Shab'an Qarmout, 65
Reports from the northern Gaza Strip crossing of Beit Hanoun indicate that Israeli soldiers opened fire on a 65-year-old man named Shab'an Qarmout, killing him on Monday afternoon.
An initial barrage of fire from one of the crossing's security towers severely injured Qarmout, whereupon he was taken immediately to Kemal Adwan hospital in nearby Beit Lahiya, where he died.
The story is developing.
http://bit.ly/g0Xm1L
IOF soldiers kill Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza
An elderly Palestinian farmer was shot dead at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) near the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanun on Monday, medical sources reported.
Adham abu Salmiya, the spokesman for medical services, told the PIC that Sha'ban Qarmut, 65, was hit with three bullets in the chest by the IOF soldiers.
He said that Qarmut was farming his land north of the Beit Hanun city when he was shot, adding that he died instantly.
The IOF troops daily target Palestinian farmers and workers along the security fence surrounding the Strip.
http://bit.ly/gK0WGB
Reports from the northern Gaza Strip crossing of Beit Hanoun indicate that Israeli soldiers opened fire on a 65-year-old man named Shab'an Qarmout, killing him on Monday afternoon.
An initial barrage of fire from one of the crossing's security towers severely injured Qarmout, whereupon he was taken immediately to Kemal Adwan hospital in nearby Beit Lahiya, where he died.
The story is developing.
http://bit.ly/g0Xm1L
IOF soldiers kill Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza
An elderly Palestinian farmer was shot dead at the hands of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) near the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanun on Monday, medical sources reported.
Adham abu Salmiya, the spokesman for medical services, told the PIC that Sha'ban Qarmut, 65, was hit with three bullets in the chest by the IOF soldiers.
He said that Qarmut was farming his land north of the Beit Hanun city when he was shot, adding that he died instantly.
The IOF troops daily target Palestinian farmers and workers along the security fence surrounding the Strip.
http://bit.ly/gK0WGB
9 jan 2011
Palestinian security agencies have identified two men killed in the northern Gaza Strip Wednesday night as Egyptians.
The Israeli army earlier announced firing lethal missiles at two targets east of the Shuhada Cemetery east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia. The army claimed the men were trying to plant explosive devices.
The victims engaged in an armed clash with the troops before the arrival of the tanks and planes that launched the deadly fire against the two men, a field monitor said.
Absence of identification papers left the casualties unrecognized, sources said.
Palestinians who brought the men to the site where they were killed identified them as Egyptian men who came to the strip to combat the Israeli occupation. Their names have not yet surfaced.
The governor of northern Sinai denied the presence of any Egyptian citizens in the Gaza Strip.
It is not yet known whether the bodies will be buried in the Gaza Strip or handed over to Egypt.
http://bit.ly/ejUOBH
The Israeli army earlier announced firing lethal missiles at two targets east of the Shuhada Cemetery east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalia. The army claimed the men were trying to plant explosive devices.
The victims engaged in an armed clash with the troops before the arrival of the tanks and planes that launched the deadly fire against the two men, a field monitor said.
Absence of identification papers left the casualties unrecognized, sources said.
Palestinians who brought the men to the site where they were killed identified them as Egyptian men who came to the strip to combat the Israeli occupation. Their names have not yet surfaced.
The governor of northern Sinai denied the presence of any Egyptian citizens in the Gaza Strip.
It is not yet known whether the bodies will be buried in the Gaza Strip or handed over to Egypt.
http://bit.ly/ejUOBH
OCHA report: Israel killed two Palestinians in one week
The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories (OCHA) said in its weekly report that two Palestinian citizens were killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank and eight others injured throughout occupied Palestine.
This came in a report covering the Israeli violations during the week extending from December 29, 2010 to January 4, 2011.
The report noted that in 2010, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed 15 Palestinians and injured 1,148 others.
The majority of injuries in 2010 (over 80 percent) took place during clashes in East Jerusalem or in weekly demonstrations in other West Bank areas. This represents an increase of 20 percent, compared to 2009.
During the reporting week, OCHA said that the IOF demolished 12 Palestinian homes, including two homes in occupied Jerusalem, uprooted about 100 olive trees and confiscated building materials.
In area C of the West Bank, the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) issued expulsion orders against 80 homes and structures belonging to 21 families, including 53 children in Tubas city.
The IOA also ordered the demolition of 28 Palestinian homes and a mosque in the cities of Jericho and Al-Khalil.
In the Gaza Strip, the report affirms that the IOF wounded three Palestinian civilians during the week.
The Israeli navy was also reported to have opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza which led to the injury of one fisherman. In a separate incident, the navy detained five fishermen for half a day and confiscated their boat.
http://bit.ly/dYCryf
The UN office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs in the occupied Palestinian territories (OCHA) said in its weekly report that two Palestinian citizens were killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank and eight others injured throughout occupied Palestine.
