February 4, 2019: Abdullah Faisal Omar Tawalba, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers while riding a motorcycle near the entrance of the al-Jalama village, northeast of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The army claimed that Abdullah and his friend were riding a motor cycle and “hurled an explosive at the soldiers,” but the army did not report any injuries.
Mahmoud Sa’adi, the director of the Emergency Department of the Palestinian Red Crescent in Jenin, said the slain Palestinian has been identified as Abdullah Faisal Omar Tawalba, 19, from the al-Jalama village, and added that Omar Ahmad Hanana, 15, was injured but is in stable condition.
Palestinian medical sources said the medics moved the slain Palestinian, and the wounded teen, to Jenin Governmental Hospital.
They added that Tawalba was shot with several live rounds in the head and legs.
Eyewitnesses said the two were riding a motorcycle near the village, when the soldiers opened fire at them, and denied the Israeli military allegation, stating that the army will say anything to justify murdering Palestinians.
They added that the two Palestinians were riding their motorcycle back home, in al-Jalama and ‘Arrana villages near Jenin, while returning from work.
The Israeli army did not report any injuries among the soldiers, and only issued a brief statement regarding the incident, alleging that the two Palestinians “arrived at the checkpoint riding a motorcycle, and hurled an explosive at the soldiers, causing no injuries.”
It is worth mentioning that the army usually holds the corpses of slain Palestinians suspected of attacking soldiers or colonialist settlers but did not hold Tawalba’s body, and local medics moved his corpse to Jenin Governmental Hospital.
Jenin Governor Akram Rajoub said the Israeli army “seems to have ready justifications for murdering Palestinians, in order to pass these crimes as acts of self-defense by the soldiers,” and added that “these lies, and fabrications are encouraged by the political leaders in Israel.”
Osama al-Qawasmi, a member of the Revolutionary Council of Fateh Movement and its spokesperson in Jenin, called on media outlets not to be mislead by statements made by the Israeli army and media outlets that have the only aim of justifying crimes committed by the soldiers against unarmed Palestinian civilians.
“It seems that every time Israel approaches election, the crimes against the Palestinians, their homes and lands increase,” he added.
On Sunday, a Palestinian man, identified as Ahmad Ghazi Abu Jabal, 30, died of critical wounds he sustained last week, after being shot by Israeli forces offshore the town of Beit Lahia, north of Gaza.
Abu Jabal, from the Sheja’eyya neighborhood east of Gaza city, was shot and seriously injured, on January 29 2019, during a naval procession along Beit Lahia Sea and shore, in northern Gaza.
Abdullah was from al-Jalama village, northeast of Jenin in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC