Palestinian mentally challenged man killed by army fire in Hebron

Thursday May 07, 2009 01:08 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported on Wednesday at night that Israeli soldiers shot and killed a mentally challenged young man, near the Ibrahimi Mosque.

The sources identified the slain man as Mohammad Nasseruddin, 22. He was killed near the entrance of the Ibrahimi Mosque (The Tomb of the Patriarch) in the city.

Israeli sources claimed that the man attempted to snatch the weapon of a soldier, and added that other soldiers opened fired killing him and moderately wounding one soldiers in “friendly fire:”.

The parents of Mohammad said that he suffered a mental illness and that they have official documents and medical reports confirming their claim.  

Local sources reported that the man was attempting to enter the mosque through one of the electronic security gates when the machine indicated that he carried a solid object.  

Meanwhile, the army claimed that the Palestinian was shot when he refused to heed to soldiers orders to stop.

Army spokesperson claimed that the soldiers cocked their weapons and shouted at the man to stop, and that when he failed to comply, the soldiers shot him dead, and one of the soldiers was mildly injured by friendly fire.

The Israeli police did not confirm that the man was armed, the police spokesperson in the area on stated that “he did not know yet”.

After the incident, the army closed the mosque area and the surrounding areas and initiated a search campaign.

Fighter killed in Gaza

Thursday May 07, 2009 13:23 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, stated on Thursday that one of its fighters was killed on Wednesday evening during what the brigades described as a “special mission”.

File - Image by Palestine Information Center

The Brigades identified the fighter was Tala'at Ismail Al-Afify, 23, from Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.  

It said that Al-Afify was killed “while conducting a special Jihadist mission”.

In its statement, the brigades said that Al-Afify and three other fighters were on a mission when contact was lost with them, and that the three fighters are still missing.

The Israeli army did not comment on the report.

In other news, one woman, identified as Randa Shalloufa, 35, was shot and wounded by military fire as she was working in her land near the Gaza International Airport, east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Medical sources at Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah described the injury of Shalloufa as mild.

Five Palestinians injured in two Israeli air strikes in Rafah

Thursday May 07, 2009 03:42 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Wednesday at night that five Palestinians were injured in two consecutive Israeli terrorist air strikes against the “Tunnels Area” on the border line between Rafah and the Egypt.

The sources stated that the five residents were moved to Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar Hospital, in Khan Younis, and described their injuries as mild-to-moderate.

Eyewitnesses reported that three Israeli F16 fighter jets fired several missiles into the area.

Over the last five days, the army repeated shelled border areas between Gaza and Egypt, especially in areas believed to include tunnels used for smuggling munitions and other stuffs into the besieged Gaza Strip.

Earlier on Wednesday, the army claimed that Palestinian fighters fired a mortar shell that landed on the coast of Asqalan, and that the fighters also fired more than five mortars that hit open areas in the Western Negev.

Palestinian shot dead near Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron

Date: 06 / 05 / 2009  Time:  23:58
Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a young Palestinian near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron Wednesday night.

To justify the shooting, the Israeli occupation forces spokesperson reported that the youth got close to the soldier and tried to reach for his weapon. Soldiers opened fire and killed the youth instantly.

One Israeli soldier is said to have been injured in the incident, when fire from the Israeli troops hit the soldier in the leg.

The identity of the youth is unknown.

Israeli occupation soldier killed by Israeli fire near Ramallah as troops detain six Palestinians

Date: 07 / 05 / 2009  Time:  10:16
Bethlehem - Ma’an -

A gunshot to the head killed an Israeli officer in the West Bank during what sources called a “Duchifat Reconnaissance Unit operational activity” or nightly raid of Palestinian areas.

Israeli occupation terrorist forces entered the West Bank and kidnapped five Palestinians from their homes near Ramallah, Bethlehem and Nablus; when they entered Bir Zait, a university town just north of Ramallah, the soldier was shot.

According to Israeli press, “the circumstances of the incident are being investigated,” and no Palestinian gunman was mentioned or suggested, hinting at an internal investigation into Israeli military operations.

Israeli occupation soldier killed near Ramallah

Thursday May 07, 2009 13:21 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli military sources reported on Thursday at dawn that one soldier was shot and killed during an invasion into Bir Zait city, north east of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. 

The Israeli occupation army initially stated that the circumstances of the soldier’s death remain unknown, but it is likely that he was killed by friendly fire.

The army added that a number of soldiers were attempting to break into a Palestinian home in Bir Zait, and were engaged in a scuffle with the residents.

During the scuffle, a soldier tried to flank the Palestinians but he was also confronted, according to the army, by a number of residents and a scuffle took place.

Later on, a shot was fired and the soldier was seriously injured in the head, and died on the spot, Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported.

Meanwhile, Israeli Ynet News reported that the soldier was shot by an Israeli army rifle but added that, after a short investigation “the army ruled out that the soldier was killed by friendly fire”.

Meanwhile, Israeli soldiers kidnapped overnight more than 16 Palestinians in several areas in the West Bank.

Six Palestinian university students kidnapped

Israeli occupation terrorist forces broke into the student resident buildings just off the Birzeit campus and took six students from their beds.

The young men were identified as:

Ridha Jamal Muhammed,
Ridha Riyadh Muhammed,
Ahmed Ali Hussain,
Abdul Rahman Badwan,
Bilal Sakrouri,
Muhammed Al-Dimairi

They were taken to an unknown location.

***Updated 12:50 Bethlehem time

Rafah woman injured by Israeli fire

Date: 07 / 05 / 2009  Time:  10:38
Gaza - Ma’an -

A Gazan farmer woman was injured by Israeli fire south of Rafah on Thursday, and taken to Abu Yousuf Al-Najjar hospital in for treatment.

The woman, identified as 35-year-old Randa Shaloufah, was working in her land near the Israeli-Gaza border when the Israeli terrorist soldiers fired at her.

Farmers are increasingly fearful of such attacks and many have let their land go to seed despite the Gaza Strip’s dire economic situation; many fear death over starvation.

Gaza heats up; three resistance organizations launch attacks on Israeli targets

Date: 07 / 05 / 2009  Time:  11:35
Gaza - Ma'an -

 Israeli occupation soldiers came under attack near the southern Israeli-Gaza border early Thursday, Israel Radio said.

The troops were reportedly hit with a number of mortar shells and anti-tank projectiles, though no damages or injuries were reported.

Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have launched five mortar shells at Israeli targets and sites in the western Negev Wednesday morning.

A home-made projectile was sent over the border wall in the evening, though no militant group has claimed the launch. The projectile reportedly landed outside of Ashkelon and caused no injuries.

Also Wednesday night the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, said they fired mortar rounds at an Israeli military position.

Israeli attacks also increasing

Israeli forces conducted two strikes on the Rafah-area tunnels one on 2 May which killed two Palestinians and another on Wednesday that left four injured.

A shelling in Khan Younis injured one on 4 May, and Israeli fire from border guards has injured two farmers, one on 2 May and another on Thursday morning.

***Updated 11:43 Bethlehem time