This came in a report covering the Israeli violations during the week extending from December 29, 2010 to January 4, 2011.
The report noted that in 2010, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed 15 Palestinians and injured 1,148 others.
The majority of injuries in 2010 (over 80 percent) took place during clashes in East Jerusalem or in weekly demonstrations in other West Bank areas. This represents an increase of 20 percent, compared to 2009.
During the reporting week, OCHA said that the IOF demolished 12 Palestinian homes, including two homes in occupied Jerusalem, uprooted about 100 olive trees and confiscated building materials.
In area C of the West Bank, the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) issued expulsion orders against 80 homes and structures belonging to 21 families, including 53 children in Tubas city.
The IOA also ordered the demolition of 28 Palestinian homes and a mosque in the cities of Jericho and Al-Khalil.
In the Gaza Strip, the report affirms that the IOF wounded three Palestinian civilians during the week.
The Israeli navy was also reported to have opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats off the coast of Gaza which led to the injury of one fisherman. In a separate incident, the navy detained five fishermen for half a day and confiscated their boat.
http://bit.ly/dYCryf
8 jan 2011
Khaldun Samoudi, 24
A Palestinian man was shot dead Saturday afternoon in cold blood by Israeli troops at the Hamra military checkpoint, east of Nablus city.
Eyewitness said that Khaldun Samoudi, 24, was en route to his workplace when he was killed by the troops.
They added that the soldiers prevented paramedics from saving the life of the young man who was left bleeding to death.
Last Sunday, a 21-year-old young man called Ahmed Mouslemani was also killed by Israeli troops at the same checkpoint. The troops claimed then that the young man wanted to stab a soldier, but the investigation found he was carrying nothing.
In a separate incident, a Palestinian woman called Raja'a Ashtiya, 40, was killed Saturday morning near Beit El checkpoint, east of Ramallah city, when an Israeli woman driving a car hit her deliberately and ran away.
Ashtiya was walking along with her daughter when they were both struck by the speeding Israeli car. The woman died immediately, but her 10-year-old daughter Misk Ma'ali sustained moderate injuries.
http://bit.ly/hzLezw
IDF kills explosive-laden Palestinian youth at checkpoint
Soldiers shoot down the young man running towards them, in the second incident in the last week at the same Jordan Valley army checkpoint.
A Palestinian youth was shot dead by IDF soldiers at the Beka'ot military checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley near Nablus on Saturday.
Initial reports of the incident relay that the Palestinian held an object in his hand and shouted "Allahu Akbar," or 'God is great' in Arabic. Shortly thereafter, the IDF Spokesperson reported that the object found in the young man's hand was a pipe bomb.
A Palestinian taxi arrived at the checkpoint, and a young man stepped out of the taxi and began to sprint at the IDF soldiers monitoring the checkpoint, screaming as he ran.
An IDF source in the area at the time of the incident said that the soldiers operated according to proper procedure, first shouting at the youth, and then finally shooting at him, wounding him fatally. Medical teams treated the youth, but were unable to revive him.
As the bullets of the IDF soldiers struck the youth, the object he was carrying fell from his hand, appearing to be a pipe bomb. An examination of the young man's body revealed another pipe bomb, as well as a knife.
IDF soldiers shot and killed Mohammed Dragma, 20, from the northern West Bank town of Tubas near Nablus, on Sunday at the very same checkpoint in the Jordan Valley.
As Dragma was walking towards the soldiers, some of them apparently thought that he was carrying a knife on him. The object in his hand turned out to be a glass bottle.
http://bit.ly/gSe40M
Israel death squad on the loose in WB
Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian man in the north of the West Bank, leaving a trail of killings in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The 25-year-old, named Khaldun Samudi, was sprayed with bullets by Israeli soldiers east of Nablus city on Saturday, AFP reported.
The military then stripped the man of his clothes and left him to bleed to death, Ma'an news agency quoted an eye witness as saying.
Israeli soldiers killed an elderly Palestinian man in the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the southern West Bank on Friday during an attack on several residences there, AFP said.
Identified as Omar Kawasme, the 67-year-old victim was reportedly shot 13 times in the head while asleep.
The military has admitted that Kawasme was an innocent civilian and that the troops mistook him for a supporter of the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas.
Last Sunday, the troopers claimed the life of a 24-year-old Palestinian man at a checkpoint near Nablus. The Israeli forces claimed that the victim had attacked them, but the Palestinian witnesses stressed that he was unarmed.
A 36-year-old Palestinian woman also died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces, who were confronting an anti-wall protest, launched in the western village of Bil'in last Friday.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159205.html
A Palestinian man was shot dead Saturday afternoon in cold blood by Israeli troops at the Hamra military checkpoint, east of Nablus city.
Eyewitness said that Khaldun Samoudi, 24, was en route to his workplace when he was killed by the troops.
They added that the soldiers prevented paramedics from saving the life of the young man who was left bleeding to death.
Last Sunday, a 21-year-old young man called Ahmed Mouslemani was also killed by Israeli troops at the same checkpoint. The troops claimed then that the young man wanted to stab a soldier, but the investigation found he was carrying nothing.
In a separate incident, a Palestinian woman called Raja'a Ashtiya, 40, was killed Saturday morning near Beit El checkpoint, east of Ramallah city, when an Israeli woman driving a car hit her deliberately and ran away.
Ashtiya was walking along with her daughter when they were both struck by the speeding Israeli car. The woman died immediately, but her 10-year-old daughter Misk Ma'ali sustained moderate injuries.
http://bit.ly/hzLezw
IDF kills explosive-laden Palestinian youth at checkpoint
Soldiers shoot down the young man running towards them, in the second incident in the last week at the same Jordan Valley army checkpoint.
A Palestinian youth was shot dead by IDF soldiers at the Beka'ot military checkpoint in the northern Jordan Valley near Nablus on Saturday.
Initial reports of the incident relay that the Palestinian held an object in his hand and shouted "Allahu Akbar," or 'God is great' in Arabic. Shortly thereafter, the IDF Spokesperson reported that the object found in the young man's hand was a pipe bomb.
A Palestinian taxi arrived at the checkpoint, and a young man stepped out of the taxi and began to sprint at the IDF soldiers monitoring the checkpoint, screaming as he ran.
An IDF source in the area at the time of the incident said that the soldiers operated according to proper procedure, first shouting at the youth, and then finally shooting at him, wounding him fatally. Medical teams treated the youth, but were unable to revive him.
As the bullets of the IDF soldiers struck the youth, the object he was carrying fell from his hand, appearing to be a pipe bomb. An examination of the young man's body revealed another pipe bomb, as well as a knife.
IDF soldiers shot and killed Mohammed Dragma, 20, from the northern West Bank town of Tubas near Nablus, on Sunday at the very same checkpoint in the Jordan Valley.
As Dragma was walking towards the soldiers, some of them apparently thought that he was carrying a knife on him. The object in his hand turned out to be a glass bottle.
http://bit.ly/gSe40M
Israel death squad on the loose in WB
Israeli forces have shot and killed a Palestinian man in the north of the West Bank, leaving a trail of killings in the occupied Palestinian territory.
The 25-year-old, named Khaldun Samudi, was sprayed with bullets by Israeli soldiers east of Nablus city on Saturday, AFP reported.
The military then stripped the man of his clothes and left him to bleed to death, Ma'an news agency quoted an eye witness as saying.
Israeli soldiers killed an elderly Palestinian man in the city of al-Khalil (Hebron) in the southern West Bank on Friday during an attack on several residences there, AFP said.
Identified as Omar Kawasme, the 67-year-old victim was reportedly shot 13 times in the head while asleep.
The military has admitted that Kawasme was an innocent civilian and that the troops mistook him for a supporter of the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas.
Last Sunday, the troopers claimed the life of a 24-year-old Palestinian man at a checkpoint near Nablus. The Israeli forces claimed that the victim had attacked them, but the Palestinian witnesses stressed that he was unarmed.
A 36-year-old Palestinian woman also died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces, who were confronting an anti-wall protest, launched in the western village of Bil'in last Friday.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/159205.html
When killing an Old Man is Returning Fire
The IDF killed Amr Al Qawasme in his bed yesterday, but an Israeli news site claimed the soldiers “returned fire”
Early yesterday morning (Friday), IDF gunmen shot Amr Al Qawasme, aged 66 and residing in Hebron, to death, apparently while he was in bed. An early version of the IDF response, before the IDF was forced to “express its regrets” and admit that oops, we did it again, showed in the Nrg news site. It said (Hebrew) that the soldiers, while arresting a wanted man, “identified another Palestinian, who wasn’t supposed to be present in the building, and – according to them – behaved in a suspicious and threatening manner”. As a result, wrote Nrg, “The force was forced to return fire”.
Let’s dissect this short sentence. Everyone, the IDF Spokesman included, agrees that Al Qawasme wasn’t armed and certainly didn’t fire at anyone. Hence, “returning fire” is an impossibility. Returning fire is a process in which an armed force identifies shots fired in its direction, and fires back at the source. In this case, only one side fired: frightened gunmen – they are always frightened, dammit; who’s brilliant idea was it to arm these panic-prone young men? – shot a helpless old man, who was merely trying to climb out of bed. The “was forced” part of the sentence is also rather impressive: the gunmen didn’t really wanted to “return fire” towards an unarmed old man, they simply had no choice in the matter.
Most Israelis, naturally, don’t care. One less Palestinian. It’s a safe assumption that the gunmen and their commanders won’t pay any price for the incident. Just a Palestinian, after all. One can only imagine what would have happened if, during a search after a wanted Jew – say, Jack Teitel – one of the cops would suffer a panic attack and shoot to death his old and unarmed father. What riots we’d see, how the settler leadership would rise to its hindquarters, how a wave of shock would sweep the country.
But here, nu, just a Palestinian. And this time we can’t say he was a terrorist, planned on being a terrorist, or once considered being one. Just an old man, shot in his bed at dawn. A pointless killing. This embarrassment, this inability to say our hands did not spill this blood, is likely to have brought up the expression “returned fire”. We can’t say, after all, we shot an old man in his bed, even if all the signs point to that. Otherwise, how would we look ourselves in the mirror?
http://bit.ly/hHT5Fc
The IDF killed Amr Al Qawasme in his bed yesterday, but an Israeli news site claimed the soldiers “returned fire”
Early yesterday morning (Friday), IDF gunmen shot Amr Al Qawasme, aged 66 and residing in Hebron, to death, apparently while he was in bed. An early version of the IDF response, before the IDF was forced to “express its regrets” and admit that oops, we did it again, showed in the Nrg news site. It said (Hebrew) that the soldiers, while arresting a wanted man, “identified another Palestinian, who wasn’t supposed to be present in the building, and – according to them – behaved in a suspicious and threatening manner”. As a result, wrote Nrg, “The force was forced to return fire”.
Let’s dissect this short sentence. Everyone, the IDF Spokesman included, agrees that Al Qawasme wasn’t armed and certainly didn’t fire at anyone. Hence, “returning fire” is an impossibility. Returning fire is a process in which an armed force identifies shots fired in its direction, and fires back at the source. In this case, only one side fired: frightened gunmen – they are always frightened, dammit; who’s brilliant idea was it to arm these panic-prone young men? – shot a helpless old man, who was merely trying to climb out of bed. The “was forced” part of the sentence is also rather impressive: the gunmen didn’t really wanted to “return fire” towards an unarmed old man, they simply had no choice in the matter.
Most Israelis, naturally, don’t care. One less Palestinian. It’s a safe assumption that the gunmen and their commanders won’t pay any price for the incident. Just a Palestinian, after all. One can only imagine what would have happened if, during a search after a wanted Jew – say, Jack Teitel – one of the cops would suffer a panic attack and shoot to death his old and unarmed father. What riots we’d see, how the settler leadership would rise to its hindquarters, how a wave of shock would sweep the country.
But here, nu, just a Palestinian. And this time we can’t say he was a terrorist, planned on being a terrorist, or once considered being one. Just an old man, shot in his bed at dawn. A pointless killing. This embarrassment, this inability to say our hands did not spill this blood, is likely to have brought up the expression “returned fire”. We can’t say, after all, we shot an old man in his bed, even if all the signs point to that. Otherwise, how would we look ourselves in the mirror?
http://bit.ly/hHT5Fc
7 jan 2011
Hebron man executed during Israeli raid
Hebron man executed during Israeli raid
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Omer Salim Al-Qawasmi 65
During an arrest raid in Hebron which appeared to target six Hamas men released from PA custody the day before, Israeli forces shot and killed a 66-year-old man in his bed, in what appeared to be a case of mistaken identity. Arrested in Hebron overnight were Wael Al-Bitar, Majdi E'beid, Ahmad E'wewy, Muhand Neirukh, Wisam Al-Qawasmi and Mohammad Suqieyah, all released from PA custody the day before, following intense lobby efforts from the detainees, who had been on hunger strike for weeks. The execution came during the arrest of Wael Al-Bitar, who was released to his home in Hebron, one floor under Omer Salim Al-Qawasmi, the elderly victim. The two lived in the Ash- Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron. Omer's son Raja'e was home when Israeli soldiers broke into the building and came up the stairs. It was during the dawn prayer and he said his mother was in the livingroom praying. "Soldiers forced her into my disabled brother's room, then entered my father's bedroom." He said he heard no shots fired, saw the troops leave the building and then "they arrested Wael, who lives on the first floor of our home." When the troops left the area with Al-Bitar, Raja'e said they went to check on his father. "We were shocked, he was drenched in blood, we did not hear shooting, I suppose they used a silencer to kill my father." |
Raja'e said the only reason he could think of for shooting his father, was that they thought Al-Bitar was living on the second floor of the building.
"They thought it was Wael so they fired bullets immediately after entering my father's room while he was sleeping in his bed, I guess they did not make sure of his identity."
Medical sources in Hebron's Governmental Hospital said Al-Qawasmi's body was received with several gunshot wounds to his upper body, and bullet wounds that had smashed his face.
An Israeli military spokesman said he was looking into the incident.
The six men detained during the raid had been released the day before by order from President Mahmoud Abbas, following a negotiation with the prisoners and their political party.
Most of the men had not been sentenced but were being held for various crimes by the PA, all connected to their involvement with the resistance movement and their affiliation with Hamas. Police had said that they could not guarantee the safety of the men, who were reportedly wanted by Israel.
Hebron Governor Kamel Ihmeid cast the move as an effort toward inter-Palestinian unity during a news conference in Hebron, where the prisoners had been moved to be closer to their families. Until late December, the prisoners were being held in Bethlehem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=348930
Sources: Elderly Palestinian killed in IDF raid on Hamas cell in Hebron
IDF raided Hebron to re-arrest six Hamas members originally arrested after September's drive-by shootings against settlers in area, which killed four Israelis and left two injured.
A Palestinian resident of the southern West Bank city of Hebron was killed early Friday during an Israeli army raid on the city to arrest Hamas members, security and medical sources said.
The army raided Hebron to re-arrest six Hamas members that the Palestinian Authority had released only the day before following an intervention from the emir of Qatar.
Medical sources said a 65-year-old Palestinian, who was reported to be an unarmed civilian, was brought dead to hospital with several bullet wounds to the upper part of his body. They said the man had been shot in a building the soldiers had raided to arrest one of the Hamas members.
The dead man, Amr Qawasme, was asleep when soldiers broke into his home before dawn. His wife, Sobheye, said IDF troops brushed past her into the bedroom, where she heard several shots fired. When she went in, she found her husband in a pool of blood.
"I was praying when they entered. I do not know how they opened the door. They put their hand to my mouth and a rifle to my head," she told Reuters after Qawasme's body was removed.
"I was shocked. They did not allow me to talk. I asked them, 'What did you do?' They asked me to shut up."
Reuters Television footage showed Qawasme's sodden bed and bullet casings on the floor.
The PA had taken the six into custody in September in a campaign to arrest Hamas activists after a drive-by shooting against Israeli settlers in the area. In September of 2010, four Israelis were killed and two injured in two separate shooting attacks in the West Bank.
Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, took responsibility for both shootings, one of which occurred on the eve of the start of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Washington.
The six Hamas members, all Hebron residents, were first held in a PA prison in Bethlehem, south of Hebron, but went on hunger strike, demanding to be moved to Hebron so that their families could visit them.
The PA moved only five to Hebron after about 40 days of the hunger strike and following coordination with Israel. The sixth remained in Bethlehem.
PA officials said Thursday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered their release after direct appeal from the emir of Qatar.
http://bit.ly/gVAus5
Initial investigation: Troops thought Palestinian made threatening gesture
Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brigadier General Nitzan Alon, expressed sadness over the death of a 65-year-old Palestinian who was killed Thursday night during the arrest of a terror suspect in Hebron.
According to the Brigadier General, an initial investigation into the incident reveals that the troops shot the Palestinian because he moved in what seemed like a threatening manner. "Out of dozens and hundreds of arrest operations we carry out, a saddening incident like this can occur," he said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4010366,00.html
Hamas: Hebron shooting botched assassination attempt
The shooting of an elderly Palestinian man was a botched assassination attempt by Israeli forces, and represents an escalation against Palestinians by Israeli forces, a Hamas spokesman said Friday following the death.
Omer Salim Al-Qawasmi, 66, was shot in his bed several times in an incident Israeli officials said the military "regrets." He was the uncle of a man released from PA prison the day earlier.
The man, Wael Al-Bitar, was being hunted by the Israeli forces who broke into the home, and was arrested moments after Al-Qawasmi was shot.
Al-Bitar, who was detained in June 2008 by what witnesses at the time said were Israeli forces. The arrest followed a violent standoff as Israeli soldiers surrounded and demolished Al-Bitar's home, after demanding he give up a man who was staying in the building and stood accused of assisting a resistance fighter. The home was demolished around Al-Bitar, and the alleged fighter he was harboring killed in the demolitions. Later reports said Al-Bitar was detained by PA intelligence officials.
Israeli military officials said Al-Bitar assisted in the planning of a 2008 attack that killed one Israeli woman, and was behind the planning of several attacks that were thwarted.
Al-Bitar and five others being detained by the PA for "security related" offenses, were released after weeks of negotiations between prison officials, the PA and Hamas. Following the release Hamas officials said they were pleased that their men were no longer being held without cause.
On Friday, hours after the shooting of Al-Qawasmi and the detention of Al-Bitar and four or five others, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the"crime reflects the danger of the political arrests carried out by the Palestinian Authority," and said he held both the PA and Israel responsible for the death. He urged the PA to stop all political arrests and to protect Palestinians.
Abbu Zuhri demanded that the Arab League release the PA of its obligation to continue talks with Israel, and stop "giving Israel cover" for its actions against the resistance.
Before the detentions and slaying of one of the Hamas member's relatives, Hamas officials said their release would "create a positive atmosphere towards Palestinian conciliation."
Speaking from Gaza, Hamas leader Ayman Taha said he hoped the release "will be just the start, and we will see the release of all of the political prisoners in PA prisons."
Taha added that Hamas considered political arrest an unacceptable, a "prohibited national crime, particularly at this stage," explaining that arrests deepen division in the Palestinian community.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=348972
4,000 attend funeral of Hebron slain
At least 4,000 gathered Friday afternoon to attend the funeral of Omar Salim Al-Qawasmi, 66, executed by Israeli forces early that morning, in what military officials later admitted was a case of mistaken identity.
Hamas and Fatah officials joined in the event, hosted following the Friday prayers at a Hebron mosque. The joint participation followed a day of accusations by party officials, with Hamas accusing the PA of being responsible for the death, and accusing the government of coordinating with Israel ahead of the incident.
Al-Qawasmi was killed during an arrest raid that saw five Hamas men, who were released by PA forces the day before, detained by Israeli forces. He was the uncle of one of the men released and re-detained.
Hamas leader Aziz Dweik, former head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, spoke at the funeral, and called the incident a "stupid mistake," and condemned the detention of the men, who had lobbied for their release with a weeks-long hunger strike.
Instead of the Hamas men, he said, "they shot an old man 13 times in the face."
Dweik said Israel's "message is clear, they want nothing for for the Palestinians," and accused the Israeli government of trying to sabotage unity efforts.
The release of six men on Thursday was done on order of President Mahmoud Abbas, after receiving requests from Hamas officials in Gaza, Damascus and a special call from a Qatari Emir asking for their freedom. Six were released, five were detained by Israel the following day. A sixth returned home to Jenin, where he remains free.
Hebron Governor Kamel Hamid, who congratulated the men on their freedom the day before, only hours after being mobbed by settlers in the Tel Rumeida area of the city, said "Israel wants to destroy Arab and Palestinian efforts for peace, it wants the settlers to run the place."
Also present at the funeral was relative of the slain man, Khaled Fahd Al-Qawasmi, who holds the Ministerial post for Local Governance, members of the PLC with both Fatah and Hamas, faction leaders and PA security heads, who had been instrumental in securing the release of the men.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349051
Islamic Jihad: Fragile WB security situation behind Hebron death
Islamic Jihad leaders said in a statement on Friday that the movement held Israel fully responsible for the death of a Hebron man executed in his bed in a case of mistaken identity as soldiers hunted five Hamas members who had been released the day before from PA prisoners.
"The resistance will respond in the correct fashion," the statement said, calling the incident a "dangerous crime that reveals the fragile state of security in the West Bank."
The movement blamed the situation on "commitments the Palestinian Authority has with the occupation, under which none of its security men dare defend the people."
The level of security coordination between the West Bank and Israel has "reached a dangerous level," the statement said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349014
"They thought it was Wael so they fired bullets immediately after entering my father's room while he was sleeping in his bed, I guess they did not make sure of his identity."
Medical sources in Hebron's Governmental Hospital said Al-Qawasmi's body was received with several gunshot wounds to his upper body, and bullet wounds that had smashed his face.
An Israeli military spokesman said he was looking into the incident.
The six men detained during the raid had been released the day before by order from President Mahmoud Abbas, following a negotiation with the prisoners and their political party.
Most of the men had not been sentenced but were being held for various crimes by the PA, all connected to their involvement with the resistance movement and their affiliation with Hamas. Police had said that they could not guarantee the safety of the men, who were reportedly wanted by Israel.
Hebron Governor Kamel Ihmeid cast the move as an effort toward inter-Palestinian unity during a news conference in Hebron, where the prisoners had been moved to be closer to their families. Until late December, the prisoners were being held in Bethlehem.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=348930
Sources: Elderly Palestinian killed in IDF raid on Hamas cell in Hebron
IDF raided Hebron to re-arrest six Hamas members originally arrested after September's drive-by shootings against settlers in area, which killed four Israelis and left two injured.
A Palestinian resident of the southern West Bank city of Hebron was killed early Friday during an Israeli army raid on the city to arrest Hamas members, security and medical sources said.
The army raided Hebron to re-arrest six Hamas members that the Palestinian Authority had released only the day before following an intervention from the emir of Qatar.
Medical sources said a 65-year-old Palestinian, who was reported to be an unarmed civilian, was brought dead to hospital with several bullet wounds to the upper part of his body. They said the man had been shot in a building the soldiers had raided to arrest one of the Hamas members.
The dead man, Amr Qawasme, was asleep when soldiers broke into his home before dawn. His wife, Sobheye, said IDF troops brushed past her into the bedroom, where she heard several shots fired. When she went in, she found her husband in a pool of blood.
"I was praying when they entered. I do not know how they opened the door. They put their hand to my mouth and a rifle to my head," she told Reuters after Qawasme's body was removed.
"I was shocked. They did not allow me to talk. I asked them, 'What did you do?' They asked me to shut up."
Reuters Television footage showed Qawasme's sodden bed and bullet casings on the floor.
The PA had taken the six into custody in September in a campaign to arrest Hamas activists after a drive-by shooting against Israeli settlers in the area. In September of 2010, four Israelis were killed and two injured in two separate shooting attacks in the West Bank.
Hamas' military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, took responsibility for both shootings, one of which occurred on the eve of the start of direct Palestinian-Israeli negotiations in Washington.
The six Hamas members, all Hebron residents, were first held in a PA prison in Bethlehem, south of Hebron, but went on hunger strike, demanding to be moved to Hebron so that their families could visit them.
The PA moved only five to Hebron after about 40 days of the hunger strike and following coordination with Israel. The sixth remained in Bethlehem.
PA officials said Thursday that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered their release after direct appeal from the emir of Qatar.
http://bit.ly/gVAus5
Initial investigation: Troops thought Palestinian made threatening gesture
Judea and Samaria Division Commander Brigadier General Nitzan Alon, expressed sadness over the death of a 65-year-old Palestinian who was killed Thursday night during the arrest of a terror suspect in Hebron.
According to the Brigadier General, an initial investigation into the incident reveals that the troops shot the Palestinian because he moved in what seemed like a threatening manner. "Out of dozens and hundreds of arrest operations we carry out, a saddening incident like this can occur," he said.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4010366,00.html
Hamas: Hebron shooting botched assassination attempt
The shooting of an elderly Palestinian man was a botched assassination attempt by Israeli forces, and represents an escalation against Palestinians by Israeli forces, a Hamas spokesman said Friday following the death.
Omer Salim Al-Qawasmi, 66, was shot in his bed several times in an incident Israeli officials said the military "regrets." He was the uncle of a man released from PA prison the day earlier.
The man, Wael Al-Bitar, was being hunted by the Israeli forces who broke into the home, and was arrested moments after Al-Qawasmi was shot.
Al-Bitar, who was detained in June 2008 by what witnesses at the time said were Israeli forces. The arrest followed a violent standoff as Israeli soldiers surrounded and demolished Al-Bitar's home, after demanding he give up a man who was staying in the building and stood accused of assisting a resistance fighter. The home was demolished around Al-Bitar, and the alleged fighter he was harboring killed in the demolitions. Later reports said Al-Bitar was detained by PA intelligence officials.
Israeli military officials said Al-Bitar assisted in the planning of a 2008 attack that killed one Israeli woman, and was behind the planning of several attacks that were thwarted.
Al-Bitar and five others being detained by the PA for "security related" offenses, were released after weeks of negotiations between prison officials, the PA and Hamas. Following the release Hamas officials said they were pleased that their men were no longer being held without cause.
On Friday, hours after the shooting of Al-Qawasmi and the detention of Al-Bitar and four or five others, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said the"crime reflects the danger of the political arrests carried out by the Palestinian Authority," and said he held both the PA and Israel responsible for the death. He urged the PA to stop all political arrests and to protect Palestinians.
Abbu Zuhri demanded that the Arab League release the PA of its obligation to continue talks with Israel, and stop "giving Israel cover" for its actions against the resistance.
Before the detentions and slaying of one of the Hamas member's relatives, Hamas officials said their release would "create a positive atmosphere towards Palestinian conciliation."
Speaking from Gaza, Hamas leader Ayman Taha said he hoped the release "will be just the start, and we will see the release of all of the political prisoners in PA prisons."
Taha added that Hamas considered political arrest an unacceptable, a "prohibited national crime, particularly at this stage," explaining that arrests deepen division in the Palestinian community.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=348972
4,000 attend funeral of Hebron slain
At least 4,000 gathered Friday afternoon to attend the funeral of Omar Salim Al-Qawasmi, 66, executed by Israeli forces early that morning, in what military officials later admitted was a case of mistaken identity.
Hamas and Fatah officials joined in the event, hosted following the Friday prayers at a Hebron mosque. The joint participation followed a day of accusations by party officials, with Hamas accusing the PA of being responsible for the death, and accusing the government of coordinating with Israel ahead of the incident.
Al-Qawasmi was killed during an arrest raid that saw five Hamas men, who were released by PA forces the day before, detained by Israeli forces. He was the uncle of one of the men released and re-detained.
Hamas leader Aziz Dweik, former head of the Palestinian Legislative Council, spoke at the funeral, and called the incident a "stupid mistake," and condemned the detention of the men, who had lobbied for their release with a weeks-long hunger strike.
Instead of the Hamas men, he said, "they shot an old man 13 times in the face."
Dweik said Israel's "message is clear, they want nothing for for the Palestinians," and accused the Israeli government of trying to sabotage unity efforts.
The release of six men on Thursday was done on order of President Mahmoud Abbas, after receiving requests from Hamas officials in Gaza, Damascus and a special call from a Qatari Emir asking for their freedom. Six were released, five were detained by Israel the following day. A sixth returned home to Jenin, where he remains free.
Hebron Governor Kamel Hamid, who congratulated the men on their freedom the day before, only hours after being mobbed by settlers in the Tel Rumeida area of the city, said "Israel wants to destroy Arab and Palestinian efforts for peace, it wants the settlers to run the place."
Also present at the funeral was relative of the slain man, Khaled Fahd Al-Qawasmi, who holds the Ministerial post for Local Governance, members of the PLC with both Fatah and Hamas, faction leaders and PA security heads, who had been instrumental in securing the release of the men.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349051
Islamic Jihad: Fragile WB security situation behind Hebron death
Islamic Jihad leaders said in a statement on Friday that the movement held Israel fully responsible for the death of a Hebron man executed in his bed in a case of mistaken identity as soldiers hunted five Hamas members who had been released the day before from PA prisoners.
"The resistance will respond in the correct fashion," the statement said, calling the incident a "dangerous crime that reveals the fragile state of security in the West Bank."
The movement blamed the situation on "commitments the Palestinian Authority has with the occupation, under which none of its security men dare defend the people."
The level of security coordination between the West Bank and Israel has "reached a dangerous level," the statement said.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=349014
Israeli soldier killed near Gaza
Israeli army confirms one soldier killed, four others wounded in a case of "friendly fire" along tense buffer zone.
An Israeli soldier has been killed and four others injured when they fired on each other in the buffer zone between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaza City, said that a so-called "friendly fire" incident had occurred.
"The soldiers fired on each other, but initial clashes began when Palestinian fighters were caught by Israeli troops planting a mine along the buffer zone, and it was thought that the soldiers were hurt in that gunfight," she said.
A preliminary investigation by the Israeli army concluded that friendly fire was responsible for the soldier's death and for the wounding of the other soldiers.
Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, also reported that the army had launched mortars at the fighters, but for some unknown reason one of the mortars strayed and struck the soldiers.
Serious incident
This was the most serious incident for the army in the Gaza area since two soldiers were killed in March 2010.
In December 2008, Israel launched its devastating "Operation Cast Lead" offensive against Gaza in response to rocket and mortar fire.
The 22-day war, which ended in a ceasefire on January 18, 2009, killed 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.
Since then, the number of attacks has dropped significantly, although 230 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel last year, according to army figures.
http://bit.ly/h0qRv8
Israeli army confirms one soldier killed, four others wounded in a case of "friendly fire" along tense buffer zone.
An Israeli soldier has been killed and four others injured when they fired on each other in the buffer zone between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera's Stefanie Dekker, reporting from Gaza City, said that a so-called "friendly fire" incident had occurred.
"The soldiers fired on each other, but initial clashes began when Palestinian fighters were caught by Israeli troops planting a mine along the buffer zone, and it was thought that the soldiers were hurt in that gunfight," she said.
A preliminary investigation by the Israeli army concluded that friendly fire was responsible for the soldier's death and for the wounding of the other soldiers.
Haaretz, an Israeli newspaper, also reported that the army had launched mortars at the fighters, but for some unknown reason one of the mortars strayed and struck the soldiers.
Serious incident
This was the most serious incident for the army in the Gaza area since two soldiers were killed in March 2010.
In December 2008, Israel launched its devastating "Operation Cast Lead" offensive against Gaza in response to rocket and mortar fire.
The 22-day war, which ended in a ceasefire on January 18, 2009, killed 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 13 Israelis, 10 of them soldiers.
Since then, the number of attacks has dropped significantly, although 230 rockets and mortar rounds were fired at Israel last year, according to army figures.
http://bit.ly/h0qRv8
