contact@ifamericansknew.org, Author at Israel-Palestine Timeline

Ahmad Abu Armana

October 30, 2017November 6, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

October 30^th, 2017: Ahmad Khalil Abu Armana, 25, was killed in the Israeli bombardment of a border tunnel in Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. He was one of seven killed in the tunnel bombardment, while 12 more were injured, including three who suffered life-threatening wounds.

Two hours after Armana was killed, his pregnant wife was taken to the same hospital as her husband’s corpse, as the news of her husband’s death caused her to go into a premature labor.

The Israeli army fired at least five missiles into the tunnel, which was still under construction in the area near Kissufim military base, across the border fence.

The tunnel was run by Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad. Five of those killed were members of the Al-Quds Brigades, while two were members of the Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, who entered the tunnel after the bombing to assist with the search and rescue operations.

The Israeli army said it carried out what it called “a scheduled detonation of a new tunnel, which was under construction near the border fence.” The bombing was instantly followed by heavy deployment of armored vehicles and fighter jets, in the area, especially east of Khan Younis.

A number of Palestinian armed resistance groups responded to the bombardment by issuing calls for retaliation against Israel, and criticizing Israel for what they claimed was an unnecessary escalation.

Ahmad, an Al-Quds Brigades fighter, was from the Central District of Gaza. Source: IMEMC

Reuven Shmerling

October 4, 2017November 17, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

October 4th, 2017: Reuven Shmerling, 70, was stabbed to death in a coal warehouse he owned, in the Kafr Qasem Industrial Zone. Two Palestinians who were his employees were later convicted of the attack.

Reuven was from the Israeli settlement of Elkana, a colony of around 700 people located on illegally-seized Palestinian land in the West Bank.

He was attacked by the two employees, who told prosecutors in the trial that they had been repeatedly insulted by Shmerling, and decided to attack him.

There was no indication that their murder of their employer was politically motivated, although the Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet said they had evidence that it was politically motivated. That evidence was never presented in the trial.

Reuven was from Elkana settlement.

Or Arish

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

September 26, 2017: Or Arish, 25, was killed by a Palestinian man who opened fire at soldiers and security officers in Har Hadar Israeli settlement, northwest of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian man, identified as Nimir Mahmoud Jamal, 37, from Beit Surik village, northwest of Jerusalem, was killed by Israeli fire, after he killed Or along with Solomon Gabrieh, 20, a First Sgt. with the border police, and security officer, Youssef Othman, 20. Or was also a security officer.

The Israeli army stated that its initial investigation revealed that the Palestinian arrived at the rear entrance of the settlement, along with a group of Palestinian workers, before he carried out the attack.

It added that the Border Guards ordered the Palestinian to stop after suspecting him, but he pulled out a concealed gun and opened fire, killing the three officers and wounding the security coordinator of Har Hadar settlement, who suffered a serious injury, and a 32-year-old man who was seriously injured, but the doctors at Hadassah Israeli Medical Center in Jerusalem said his wounds were not live threatening.

Israeli soldiers and Border Police forces encircled the Beit Surik and nearby areas, in the aftermath of the shooting, and enforced a curfew in Beit Surik. Or was from Har Adar. Source: IMEMC

Solomon Gabrieh

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

September 26, 2017: Solomon Gabrieh, 20, was killed by a Palestinian man who opened fire at soldiers and security officers in Har Hadar Israeli settlement, northwest of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian man, identified as Nimir Mahmoud Jamal, 37, from Beit Surik village, northwest of Jerusalem, was killed by Israeli fire, after he killed Salomon, along with security guards Youssef Othman a Palestinian from Abu Ghosh, west of Jerusalem, and Or Arish, 25, from Har Adar.

The Israeli army said that its initial investigation revealed that the Palestinian arrived at the rear entrance of the settlement, along with a group of Palestinian workers, before he carried out the attack.

The army added that the Border Guards ordered the Palestinian to stop after suspecting him, and that he then pulled out a concealed gun and opened fire, killing the three officers and wounding two Israelis, including the security coordinator of Har Hadar settlement, who suffered serious injuries.

