2018-P Archives - Israel-Palestine Timeline

Karam Mohammad Fayyad

December 28, 2018December 28, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 28, 2018: Karam Mohammad No’man Fayyad, 26, a disabled Palestinian man, was shot in the head and killed by Israeli forces at the Great March of Return east of Khan Younis in Gaza. In addition to Karam, Israeli soldiers shot and injured at least eight other protesters with live ammunition, including a medic and a photojournalist, during the Great March Of Return processions in the besieged Gaza Strip. The Health Ministry said two of the wounded suffered life-threatening injuries.

Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, said the soldiers fired dozens of live rounds, high-velocity gas bombs and concussion grenades at the marchers, killing Karam, and wounding eight others.

Among the eight Palestinians shot with live ammunition were a child who was shot in the neck, a journalist and a female medic. They were all shot along the perimeter fence areas, in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, as the Great Return March processions continued for the fortieth consecutive week.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said the soldiers fired a barrage of live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, in addition to high-velocity gas bombs and concussion grenades, especially east of Gaza city, al-Boreij refugee camp, Khan Younis and Rafah.

It is worth mentioning that, since the Great Return March procession started in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has killed at least 190 Palestinians, and injured more than 25,000 others.

No Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian demonstrators participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ that has taken place each Friday since March 30th, 2018.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordinator of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a total of 295 Palestinians were killed and over 29,000 were injured in 2018 by Israeli forces.

This is the highest death toll in a single year since the Gaza conflict of 2014 and the highest number of injuries recorded since OCHA began documenting casualties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2005.

About 61 per cent of the fatalities (180 people) and 79 per cent of the injuries (over 23,000) were in the context of Gaza’s ‘Great March of Return’ demonstrations by the fence. Across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, 57 of the Palestinian fatalities and about 7,000 of the injuries were under 18 years of age. 28 of the 295 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in 2018 were members of armed groups in Gaza and another 15 were perpetrators or alleged perpetrators of attacks against Israelis in the West Bank. The other 252 were civilians.

A total of 14 Israelis were killed during the year by Palestinians and at least 137 others were injured. While the number of fatalities is nearly the same as in 2017 (15 people), the proportion of civilians among these fatalities (50 per cent) increased compared to the previous year (27 per cent).

Karam was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.

Ayman Monir Shbair

December 22, 2018December 22, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 22, 2018: Ayman Monir Mohammad Shbair, 18, died from serious wounds he suffered a day earlier, after Israeli soldiers shot him in the abdomen during the Great Return March procession, east of the al-Boreij refugee camp, in central Gaza.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said Ayman received the urgently needed treatment by field medics, and was rushed to a local hospital in a very serious condition.

He underwent a surgery and remained in the intensive care unit until he succumbed to his wounds, Saturday.

On the day of his serious injury, the soldiers killed three Palestinians, including one child and a man with a mobility impairment, and injured 115 others, including four medics and two journalists.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) said the soldiers also injured 115 civilians, including 21children, 2 women, 2 Journalists and 3 Paramedics.

The slain Palestinians have been identified as Maher Atiya Yassin, 40, Abdul-Aziz Ibrahim Abu Sharia, 28, and Mohammad Mo’in al-Jahjouh, 16.

Ayman was from Deir al-Balah in central Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Abdul-Aziz Abu Sharia

December 21, 2018January 14, 2019 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 21, 2018: Abdul-Aziz Ibrahim Abu Sharia, 28 was shot by Israeli soldiers with a live round in the abdomen, east of Gaza city.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians, including a child, and a man with a mobility impairment.

In addition to Abdul-Aziz, the soldiers shot and killed Mohammad Muin al-Jahjouh, 16, from Gaza City.

Also, Maher Atiya Yassin, 40, was shot and killed by an Israeli army sharpshooter with a live round while participating in a non-violent protest at the border fence east of Gaza City.

It is worth mentioning that Yassin suffered from a physical disability, and was killed east of the nearby al-Boreij refugee camp.

In addition, the troops wounded 115 civilians, including 21 children, 2 women, two journalists and four medics, during the Great Return March processions in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip.

The soldiers, stationed on sand hills and fortified military towers across the perimeter fence attacked the protesters with dozens of live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, high-velocity gas bombs and concussion grenades, especially on lands east of Gaza city, and east of the al-Boreij refugee camp, east of Jabalia in northern Gaza, in addition to Khan Younis and Rafah, in the southern part of the coastal region.

Hundreds of Palestinians gathered Friday afternoon in several sites along the Gaza-Israel border to protest the ongoing, devastating Israeli siege and border closure of the Gaza Strip. In addition to Mohammad being shot dead by Israeli bullets, 40 others were wounded by live bullets fired by Israeli soldiers into the unarmed crowd.

Among those injured were at least one paramedic and one journalist. In addition to live ammunition, Israeli forces fired tear gas, causing many of the demonstrators to suffer from tear gas inhalation.

One of the participants in the march was Santa Claus, who carried a Palestinian flag and handed out roses to participants.

Live ammunition was used by Israeli forces in at least two of the ‘Great Return March’ sites: Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, and east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

Despite the fact that the Israeli military was dozens of meters away from the protesters, with an electrified fence along the border separating the soldiers from the demonstrators, the Israeli army again, as they have each week for months, decided to fire live ammunition into the crowd.

This use of live ammunition against unarmed demonstrators has resulted in more than 250 Palestinian demonstrators being killed in weekly protests that began March 30^th, 2018. Such use of deadly force is a direct violation of international law and human rights conventions, but to date, no charges have been brought against the Israeli authorities by the International Court of Justice for their flagrant violation of international law.

No Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian demonstrators participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ that has taken place each Friday since March 30^th.

The protests began on Palestinian Land Day, and have continued weekly since March 30^th, 2018 – the objective is to demand a return of Palestinian refugees to their land, which was illegally seized by the Israeli government through military force.

They are also demanding that Israel end its siege on Gaza’s air, land and sea, and to open the borders of Gaza that have been sealed since 2007.

Abdul-Aziz was from the Sabra Neighborhood in Gaza city, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Maher Atiya Yassin

December 21, 2018January 14, 2019 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 21, 2018: Maher Atiya Yassin, 40, was shot and killed by an Israeli army sharpshooter with a live round while participating in a non-violent protest at the border fence east of Gaza City.

It is worth mentioning that Yassin suffered from a physical disability, and was killed east of the nearby al-Boreij refugee camp.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians, including a child, and a man with a mobility impairment.

In addition to Maher, the soldiers shot and killed Mohammad Muin al-Jahjouh, 16, from Gaza City.

The soldiers also killed Abdul-Aziz Ibrahim Abu Sharia, 28, from the Sabra Neighborhood in Gaza city, after shooting him with a live round in the abdomen, east of Gaza city.

In addition, the troops wounded 115 civilians, including 21 children, 2 women, two journalists and four medics, during the Great Return March processions in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip.

One of the participants in the march was Santa Claus, who carried a Palestinian flag and handed out roses to participants.

Live ammunition was used by Israeli forces in at least two of the ‘Great Return March’ sites: Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, and east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

No Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian demonstrators participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ that has taken place each Friday since March 30^th.

They are also demanding that Israel end its siege on Gaza’s air, land and sea, and to open the borders of Gaza that have been sealed since 2007.

Maher was from Gaza City, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Muin al-Jahjouh

December 21, 2018December 22, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 21, 2018: Mohammad Muin al-Jahjouh,16, was shot and killed by an Israeli army sharpshooter with a live round in the neck while participating in a non-violent protest at the border fence east of Gaza City.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza has confirmed that Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians, including a child, and a man with a mobility impairment.

In addition to Mohammad, the soldiers shot and killed Maher Atiya Yassin, 40, from the Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.

It is worth mentioning that Yassin suffered from a physical disability, and was killed east of the nearby al-Boreij refugee camp.

The soldiers also killed Abdul-Aziz Ibrahim Abu Sharia, 28, from the Sabra Neighborhood in Gaza city, after shooting him with a live round in the abdomen, east of Gaza city.

In addition, the troops wounded 115 civilians, including 21 children, 2 women, two journalists and four medics, during the Great Return March processions in the besieged and impoverished Gaza Strip.

One of the participants in the march was Santa Claus, who carried a Palestinian flag and handed out roses to participants.

Live ammunition was used by Israeli forces in at least two of the ‘Great Return March’ sites: Jabaliya, in northern Gaza, and east of Khan Younis, in southern Gaza.

No Israeli soldiers have been killed by Palestinian demonstrators participating in the ‘Great March of Return’ that has taken place each Friday since March 30^th.

They are also demanding that Israel end its siege on Gaza’s air, land and sea, and to open the borders of Gaza that have been sealed since 2007.

Mohammad was from Gaza City, in the central part of the Gaza Strip. Source: IMEMC

Qassem Mohammad Ali Abasi

December 20, 2018December 22, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 20, 2018: Qassem Mohammad Abasi, 17, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Jerusalem.

The soldiers also injured two others, after opening fire at their car near Beit El military roadblock, north of the al-Biereh city, in the central West Bank governorate of Ramallah and al-Biereh.

The wounded Palestinians have been identified as Mohammad Hani al-Abasi, 28, and two teens; Mohammad Ma’moun Abasi and his brother Mahmoud.

Except for Qassem. They suffered mild-to-moderate wounds, mainly from shrapnel and glass.

Mohammad Hani al-Abasi told Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) that they were heading to Ramallah, but road was closed by the army, before an officer told the drivers there that the road is closed, and will remain closed for about two hours.

He added that the officers told them that they must instead take a bypass road near Beit El.

They then turned the car around to try to find another way, and when they were about to leave the area, a bunch of Israeli soldiers and settlers began chasing their car.

“Soldiers and settlers were all around us, behind is and in front of our car, and that is when they opened fire,” Mohammad added, “the tires were punctured, the windshield and the back window were also broken by bullets.”

“Only then we realized that Qassem was shot — I heard Mahmoud al-Abasi shouting his name over and over, and he was in a very critical condition,” Mohammad stated, “I called for an ambulance, and the soldiers forced us all out, but Qassem was injured, unable to move.”

Mohammad said that he and the other passengers were forced by the Israeli army to take Qassem out of the car, even though he had been shot in the back. They did what the army said, and put him on the ground.

The medical team that arrived declared that Qassem was dead – but the army left the teen lying on the ground for an hour until they allowed an ambulance to come.

The army claimed that the driver of the car “broke through the military roadblock,” before the soldiers opened fire at the car, seriously injuring Qassem, who succumbed to his wounds, and added that “it is still investigating the incident.”

Palestinian sources said Qassem was in a car transporting four Palestinians, all carrying Jerusalem ID cards, and just after arriving at Beit El military roadblock, the soldiers suspected that the car “was involved in a shooting” targeting a bus station on the colonialist road #60, close to Ofra illegal colony, east of Ramallah, although the distance between Ofra and Beit El is about 2 Kilometers, and the fatal shooting that killed Mohammad took place 40 minutes later.

The army closed Ofra junction after the alleged shooting at the bus station, and said that the soldiers fired back, before the army invaded Ein Yabrud nearby town.

Furthermore, the army completely closed various areas in the governorate, including the gate leading to the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, in addition to the towns of Deir Dibwan, Silwad, Doura al-Qare’, and Ein Siniya.

The soldiers also attacked many Palestinians at Ein Siniya Junction, north of Ramallah, after the army stopped and searched dozens of cars.

Furthermore, the army invaded Doura al-‘Qare’, and declared it a closed military zone, before storming and ransacking many shops, causing excessive damage after the soldiers claimed they were unable to find surveillance recordings in the stores.

The soldiers fired gas bombs and concussion grenades at many Palestinian protesters, and prevented journalists and medics from entering the town.

Qassem was from Silwan town, south of Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Sumayya Mahmoud Nasser

December 15, 2018December 21, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 15, 2018: Sumayya Mahmoud Nasser, 68, died Saturday in Jerusalem when she suffered a heart attack while praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque.

Israeli forces stationed outside the mosque prevented an ambulance from reaching her immediately, and the medical team on site was unable to revive her without the medical equipment available on the ambulance.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the Palestinian medics at the al-Aqsa Mosque rushed to the woman after she collapsed while praying. They immediately called for an ambulance, which was stationed near the Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem.

But the Israeli soldiers prevented the ambulance from entering the mosque grounds, delaying it for nearly ten minutes without providing a reason for the delay.

They then let the ambulance pass through to the mosque, where the emergency medical team prepared the defibrillator to use on the woman, but by that time it was too late. She did not survive the rescue attempts, and was declared dead on the way to the hospital.

Five Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces over the previous several days, including a four-year old child.

Sumayya was from the Jit area in the land that is now Israel. Source: IMEMC

Mahmoud Nakhleh

December 14, 2018December 16, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 14, 2018: Mahmoud Nakhleh, 17, was killed by Israeli forces, on Friday, in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said Mahmoud was shot in the abdomen with live bullets during a protest, in the al-Jalazoun refugee camp.

Several people were also injured in confrontations which erupted between Palestinians and invading Israeli forces, during protests in Ramallah, against the Israeli settlement construction and the seizure of their lands.

According to a local Palestinian news agency, Israeli soldiers shot Nakhleh from a distance of fewer than 10 meters.

The soldiers tried to detain Nakhleh afterwards, local news reported, but Palestinian paramedics were able to transport him to the hospital, after a standoff that lasted more than 30 minutes. After Nakhleh was transferred to a hospital, he was pronounced dead.

Ramallah was under a complete lockdown by the Israeli army on Thursday, following a shooting attack by an unidentified Palestinian who killed two Israeli soldiers near the illegal settlement of Ofra, PNN further reported.

Most of the entry checkpoints were reopened on Friday, but Israeli forces remained heavily deployed on the outskirts of Ramallah, and carried out sporadic raids into the twin city of al-Bireh, resulting in Palestinians protesting against their presence.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society, at least 100 Palestinians were abducted over the past 24 hours.

Four Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in separate attacks over the past two days.

Protests against the Israeli army continued across the occupied West Bank. In the village of al-Lubban al-Gharbiyeh near Nablus, a Palestinian youth was injured with a rubber-coated steel bullet to his eye.

Other protests took place in the Taqu’a village east of Bethlehem and in Hebron’s Old City, where dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation and sustained wounds from rubber-coated bullets.

In Gaza, 85 Palestinians were injured during anti-occupation protests along the border between the Gaza Strip and the Israeli-occupied territories.

According to the Gaza Health Ministry, Israeli forces injured 85 Palestinians, including seven medics and three journalists, in Gaza, on Friday.

Tensions have been running high, near the fence which separates Gaza from the occupied territories, since March 30, which marked the start of a series of protests called “The Great March of Return”. Palestinian protesters are demanding the right to return for those driven out of their homeland.

Mahmoud was from Ramallah, in the central part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Hamdan Tawfiq Arda

December 13, 2018December 14, 2018 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 13, 2018: Hamdan Tawfiq Arda, 60, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers while driving his car in the Industrial Zone in al-Bireh city, in central West Bank. The Israeli military, according to Israeli media sources, admitted that its soldiers mistakenly killed Hamdan, after initially claiming that he had deliberately tried to ram his vehicle into soldiers.

Eyewitnesses told Maan News Agency that it looked like a car accident, and that the driver was startled by the military presence, and tried to turn away from them.

Sources added that one soldier was lightly injured, but it was not from the car driven by the Palestinian man.

The soldiers fired a barrage of live rounds at the car, fatally wounding the driver, who suffered gunshot wounds mainly to the head.

His brain and fragments of his skull were on the car seat after he was removed by the medics, before they were collected for proper burial with his body later on.

The Israeli military initially stated was an “attempt to ram his car into soldiers”, and then changed their statement, telling the Jerusalem Post that they believed it was an accident.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) has confirmed that its medics were at the scene shortly after the man was shot, and added that the soldiers stopped them and prevented them from approaching him.

The Israeli military had just finished invading the Industrial Zone, in an apparent search for the suspects of the killing of two Israeli soldiers earlier Thursday.

Hamdan was from ‘Arraba town, near the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Source: IMEMC

Ashraf Waleed Na’alwa

December 13, 2018March 20, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

December 13, 2018: Ashraf Waleed Suleiman Na’alwa, 23, was shot and killed by a squadron of Israeli military and police officers in an extrajudicial assassination.

The soldiers surrounded the house where a Palestinian suspected of killing two Israeli settlers, was believed to be hiding, and shot and killed the man, who was identified as

Na’alwa was ‘wanted’ by Israeli forces for the killing of two Israeli colonial settlers two months ago.

The soldiers shot and killed Ashraf with multiple rounds.

According to Israeli sources, the name of Na’alwa was provided by several suspects after they were subjected to “harsh interrogation”, which is the euphemism that Israeli authorities use to describe torture.

The Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet told Israeli media that they worked with several other Israeli agencies to “interrogate suspects” and try to locate Na’alwa.

During the invasion, the military deployed dogs and heavily-armed soldiers who surrounded the building, entered the building firing heavily, shot and killed Na’alwa, and abducted two men who lived in the building with their mother.

Israeli sources said Na’alwa was killed by undercover soldiers of the Yamam special forces, who briefly exchanged fire with him, while he was hiding in a home in Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus.

They added that Ashraf was chased, for several hours, through many areas until reaching the home, until dozens of soldiers, intelligence officers and undercover soldiers managed to surround the building.

The soldiers also abducted, detained and interrogated many Palestinians, who said “admitted to providing aid to him,” in addition to alleging that Ashraf “intended to carry out more attack against Israeli targets.”

Israeli media sources quoted senior military and security officials stating that the first weeks after fatal shooting in the settlement, the hunt for Na’alwa was largely focused on extensive searches of homes, caves and buildings, but later the search became more focused on individuals, who were detained and “interrogated,” on suspicion of providing aid to him.

After killing the young man, the soldiers invaded many areas in Tulkarem, especially in Shweika area, near the Annexation Wall, and fired a barrage of gas bombs, rubber-coated steel bullets and live rounds, at Palestinian protesters.

The soldiers also attacked journalists and forced them to leave the area.

It is worth mentioning that the soldiers repeatedly abducted members of his family, including his father, mother, sisters, and brothers, in an attempt to locate him.

Two months ago, the army also issued a demolition order targeting the Na’alwa family home.

Earlier in the day, another Israeli execution operation was carried out, this time targeting Salah Omar Barghouti, 29, who was a suspect in another crime.

In response to the assassination of Na’alwa, the Palestinian resistance party Hamas issued a statement, “The fire of resistance in the West Bank will not die until the occupation is lifted. The death of the two soldiers proves that the option of the Palestinian people is defiance. The West Bank will continue to support the forces of resistance and the blood of Na’alwa and Barghouti has not been spilled in vain. Hamas and the other resistance factions will continue to support activity to avenge their death.”

Ashraf was from the central part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC