April 25, 2018: Ahmad Mohammad Abu Hussein, 25, a journalist, died of wounds sustained on April 13th when he was shot in the abdomen by an Israeli military sniper while covering a protest in the eastern part of the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that Ahmad was shot and seriously injured by Israeli army fire on April 13, with an expanding bullet in the abdomen, and was rushed to the Indonesian Hospital, in Beit Lahia, in northern Gaza.
On the same day, the soldiers also shot another journalist, identified as Mohammad al-Hajjar, with a live round.
Abu Hussein was transferred to Ramallah General Hospital, in central West Bank, on April 16, where he arrived in a coma after repeated delays of his transfer by Israeli authorities and the denial of treatment by Israeli hospitals.
The head of the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate, Nassar Abu Bakr, criticized the delay in the transfer of the patient, telling reporters from the Ma’an News Agency, “The Israeli authorities committed two crimes against Abu Hussein, one when injuring him with an explosive bullet in the head and another when delaying his transfer from Gaza hospitals to Ramallah, as if the occupation insists on killing him.”
Abu Bakr said that specialized Israeli hospitals were better equipped to treat the severely wounded journalist, but none would accept to have him transferred. So he was sent to Ramallah General Hospital in the West Bank. He added that only through ‘strenuous efforts’ by a number of Palestinian officials was this transfer made possible.
Dozens of journalists gathered in front of Ramallah General Hospital in solidarity with their wounded colleague, when he arrived at the hospital on April 16th.
After repeated protests by Palestinian journalists and officials, Ahmad was moved to Tel HaShomer Israeli Hospital, on April 19, where he succumbed to his serious wounds on April 24.
Ahmad was shot with an exploding bullet, a banned type of live fire that explodes on impact, causing severe internal injuries.
At least ten Palestinian journalists have been among those targeted by Israeli forces in their attacks on non-violent protests in Gaza since March 30. On April 6th alone, six journalists were shot, and one was killed – 30-year-old Yasser Murtaja, who was wearing a clearly labeled PRESS flak jacket.
Yasser Murtaja was also shot with a live round in the abdomen, below his ‘PRESS’ jacket, in the same area where Ahmad was shot.
It is worth mentioning that the slain journalist worked for the People’s Voice Radio (Sha’ab Radio), in Gaza.
The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate issued a statement strongly condemning the ongoing Israeli violations against the journalists in Palestine, and urging all international, legal and human rights organizations to perform their duties and provide the needed protection to the Palestinian people.
Ahmad was from Jabalia refugee camp in northern Gaza. Source: IMEMC