The other wounded Israeli, a 32-year-old man was seriously injured, but the doctors at Hadassah Israeli Medical Center in Jerusalem said his wounds were not live threatening.

Israeli soldiers and Border Police forces encircled the Beit Surik and nearby areas, in the aftermath of the shooting and enforced a curfew in Beit Surik.

Solomon, a First Sgt. with the border police, was from Be’er Yaakov town, in central Israel. Source: IMEMC

Youssef Othman

September 26, 2017September 26, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

September 26, 2017: Youssef Othman, 20, was killed by a Palestinian man who opened fire at soldiers and security officers in Har Hadar Israeli settlement, northwest of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian man, identified as Nimir Mahmoud Jamal, 37, from Beit Surik village, northwest of Jerusalem, was killed by Israeli fire, after he killed Solomon Gabrieh, 20, a First Sgt. with the border police, along with security officer, Or Arish, 25. Youssef was also a security officer.

Israeli soldiers and Border Police forces encircled the Beit Surik and nearby areas, in the aftermath of the shooting, and enforced a curfew in Beit Surik. Youssef was from Abu Ghosh village, west of Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Nimir Jamal

September 26, 2017September 27, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

September 26, 2017: Nimir Mahmoud Jamal, 37, was killed by Israeli soldiers and officers after he opened fire on them in Har Hadar Israeli settlement, northwest of Jerusalem, killing three, and wounding two Israelis.

It added that the Border Guards ordered the Palestinian to stop after suspecting him, before he reportedly pulled out a concealed gun and opened fire, killing a border police officer and two security guards, and seriously wounding the security coordinator of Har Adar.

The officers were later identified as Staff Sergeant Solomon Gabrieh, 20, from Be’er Yaakov town, along with security officers Youssef Othman, a Palestinian from Abu Ghosh, west of Jerusalem, and Or Arish, 25, from Har Adar.

Another Israeli, a 32-year-old man was seriously injured, but the doctors at Hadassah Israeli Medical Center in Jerusalem said his wounds were not life threatening.

Following the shooting, the soldiers surrounded Nimir’s hometown, Beit Surik, and imposed curfew, after forcing shut all stores and facilities, including a medical center run by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).

The army also isolated Beit Iksa nearby village, prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it, and enforced a curfew on Beit Iksa.

Nimir was from Beit Surik village, northwest of Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Raed al-Salhi

September 3, 2017September 4, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

September 2, 2017: Raed al-Salhi, 21, died of serious wounds sustained three weeks earlier in an Israeli military raid of Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem.

Al-Salhi had been shot multiple times in the chest and abdomen on August 9th, puncturing his liver and landing him in critical condition at the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem, where he died of his injuries on September 2^nd, three weeks after being shot.

While he was being treated at the hospital, he was denied any visits by his family, and was heavily guarded by Israeli soldiers who considered him a prisoner. He remained unconscious the entire time, until his death.

According to his brother Khaled, their mother had tried several times to visit him but was prevented. She suffers from several health issues, and was unable to sleep during the past three weeks after her child was shot.

In addition to keeping the unconscious youth under heavy guard, the Israeli military also arrested his brother and kept him for interrogation. Neither Raed nor his brother were ever charged with any crime.

The Israeli military stated that they entered the camp on August 9^th to detain al-Salhi and another young men, but when the two young men ran away, the soldiers pursued them, and fired live ammunition at the two unarmed youth.

The Head of the Palestinian Prisoners Committee, Issa Qaraqe’, told reporters from the Ma’an News Agency that the Committee holds Israel responsible for the 21-year old’s death, and condemned the use of live ammunition by Israel in its invasion of the refugee camp.

Qaraqe added that Salhi was left bleeding for more than 90 minutes, after the soldiers prevented local medics from approaching him.

Dr. Ra’fat Hamdouna, the head of the Prisoners’ Center for Studies, stated that the death of the wounded Palestinian should raise an international outcry, and bring attention to the issue of extrajudicial executions and medical neglect of dozens of Palestinian detainees. Dr. Hamdouna added that the soldiers shot Raed from very close range, with the intent to kill him.

Raed al-Salhi was a member of the leftist political party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). The party said that al-Salhi was involved in a number of volunteer activities in the camp to provide health and social activities for the residents. Source: IMEMC

Aseel Abu ‘Oun

August 26, 2017October 2, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

August 26, 2017: Aseel Tareq Abu ‘Oun, 8, was killed after being struck by an Israeli settler’s car in the Nablus district of the northern West Bank.

Palestinian medical sources said that the girl was run over near Furush Beit Dajan village, in the Nablus district.

The child’s uncle Dirar Abu ‘Oun, said the settler was driving on street more than 10 meters wide, while the child was walking along with her brother on the sidewalk.

“How can the Israeli driver accidentally ram her with his car on a very wide road, and she was on the sidewalk, designated for pedestrians” he stated, “The settler also tried to flee the scene when the child’s father, who was in a nearby agricultural land, rushed to her rescue, and prevented him from fleeing.”

Israel’s Magen David Adom national emergency service, accompanied by several army vehicles, arrived at the scene and evacuated the girl to the hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Her corpse was later handed to her family before hundreds of Palestinians participated in her funeral ceremony, during evening hours of the same day.

The funeral procession took off from Rafidia Hospital, in Nablus, heading towards Jaba’ town, southwest of Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank. Aseel was from Jaba’ town, south of Jenin. Source: IMEMC

Qoteiba Zahran

August 19, 2017August 22, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

August 19, 2017: Qoteiba Yousef Zahran, 17, was killed by Israeli soldiers at the Za’tara military roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The Israeli army claimed the boy attempted to carry out a stabbing attack against the soldiers stationed at the checkpoint, and published a picture of a dull kitchen knife lying on the ground.

A soldier was injured in the incident, but it was from the flurry of bullets fired by the Israeli guards toward the 17-year old, not from the boy himself.

The soldier, who was mildly wounded, was treated immediately by medics from the Magen David Adom medical service.

Zahran reportedly approached the checkpoint carrying a bag, and the border guard stationed there attempted to arrest him.

The army claims that the boy then pulled out a knife and tried to attack them, but they fired a barrage of bullets, critically wounding Zahran, then leaving him to bleed to death.

Following the killing of Zahran, Israeli forces closed the Za’tara checkpoint for most of the day, preventing Palestinians from crossing in either direction.

The soldiers later invaded Qoteiba’s village and homes, arrested his brother Tareq, and took him to an interrogation center. Qoteiba was from Illar village, in Tulkarem. Source: IMEMC

Mahdi al-Saadi

July 29, 2017September 3, 2017 contact@ifamericansknew.org

July 29, 2017: Mahdi Jamal al-Saadi, 22, was shot and killed by Israeli police near the Jaffa port. Another young man was moderately wounded by police gunfire as well.

The Israeli police claimed that the two tried to shoot at police from a motorcycle, but their families denied those claims. No police were injured.

The Jerusalem Post reported that Mahdi was shot six times in the upper body and neck. His neighbor Avi Ohaion, told the Post, “They didn’t have to kill him. He [Saadi] came to my clothing store just two days before the shooting. I knew him and his father. They are good people.”

The police also removed surveillance footage from businesses near where the shooting occurred.

Following the killing, the Israeli police held the body of al-Saadi in custody, preventing the family from holding the funeral (Islamic custom requires a funeral to be held as quickly as possible after a death).

Hundreds of people gathered at the family home of al-Saadi, then marched to the Abu Kabir Detention Facility, where his body was held for a number of hours, until successful negotiations between the family of al-Saadi and Israeli authorities.

At the same time, dozens of heavily-armored Israeli police lined up outside the detention facility where the protesters were gathered. Clashes broke out between Israeli police and Palestinian protesters, in which the Israeli police fired tear gas and concussion grenades at the crowd.

Four were arrested during the protest, including a leader with the Islamic Organization in Jaffa, Abdel-Qader Abu Shehada, and took them to the police station ‘Yftah’ in the city, where Abu Shehada was arrested from the center of ‘Yvit’, following the clashes that erupted between Police and youths angry at Saadi’s death.

Al-Saadi was the third Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in 24 hours. On Friday, a 24 year old man was killed at a military base south of Bethlehem, and a 16-year old boy was killed at a protest in Gaza. Source: IMEMC