Author: contact@ifamericansknew.org

Mo’taz Shamsa

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May 18, 2017: Mo’taz Hussein Bani Shamsa, 23, was killed by a live round fired by an Israeli settler in Huwwara Palestinian town, south of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, during a procession in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners holding hunger strike since April 17th.

The settler also shot a Palestinian cameraman, identified as Majdi Eshteyya, causing moderate wounds, and mildly injured three Palestinians after ramming them with his car.

The death of the Palestinian led to clashes between dozens of local youth and Israeli soldiers, who also closed Huwwara road.

Israeli soldiers fired gas bombs, causing many Palestinians to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, two of them, including a man, 49, were hospitalized.

Some Israeli media agencies claimed that the settler “survived a lynching,” and quoted him alleging he opened fire on the protesters, after “he felt that his life was in danger,” also quoting his wife alleging he “was forced to shoot.”

In a Press Release, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights denounced the killing of the Palestinian civilian, and said that its investigations revealed that the settler passed several cars with high speed and attempted to run over some protesters.

It added that a Palestinian ambulance driver then stopped the settler, who instantly took his gun out and started shooting at the protesters, hitting Mo’taz in the head.

The settler is from the illegal Jewish-only Itamar settlement, built on confiscated Palestinian land southeast of Nablus. The Israeli Police said he was taken in for questioning, and confirmed that he is not a “criminal suspect.” Mo’taz was from Beita town, east of Nablus.  Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Bakr

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May 15, 2017: Mohammad Majed Bakr, 25, was killed by Israeli navy fire after the navy opened fire on Palestinian fishing boats close to the Gaza shore, shooting him and abducting three other fishermen, and confiscating their boats.

Mohammad was a married father of two children. He was seriously injured, and was later moved to Barzelai Israeli Medical Center, where he died from his wounds.

His corpse was later transferred back to the besieged Gaza Strip, where hundreds of Palestinians marched in his funeral ceremony and burial.

After the navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats near the Sudaniyya Sea shoe in Gaza, the navy arrested Mohammad, who was injured by live fire in the abdomen, along with Mohammad Abu Warda, 27, and his brothers Yousef, 22, and Hussein, 14.

During the navy attack, at least 60 fishing nets were destroyed; one fishing boat was confiscated, while four other fishermen were abducted in an earlier attack.

The Palestinian Center for Human Right (PCHR) said that Israeli gunboats opened fire at a fishing boat manned by four fishermen, wounding Mohammed with a bullet to the abdomen.

On Sunday May 14, Israeli gunboats stationed off al-Wahah shore, west of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, chased a fishing boat belonging to ‘Ashour Shamalakh, who was sailing within the Israeli-created limit of 3 nautical miles, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said.

One of the Israeli gunboats then surrounded the fishing boat, which was manned by three fishermen, and the Israeli soldiers ordered the fishermen to stop fishing and arrested them. Those arrested fishermen were identified as Mohammed Sa’id Bakr, 17, Mohammed Tariq Baker, 22, and ‘Abdullah Sabri Baker, 19.

PCHR also stated that approximately 23:45 on the same day, Israeli gunboats stationed off the shore, northwest of al-Wahah, west of Beit Lahia, opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats.

The gunboats then surrounded a fishing boat belonging to Amin Abu Warda, 49, sailing within 2 nautical miles, and manned by his three sons, Yousif, 27, Mohammed, 24, and Hussein, 13. All of them are from Jabalia.

The Israeli naval soldiers forced them to take off their clothes, jumped into the eater and swim towards the Israeli gunboat; the fishermen were then arrested while the boat was confiscated. Mohammad was from Gaza. Source: IMEMC

Saba’ Obeid

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May 12, 2017: Saba’ Nidal Obeid, 22, was killed by an Israeli army sharpshooter who shot him in the heart during a nonviolent procession held in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in the West Bank.

The soldiers invaded the village during its weekly nonviolent procession against the Israeli Annexation Wall and illegal Jewish-only settlements. The village residents were also marching in solidarity with the hundreds of Palestinians detainees holding hunger strike in Israeli prisons.

Palestinian physicians and surgeons tried to revive the young man, and instantly moved him to surgery, but he died from his wounds due to the bullet that struck him directly in his heart.

Many Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets, and dozens suffered the severe effects if teargas inhalation, as a result of the excessive Israeli military use of force against the protesters.

The soldiers also prevented journalists from entering the village, and declared it a “closed military zone,” a measure frequently used by the army to seal and isolate entire Palestinian communities. Nidal was from Salfit, in central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Fatima Hajiji

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May 7, 2017: Fatima Afeef Abdul-Rahman Hajiji, 16, was killed by Israeli soldiers and police officers near the entrance of Damascus Gate in Jerusalem after the police claimed she attempted to stab a security officer.

Eyewitnesses said Fatima was standing at least ten meters away from the nearest soldier or officer, and that one of the soldiers started shouting “knife, knife,” before five soldiers fired a barrage of bullets at the her.

Fatima was first shot with several live rounds in the chest, and the soldiers continued to fire at her after she fell onto the ground. Many live rounds also struck a Palestinian Taxi, parked nearby, causing damage and puncturing one of its tires.

Photos of the deceased show that she was shot and killed at quite a distance from the guard post, so even if she had been holding a knife (which is disputed), no security officers were in danger at the time when she was killed.

Following the fatal shooting of the child, the soldiers used pepper-spray against dozens of Palestinians who gathered in the area, especially close to Fatima.

The soldiers also assaulted many Palestinians, including children, in Sultan Suleiman Street, causing a child, identified as Mahmoud Abu Sbeih, 9, to fall from a high altitude after mounted officer chased him and many other Palestinians.

Hundreds of soldiers and mounted police officers were deployed in the area, closed many roads and alleys, and forced the Palestinians away.

Fatima was from Qarawat Bani Zeid village near Ramallah, in the central part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Qweider

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April 25, 2017: Mohammad Mahmoud Qweider, 10, was killed by Israeli explosives dropped by Israeli soldiers who earlier conducted live-fire training in Zarnouk village, in the Negev. His cousin, Omar, 8, was also killed in the same incident.

Mahmoud Abu Qwaider, the father of Mohammad, said the children found the object while playing near their homes, in the same area where the Israeli army constantly conducts live fire training, including the use of explosives, and that the soldiers are frequently seen running and training between the houses and dwellings.

After the explosion, Israeli medics, soldiers and sappers arrived at the scene, and took the children to a hospital, but they were both already dead.

Some Israeli reports claimed that the incident was just an accident that took place “when a power generator exploded near the children.”

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the children “were apparently playing with an ordnance when it exploded,” and claimed that the police were “investigating the incident.”

The incident is one of dozens of similar events that led to many casualties, including fatalities, not only in the Negev, but also in Bedouin communities, especially in the Jordan Valley and the Northern Plains of the West Bank.

On Sunday, April 30, 2017, Israeli soldiers and police officers invaded Zarnouk village, and delivered demolition orders targeting two homes.

The village’s Local Council issued a statement denouncing the demolition orders, especially since they came not long after the two children were killed by Israel’s own explosives, directly resulting from using civilian areas as training grounds for the military.

Mohammad was from Zarnouk village in the Negev. Source: IMEMC

Omar Qweider

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April 25, 2017: Omar Ismael Qweider, 8, was killed by explosives dropped by Israeli soldiers who earlier conducted live-fire training in Zarnouk village in the Negev. His cousin, Mohammad, 10, was also killed in the same incident.

Mahmoud Abu Qwaider, the father of Mohammad, said the children found the object while playing near their homes, in the same area where the Israeli army constantly conducts live fire training, including the use of explosives, and that the soldiers are frequently seen running and training between the houses and dwellings.

After the explosion, Israeli medics, soldiers and sappers arrived at the scene, and took the children to a hospital, but they were both already dead.

Some Israeli reports claimed that the incident was just an accident that took place “when a power generator exploded near the children.”

Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said the children “were apparently playing with an ordnance when it exploded,” and claimed that the police were investigating the incident.

The incident is one of dozens of similar events that led to many casualties, including fatalities, not only in the Negev, but also in Bedouin communities, especially in the Jordan Valley and the Northern Plains of the West Bank.

