal shooting of a young Palestinian man, who was first shot with two live rounds, followed by dozens more shots after he was already injured and bleeding on the ground.
The Al-Jazeera crew said the Palestinian stood behind some Israeli border police and tried to stab one of them, in Bab al-‘Amoud in Jerusalem, before the soldiers shot him with two rounds.
The Palestinian, Mohammad Abu Khalaf, 20 years of age, fell onto the ground bleeding and incapacitated, when six of the militarized police officers fired more than 50 rounds at him, killing him instantly.
The soldiers then assaulted the journalists and forced them out of the area, before declaring it a closed military zone.
“The scene was terrifying, we barely escaped with our lives,” Al-Jazeera anchor Elias Karram said, “The soldiers fired so many live rounds at this young man, they could have killed us all, every person who was there was in direct danger.”
He added that he and his team were in Bab al-‘Amoud before the shooting, as they were filming a report for Al-Jazeera, and just as they finished the report, they witnessed the stabbing attempt, and the deadly shooting that followed. The Israeli border police said two of its soldiers were mildly wounded in the reported attack.
“What happened was the execution of the young man,” Karram stated, “The border police officers lined-up and opened fire although they could have easily arrested the man, especially since he was already injured.”
The Al-Jazeera crew said the Palestinian stood behind some Israeli border police and tried to stab one of them, in Bab al-‘Amoud in Jerusalem, before the soldiers shot him with two rounds.
The Palestinian, Mohammad Abu Khalaf, 20 years of age, fell onto the ground bleeding and incapacitated, when six of the militarized police officers fired more than 50 rounds at him, killing him instantly.
The soldiers then assaulted the journalists and forced them out of the area, before declaring it a closed military zone.
“The scene was terrifying, we barely escaped with our lives,” Al-Jazeera anchor Elias Karram said, “The soldiers fired so many live rounds at this young man, they could have killed us all, every person who was there was in direct danger.”
He added that he and his team were in Bab al-‘Amoud before the shooting, as they were filming a report for Al-Jazeera, and just as they finished the report, they witnessed the stabbing attempt, and the deadly shooting that followed. The Israeli border police said two of its soldiers were mildly wounded in the reported attack.
“What happened was the execution of the young man,” Karram stated, “The border police officers lined-up and opened fire although they could have easily arrested the man, especially since he was already injured.”
A senior UN official reiterated his condemnation of key Israeli policies in the occupied Palestinian territory Thursday, warning that a surge in violence in recent months showed "no sign of relenting."
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, told the UN Security Council that current trends were "dangerously imperiling the viability of a two-state solution."
He blamed a lack of both Israeli and Palestinian "motivation," but directed his harshest criticisms at key Israeli policies, which he said required a "significant" shift if a political horizon was to be reestablished.
"From the outset, significant policy shifts by Israel, including increasing Palestinian investment and economic activity in Area C, are required to strengthen Palestinian institutions, economy and security prospects," he said.
He pointed in particular to Israel's continued state support for Jewish-only settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory -- illegal under international law -- as well as a dramatic rise in home demolitions.
"Israel’s settlement enterprise continues to be an impediment to peace," Mladenov said. "While 2015 may have seen a slower overall pace for settlement planning and construction, the reality is that Israel continues to push forward the consolidation of its control of the West Bank."
He pointed to Israel's recent confiscation of a vast tract of land in Jericho as "state land," as well as Israeli government approval for dozens of new settlers homes.
He said the Israeli authorities had also demolished 201 Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied territories in recent weeks, displacing 320 people.
"Since the beginning of 2016, Israel has demolished, on average, 29 Palestinian-owned structures per week, three times the weekly average for 2015," Mladnov said. "These actions run directly counter to the idea of peace."
'New phase in conflict'
The UN special coordinator said: "Collective international efforts to help establish a political horizon will all be for naught, absent genuine Israeli and Palestinian motivation to address the chronic realities endangering the two-state solution."
He called on the Palestinians to help create "an environment conducive to peace talks," particularly by working toward national reconciliation between rival factions Fatah and Hamas, as well as combating "incitement" to violence.
He said that the Middle East Quartet would soon be preparing a report on the current status quo, "including recommendations on the way forward."
However, he did not offer a positive outlook on the near future, warning that violence appeared set to carry on unabated.
"Some recent incidents may point to a new troubling phase in the conflict," he said, pointing to three recent attacks carried out by members of Palestinian security forces, although noting that the officers had in each case acted individually.
He also cited an attack outside Jerusalem's Old City on Feb. 3, where, "in a worrying advancement in weaponry and tactics the three assailants, all of whom were killed, carried semi-automatic weapons, pipe bombs and knives."
The day after he made his comments, another two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.
More than 170 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have now been killed since violence swept the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel at the beginning of October last year.
"The conflict has now arrived at a pivotal point," Mladenov said. "Israelis and Palestinians must now actively shape their future – with the dedicated support of the international community -- before the opponents of peace decide their fate for them."
The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nickolay Mladenov, told the UN Security Council that current trends were "dangerously imperiling the viability of a two-state solution."
He blamed a lack of both Israeli and Palestinian "motivation," but directed his harshest criticisms at key Israeli policies, which he said required a "significant" shift if a political horizon was to be reestablished.
"From the outset, significant policy shifts by Israel, including increasing Palestinian investment and economic activity in Area C, are required to strengthen Palestinian institutions, economy and security prospects," he said.
He pointed in particular to Israel's continued state support for Jewish-only settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory -- illegal under international law -- as well as a dramatic rise in home demolitions.
"Israel’s settlement enterprise continues to be an impediment to peace," Mladenov said. "While 2015 may have seen a slower overall pace for settlement planning and construction, the reality is that Israel continues to push forward the consolidation of its control of the West Bank."
He pointed to Israel's recent confiscation of a vast tract of land in Jericho as "state land," as well as Israeli government approval for dozens of new settlers homes.
He said the Israeli authorities had also demolished 201 Palestinian-owned structures in the occupied territories in recent weeks, displacing 320 people.
"Since the beginning of 2016, Israel has demolished, on average, 29 Palestinian-owned structures per week, three times the weekly average for 2015," Mladnov said. "These actions run directly counter to the idea of peace."
'New phase in conflict'
The UN special coordinator said: "Collective international efforts to help establish a political horizon will all be for naught, absent genuine Israeli and Palestinian motivation to address the chronic realities endangering the two-state solution."
He called on the Palestinians to help create "an environment conducive to peace talks," particularly by working toward national reconciliation between rival factions Fatah and Hamas, as well as combating "incitement" to violence.
He said that the Middle East Quartet would soon be preparing a report on the current status quo, "including recommendations on the way forward."
However, he did not offer a positive outlook on the near future, warning that violence appeared set to carry on unabated.
"Some recent incidents may point to a new troubling phase in the conflict," he said, pointing to three recent attacks carried out by members of Palestinian security forces, although noting that the officers had in each case acted individually.
He also cited an attack outside Jerusalem's Old City on Feb. 3, where, "in a worrying advancement in weaponry and tactics the three assailants, all of whom were killed, carried semi-automatic weapons, pipe bombs and knives."
The day after he made his comments, another two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli forces after allegedly carrying out separate attacks on Israelis.
More than 170 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have now been killed since violence swept the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel at the beginning of October last year.
"The conflict has now arrived at a pivotal point," Mladenov said. "Israelis and Palestinians must now actively shape their future – with the dedicated support of the international community -- before the opponents of peace decide their fate for them."
Israeli authorities handed over on Friday the body of a Palestinian man killed earlier that day by Israeli forces during clashes in the occupied West Bank village of Silwad.
The body of Abed Raed Abdullah Hamad, 20, was transferred to the Palestinian military liaison in the evening and taken to a West Bank hospital , hours after Hamad allegedly attempted to run over Israeli soldiers northeast of Ramallah.
The military forces responded with live fire, killing the Palestinian on site, an Israeli army spokesperson said. No Israelis were injured in the incident.
Around an hour before the attack, Hamad posted a photo of his mother and father on Facebook with a caption reading: "The two most beautiful [people] in the world, my soul remains with them.
"Dad, Mom, may God protect you, keep you safe, and keep you precious on this Friday. ... Mom don't cry over me, I need your prayers. Dad, may you be satisfied with me; you have brought up a man."
Hundreds of Palestinians accompanied Hamad’s family to the hospital where Hamad’s body was taken in support. An autopsy is expected to take place before Hamad is buried.
Hamad is one of three Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem on Friday.
Unrest has continued since October in the occupied Palestinian territory, marked by small-scale attacks carried out predominantly on Israeli military targets by Palestinian individuals.
Attacks have often been followed by wide scale closures of Palestinian roads and towns by the Israeli military.
The recent violence has left over 170 Palestinians killed, the majority shot dead while carrying out attacks while others were killed during clashes or under disputed circumstances. More than 25 Israelis have been killed during the same time period.
During the latest bout of unrest, Israeli authorities have made it practice to detain the bodies of Palestinians shot dead after alleged, attempted and actual attacks against Israeli civilians and military.
However, the practice has been less frequent in the past several weeks, as PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat slammed the withholding of Palestinians’ bodies as a form of "collective punishment" by Israel, which he described as illegal under international law.
The body of Abed Raed Abdullah Hamad, 20, was transferred to the Palestinian military liaison in the evening and taken to a West Bank hospital , hours after Hamad allegedly attempted to run over Israeli soldiers northeast of Ramallah.
The military forces responded with live fire, killing the Palestinian on site, an Israeli army spokesperson said. No Israelis were injured in the incident.
Around an hour before the attack, Hamad posted a photo of his mother and father on Facebook with a caption reading: "The two most beautiful [people] in the world, my soul remains with them.
"Dad, Mom, may God protect you, keep you safe, and keep you precious on this Friday. ... Mom don't cry over me, I need your prayers. Dad, may you be satisfied with me; you have brought up a man."
Hundreds of Palestinians accompanied Hamad’s family to the hospital where Hamad’s body was taken in support. An autopsy is expected to take place before Hamad is buried.
Hamad is one of three Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in separate incidents in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem on Friday.
Unrest has continued since October in the occupied Palestinian territory, marked by small-scale attacks carried out predominantly on Israeli military targets by Palestinian individuals.
Attacks have often been followed by wide scale closures of Palestinian roads and towns by the Israeli military.
The recent violence has left over 170 Palestinians killed, the majority shot dead while carrying out attacks while others were killed during clashes or under disputed circumstances. More than 25 Israelis have been killed during the same time period.
During the latest bout of unrest, Israeli authorities have made it practice to detain the bodies of Palestinians shot dead after alleged, attempted and actual attacks against Israeli civilians and military.
However, the practice has been less frequent in the past several weeks, as PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat slammed the withholding of Palestinians’ bodies as a form of "collective punishment" by Israel, which he described as illegal under international law.
Defence for Children International-Palestine, on Tuesday, accused the Israeli army of willfully killing Palestinian children in the occupied Palestinian territories, QudsNet reported.
Since the start of October, Israeli forces have killed more than 180 Palestinians including 49 children.
According to Middle East Monitor, the organisation said: “Repeated killing and shooting of children by Israeli army, and preventing paramedics from offering medical aid to them is considered a form of extrajudicial killing.”
“Evasion from punishment” encourages Israeli soldiers to kill Palestinian children, noting that no “real” investigations are opened in the cases where Palestinians have been killed.
An official from the group reiterated that the official Israeli political echelon gave the army the green light to kill Palestinian children, after the latest ratification of laws governing the use of arms. (PNN)
Also of interest: The Revolving Door of Government Policy and Mad Cow Media Incitement
Since the start of October, Israeli forces have killed more than 180 Palestinians including 49 children.
According to Middle East Monitor, the organisation said: “Repeated killing and shooting of children by Israeli army, and preventing paramedics from offering medical aid to them is considered a form of extrajudicial killing.”
“Evasion from punishment” encourages Israeli soldiers to kill Palestinian children, noting that no “real” investigations are opened in the cases where Palestinians have been killed.
An official from the group reiterated that the official Israeli political echelon gave the army the green light to kill Palestinian children, after the latest ratification of laws governing the use of arms. (PNN)
Also of interest: The Revolving Door of Government Policy and Mad Cow Media Incitement