On Sunday, April 30, 2017, Israeli soldiers and police officers invaded Zarnouk village, and delivered demolition orders targeting two homes.

The village’s Local Council issued a statement denouncing the demolition orders, especially since they came not long after the two children were killed by Israel’s own explosives, directly resulting from using civilian areas as training grounds for the military.

Omar was from Zarnouk village in the Negev. Source: IMEMC

Soheib Mashahra

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April 19, 2017: Soheib Mousa Mashahra, 21, was killed by Israeli army fire after his car crashed into the rear of an Israeli bus near Etzion junction, south of Bethlehem in the West Bank.

The Israeli army claims the young man carried out a “deliberate ramming attack.”

The soldiers fatally shot the young Palestinian man while he was still behind the driver’s wheel, after claiming “they were certain the incident was a deliberate attack,” and that the soldiers later “found a knife inside the car.”

Photographs and videos from the scene, and the fact that his car crashed into the rear of the bus, indicate a normal traffic accident.

Israeli daily Haaretz said an Israeli man, 60, suffered a mild-to-moderate head wound, and was moved to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Soheib was from Sawahra town near Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Jassem Nakhla

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April 10, 2017: Jassem Nakhla, 17, died from serious wounds he suffered on March 23, 2017, after Israeli soldiers opened fire on a Palestinian car near the al-Jalazoun refugee camp north of Ramallah in the West Bank.

His friend, Mohammad Hattab, 17, was instantly killed during the attack, and Jassem had been clinically dead since his injury and was on life support. Their two other friends remain in comas after being shot in the upper body.

The Israeli army claimed its soldiers who were stationed on a fortified military tower had opened fire at the car after its passengers “hurled Molotov cocktails at the tower.”

A witness told Defence for Children International (DCI) that the soldiers opened fire on the car after it stalled near the settlement of Beit El, and added that the 17-year-old driver was shot at after he stepped out of the vehicle. He reentered the car and tried to start it, but it didn’t start, and the soldiers approached the car and opened fire on the four children, according to the witness.

Palestinian government spokesperson Tareq Rishmawi called on the international community to intervene and provide protection to Palestinian people living under the ongoing Israeli occupation, and added that the soldiers have killed six Palestinian children since the beginning of this year. Jassem was from the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC

Elichai Taharlev

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April 6, 2017: Elichai Taharlev, 20, was killed by a Palestinian driver who crashed into a group of soldiers at the junction of Ofra Israeli settlement, east of Ramallah in the West Bank. One other soldier, 19, was mildly injured in the incident.

The Israeli army claimed that the driver, Malek Ahmad Hamed, 23, from Silwad town east of Ramallah, deliberately rammed the two soldiers with his car.

Malek was immediately detained at the scene and taken to an Israeli military interrogation facility. Shortly after the incident, Israeli settlers from Ofra blocked the road, and prevented the Palestinian residents from nearby villages from using the road.

Several hours after this incident, the Israeli army invaded Malek’s family home and detained his father, Malek, 51, and his brother Mousa, 17, while the army’s engineering corps took measurements of the house in preparation for demolishing it at a later date.

Ma’an News reported that Malek’s two best friends, Anas Hammad and Mohammad Ayyad, were killed by Israeli forces two weeks apart in December of 2015.

Elichai, a sergeant with the Israeli army, was from Jerusalem. Sources: IMEMC, Ma’an News

Ahmad Ghazal

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April 1, 2017: Ahmad Zaher Fathi Ghazal, 17, was shot and killed by Israeli police officers near Al-Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem after he stabbed and mildly injured two Israeli settlers and moderately wounded a police officer who was chasing him. He ran to to hide in a residential building before being shot. An eyewitness said, “They could have detained him — he was surrounded by a large number of soldiers. But they executed him.” The Israeli army and police closed Bab al-‘Amoud, leading to the Sahera Gate and the al-Waad Street in Jerusalem, called for reinforcement, and imposed a tight siege in the area, preventing Palestinians and journalists from entering. Clashes later took place in the area and Israeli soldiers detained 20 Palestinians, including 17 merchants, and forced all Palestinian stores to close. Ahmad was from Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC