West Bank (Palestinian) Archives | Israel-Palestine Timeline

Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Yacoub

July 9, 2020July 10, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

July 9th, 2020: Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Yacoub, 33, was shot by Israeli soldiers with a live round in his neck, causing life-threatening wounds.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed the death of a Palestinian man who was shot by Israeli soldiers near the main intersection of Kifl Hares town, north of Salfit in central West Bank, and added that the soldiers also shot and injured a Palestinian teen.

The Ministry added that Palestinian medics rushed the seriously wounded Palestinian to Salfit Governmental Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The soldiers also shot and injured a Palestinian teen with a live round in his thigh.

There were no protests when the soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, who were walking near the main entrance of the town, which was blockaded by the army four days ago. For the last four days, the soldiers have been preventing the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.

Eyewitnesses said Abu Ya’coub was just walking with a few of his friends when the soldiers targeted them with live fire without any cause or justification.

Essam Abu Yacoub, the head of Kifl Hares Town Council, said the slain Palestinian, and the wounded teen, Mohammad Abdul-Salam Abu Ya’coub, 17, were walking in the area when the soldiers directly targeted them with live fire. The soldiers were on the military tower which was installed at the entrance of the town.

He added that a vehicle of colonialist Israeli settlers was in the area, and that the colonists also opened fire at the Palestinians.

Salfit Governor, Abdullah Kamil, said the Israeli army has escalated its violations against the civilians, and called on all factions, and the Palestinian people, to unite in facing the Israeli aggression against them, their homes, lands and their holy sites amidst the planned illegal annexation of large areas of the occupied West Bank.

“This despicable and ugly crime is just one of a series of Israeli violations against our people in every part of occupied Palestine,” Kamil added, “This is yet another cold-blooded murder; Ibrahim and his friends were just walking in their town; there was no reason for the soldiers to open fire at them in the first place, let alone to deliver the fatal shots.”

The slain Palestinian is the brother of Agricultural Engineer and the Director of the Ministry of Environmental Affairs, Marwan Abu Ya’coub.

Ibrahim was from Kifl Hares town, north of Salfit in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Ahmad Mustafa Erekat

June 23, 2020July 9, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

June 23, 2020: Ahmad Mustafa Erekat, 26, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers at the “Container” military roadblock, northeast of Bethlehem, while he was preparing for his sister’s wedding that was scheduled to take place later that day.

The soldiers claimed that Ahmad ‘tried to ram them with his car’ – a claim that his family says is beyond ridiculous.

The head of Abu Dis Town Council, Ahmad Abu Hilal, said the soldiers shot Ahmad with multiple rounds, and left him to bleed to death, before taking his corpse away.

Abu Hilal added that Ahmad was driving to Bethlehem city to fetch his sisters and his mother from a hairdressing shop in Bethlehem, as the family was preparing for the wedding of one of his sisters, which was supposed to take place on the same day, Tuesday, June 23 2019.

|Erekat: “Netanyahu Is Responsible For Ahmad Erekat’s Execution”|

Eyewitnesses said the soldiers at the permanent military roadblock closed the area, and prevented Red Crescent medics from approaching the young man, in addition to firing many gas bombs at Palestinian cars and residents to force them away.

The Israeli army alleged that the young man “accelerated towards the roadblock, and attempted to ram a female soldier with his car,” and added that the soldier reportedly suffered mild wounds before she was moved to a hospital in Jerusalem.

The spokesperson of the Israel police, Micky Rosenfeld, claimed that “after trying to ram the soldiers, the young man got out of his vehicle, and approached them before they shot him.”

The family denied the military allegations and said the soldiers rushed to shoot Ahmad without any justification, and added that they believe their slain son must have lost control over his car.

“As we have seen in previous similar incidents, the soldiers were quick to open deadly fire,” his family said, “Our son would never have tried to deliberately ram soldiers, or anybody else, especially on the day of his sister’s wedding!”

They added that they intend to hire a lawyer to demand Israel to release his corpse for burial.

Palestinian journalist Christine Rimawi said that the slain Palestinian was a Facebook friend and that he himself was preparing to get married soon.

“Today’s victim, Ahmad Mustafa Erekat, 27, was executed by the soldiers at the Container roadblock, and the army was ready with its familiar allegation of attempted ramming attack, Christine stated, “But the truth is that he was just going to Bethlehem to fetch his mother and sisters from a hairdressing salon when the soldiers shot him and left him to bleed to death,” she added.

“He was getting ready for the celebration, for his sister’s wedding! He was shot and killed instead! Can you imagine what this wedding has turned into?! Not only that today is his sister’s wedding. His own wedding was supposed to take place soon!”

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates issued a statement strongly denouncing the escalating Israeli violations and the “cold-blooded murder of Ahmad at the racist deathtrap roadblocks.”

“This crime is part of Israel’s ongoing policies; this illegal authority of the Israeli occupation continues to commit crimes against our people, including field executions, and extrajudicial assassinations,” the Ministry stated, “All of these policies and crimes, committed by the police, the army, and the paramilitary colonialist settlers, are targeting the Palestinian civilians, their homes and lands, and are aimed at trying to force us out of our ancestral lands.”

The Ministry also stated that it will file a complaint with the United Nations, and all its related institutions, as part of its constant efforts to document the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, including the murder of Ahmad Erekat.

It called on the International Community, the United Nations, and the Security Council, to act on providing immediate protection to the Palestinian people, living under the illegal Israeli military occupation, and to implement the basics of International Law.

“Our people urgently need protection, the International Community; the United Nations must act and end these escalating Israeli crimes,” it added, “The criminal Israeli occupation of Palestine continues to target innocent civilians. Silence is complicity!”

Video By Palestine TV

Ahmad was from Abu Dis, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Eyad al-Hallaq

May 30, 2020May 31, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

May 30, 2020: Eyad al-Hallaq, 32, an unarmed, autistic Palestinian man was shot and killed by Israeli police in Jerusalem. The police then left him lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds for over an hour until he bled to death.

Eyad was killed when the soldiers shot him with eight live rounds at the stairs of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in occupied Jerusalem, while he was walking to the al-Bakriyyah School for persons with special needs.

The police who killed Hallak claimed that they thought he had a suspicious object in his hand. But Israeli police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld confirmed to reporters that no weapon was found.

Eyewitnesses said Eyad was just walking when the soldiers started shouting at him, and he got scared by their loud voices and tried to run away.

They added that the soldiers could have easily arrested him, without resorting to the lethal and excessive use of live fire.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stated that the killing of Hallaq was “a real crime”, and that “those who committed it must be brought to justice, and be convicted by the International Criminal Court”. He stated that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be held fully responsible for the killing.

Following the Israeli police shooting, protests erupted in the city of Jerusalem. Israeli police closed all the gates leading into Jerusalem’s old city, banning all entry and exit.

The mother of the Palestinian who was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers in occupied Jerusalem, said that the Israeli allegations and justifications for his brutal murder are mere lies, as the slain man was autistic, and was a child in a man’s body.

The mother was walking aimlessly around her home in Wadi al-Jouz in Jerusalem, looking lost, and unable to grasp the news about the death of her only son.

Minutes after the news about his death started spreading, she was informed that he was alive and was only shot in his leg near Bas al-Asbat in Jerusalem, but shortly afterwards it became clear that he was killed by the soldiers.

His father, Khairi al-Hallaq, shocked and in disbelief, was sitting in his home, surrounded by several young men who knew the slain Palestinian and rushed to his home, could not utter many words, except prayers and mumblings that only echoed “he was killed in cold blood, he was murdered…”

His slain autistic son, he said, may have looked like a grown man, but his brain was that of a child, who didn’t interact with anybody, and who only left home to go to the special needs school.

“Why would they kill him in cold blood like this,” he said, “They claim that they thought he carried a weapon! Why didn’t they search him, why did they have to kill him without even making sure he was carrying the claimed weapon”.

He added that his slain son started going to the special needs school around six years ago, and that he goes there every day from the morning until evening, and when he returns home, he just sits alone in his room.

His weeping mother, distraught and unable to catch a normal breath, said, “Why didn’t they just capture him… why not search him… why did they have to rush to fatal shots, to killing him in a cold-blooded manner like this.”

“He was murdered in cold-blood, he carried nothing but his mobile phone and his wallet”, she added, “He carried no weapons, he wanted to go to school because he felt bored at home, but at school he could be more active, and interact with others….”.

“Right now, after they killed him like this, my only wish is that we can have the burial ceremonies at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, before he is buried in the soil of Jerusalem,” she added, “He was an innocent person, he hated nobody, and what they did to him is a crime not only against him, but also against every person with special needs. They killed my only son, who was a child in a man’s body. They killed my only son, they killed my only son…”

Attorney Eyad al-Qadamani, who is representing the family, said that the Israeli police is investigating the fatal shooting, and so far, the police is not admitting he was killed by mistake, and are unwilling to transfer his corpse back to his family for burial.

The lawyer added that the Israeli police imposed a gag order, forbidding the release of the names of the officers involved in his death, or even any information about the units they belong to.

The imposed gag order will remain in effect until June 3^rdand could possibly be extended for a longer period.

Israeli media outlets said the slain young man did not carry any weapon, and that he was shot just because “he failed to stop when was ordered to.”

The police claimed that they noticed he carried a “suspicious object”, and that they though it was a gun, and added that he was ordered to stop, but he started running and a chase ensued.

Israeli daily Haaretz said the Palestinian was unarmed, and that the officer who shot him said “he suspected al-Hallaq was a terrorist because he was wearing gloves.”

Haaretz quoted a statement by the Israeli police claiming that “two officers noticed the Palestinian carrying a suspicious object that they thought was a gun and ordered him to stop. After the man refused and started fleeing the scene, the officers started chasing him on foot and opened fire, ultimately killing him while he was trying to hide behind a dumpster.”

It added that the police then closed on the Old City, and that the Police Internal Investigations Department will be investigating the incident.

Haaretz also said that the two officers who were involved in chasing him and then the fatal shots, were questioned by the police, before one of them was released “under restrictive conditions”, and the second officer was placed under “house arrest.”

The Israeli media agency also quoted source which was described to be “familiar with the investigation”, the junior officer, who was a recruit armed with M16 automatic rifle, is being suspected of “continuing to shoot despite being ordered by his commander to stop.”

Haaretz added that the officer “continued to shoot because he saw al-Hallaq was still moving”, and that a court in Jerusalem issued a gag order preventing the release of the names of the officers involved in the fatal incident.

The police also raided Hallaq’s home in Wad el-Joz and questioned his family. Khairi Hallaq, the father of the deceased, told reporters “They found nothing”, and noting that police had cursed his daughter when she became upset at them.

Rana Hallaq, the mother of the deceased, told Israeli Channel 12 that her son “was killed in cold blood”. On social media, many drew comparisons between the shooting and the ongoing police violence in the U.S.

According to Israeli Channel 12 news, members of Israel’s paramilitary border police fired at Halak’s legs and chased him into a dead-end alley.

The Israeli channel reported that a senior officer ordered a halt in fire as they entered the alley, but that a second officer did not listen and fired six or seven bullets from an M-16 rifle. They claimed that both officers were taken into custody and then released.

Eyad was from Wad al-Joz in East Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Fadi Adnan Samara

May 29, 2020May 30, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

May 29, 2020: Fadi Adnan Sarhan Samara, 37, a father of five, was killed by Israeli soldiers after he lost control of his vehicle when he was fired upon by Israeli colonial settlers near Nabi Saleh village, northwest of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers fired live rounds at the Palestinian car after the driver reportedly tried to ram them, and that the soldiers “neutralized the threat,” a term Israel and various Israeli media outlets frequently use when the soldiers fatally shoot a Palestinian.

His family denied the military allegations and said the man lost control of his car after Israeli colonialist settlers opened fire at it.

The slain man was identified as Fadi Adnan Sarhan Samara, 37, a father of five children, including an infant (two months of age) from Abu Qash village, north of Ramallah.

He worked in Israel and had returned back home to Nabi Saleh to celebrate the Muslim feast of al-Fitr with his family.

His brothers stated that he left his home in the evening heading to az-Zawiya village, west of Salfit in central West Bank, to fetch his wife and children and bring them back home, as they were visiting her family there.

The Israeli army claimed that Fadi tried to ram soldiers with his car near a natural spring in the Ramallah governorate. He was shot in the leg and was left to bleed for about an hour, without any first aid.

But Palestinian media outlets and residents in the area said that Fadi lost control of his car when illegal Israeli colonialist settlers, who repeatedly invade the area, opened fire at his car, before the soldiers fired a barrage of live rounds at it, claiming that he was attempting to ram them.

One of his brothers, and one of his cousins, were both detained by the army, and after being released, they stated that an army officer told them, after confirming his identity, that they could not take his corpse for burial.

They stated that the military was taunting them by stating that the family can have his corpse back “maybe in an hour or two, a month or two, a year or two….”

His family, and the residents of his village, strongly denounced his murder, and stated that the Israeli soldiers are always “trigger happy” when it comes to shooting Palestinians, and that the army tries to justify these crimes by making false allegations.

They called for a serious investigation into the fatal shooting and called on international organizations to act and hold Israel accountable at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its escalating crimes and ongoing violations against the Palestinian people, their homes and property.

Protests erupted after the fatal shooting of the Palestinian man, and the soldiers fired live rounds and rubber-coated steel rounds.

A Palestinian man with Downs Syndrome was struck with a live round in his leg.

Fadi was from Abu Qash village, north of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC

Bahaeddin Mohammad al-‘Awawda

May 14, 2020May 18, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

May 14, 2020: Bahaeddin Mohammad Abdullah al-‘Awawda, 18, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near Negohot illegal colony, southwest of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank, reportedly after he rammed them with his car, wounding one.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said it was informed by the Civil District Coordination Office that the young man had been identified as Bahaeddin Mohammad Abdullah al-‘Awawda, 18, from Deir Samit town, west of Hebron.

The Palestinian was moved by an Israeli ambulance to Soroka hospital in Beersheba (Be’er as-Sabe’), but was shortly pronounced dead due to his severe wounds.

The Israeli army stated that the young man “deliberately rammed soldiers with his car, moderately wounding one,” before they shot him.

It added that the soldiers were standing near a military post when the Palestinian reportedly accelerated towards them, moderately wounding one soldier, 21, who suffered injuries in his upper body.

The incident took place near Beit Awwa town, west of Hebron, and the soldiers closed the main entrance of the town, preventing the Palestinians from entering or leaving it.

The al-‘Awawda family demanded the army to reveal more information about his death, and called for a fair investigation committee to investigate these details.

His uncle, Atef al-Awawda, said that the family demands to know these details, regardless of whether this was a “ramming attack” as the army claims, or just a traffic accident, and most importantly “was there a real need for fatal shots?”

Atef added that the soldiers summoned the slain man’s father for interrogation immediately after the incident and that the father was still in the military base.

Bahaeddin was from Hebron, in the southern West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Zeid Fadel Qaisiyya

May 13, 2020May 16, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

May 13th, 2020: Zeid Fadel Qaisiyya, 15, was killed with a bullet to the head by Israeli soldiers during an invasion of Zeid’s neighborhood in the al-Fawwar refugee camp, southwest of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Media sources said dozens of soldiers invaded the refugee camp, and attacked local youngsters, who protested the invasion into their alley and neighborhoods.

They added that the soldiers fired many live rounds at the unarmed protesters, and at random, in addition to rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs. In addition to Zeid, four others were injured.

Medical sources in Hebron said the soldiers killed a child, identified as Zeid Fadel Qaisiyya, 15, after shooting him with a live round in the head.

They added that the soldiers also shot four other Palestinians with live fire; two of them were shot in the chest and abdomen, and two in their lower extremities.

Zeid was from the al-Fawwar refugee camp, southwest of the southern West Bank city of Hebron. Source: IMEMC

Islam Dwaikat

April 1, 2020April 3, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

April 1, 2020: Islam Dwaikat, 22, died of wounds sustained when he was shot by Israeli forces during a protest last month.

Palestinian medical sources in the West Bank city of Nablus pronounced Islam dead on Wednesday April 1st, and said he was wounded by Israeli troops that opened fire at Palestinian protesters during an Israeli invasion of Beita town, south of Nablus city, in the northern West Bank.

The Mayor of Beita town, Fo’ad Ma’ali, told local media outlets that on March 11, the youth was struck with a rubber-coated steel bullet in the head and has remained in a deep coma at a local hospital.

Massive protests took place last month, between Israeli troops and local residents in the al-‘Arma Mountain when locals intercepted colonial Israeli settlers, en-route to the Palestinian-populated area.

Israeli forces reacted by firing tear-gas canisters, rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition at Palestinians protecting their land.

The Israeli crackdown on the protests claimed the life of a teen boy, Mohammad Hamayel, 15 and caused the injury of 112 other protesters, mainly by rubber-coated steel bullets and tear-gas inhalation injuries.

Israeli colonists, illegally squatting on Palestinian lands in the occupied West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, have been constantly storming the mountain and attempting to control an archaeological historical site above its summit.

Illegal Israeli settlements, that surround and isolate Palestinian villages, towns, and cities stand as flashpoints for violent confrontations between the indigenous Palestinian population and illegal settlers not to mention the occupation army.

Islam was from the Nablus district, in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja

March 24, 2020March 24, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

March 22, 2020: Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja, 29, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers near the entrance of Ni’lin village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Medical sources said the soldiers shot Sofian during an invasion of the area, causing a very serious injury that resulted in his death shortly afterward.

They added that the soldiers stopped and held a Palestinian ambulance that was rushing to render aid to the Palestinian.

Instead of allowing the Palestinian medics to render the urgently needed aid to the critically wounded young man, the soldiers called for an Israeli ambulance while al-Khawaja continued to bleed.

The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers opened fire at several Palestinians who reportedly hurled stones at their jeeps.

However, Palestinian sources said the slain Palestinian was not among the protesters but happened to be passing through the area along with his cousin.

Israeli daily Haaretz quoted a military spokesperson stating that the soldiers opened fire at two Palestinians who were “hurling rocks at Israeli vehicles at the Ni’lin junction,” and added that the soldiers “killed one of them, while the other Palestinian managed to escape.”

Haaretz added that the army initiated a search campaign in the area.

Sofian was from Nil’in, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Abdul-Karim Hamayel

March 11, 2020March 24, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

March 11, 2020: Mohammad Abdul-Karim Hamayel, 15, was killed by Israeli soldiers, and 112 wounded, as the Israeli army cracked down on protesters at the al-‘Arma Mountain, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said the child, Mohammad Abdul-Karim Hamayel, 15, was shot with an expanding bullet in the head, and he was rushed to a local hospital before succumbing to his serious wounds.

Tarif Ashour, the spokesperson of the Health Ministry, said at least thirteen Palestinians were rushed to Rafidia governmental hospital, including another child, seventeen years of age, who was shot with two rubber-coated steel bullets in his head, before he was rushed to surgery, and remains in critical condition.

Shortly afterward, the soldiers shot two Palestinians with rubber-coated steel bullets in their heads, causing hemorrhaging in the brain; one of them remains in life-threatening condition.

In addition, a journalist working for the Palestinian TV, identified as Bakr Abdul-Haq, was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet in his lead, and at least thirteen other residents were shot with similar rounds.

The total number of injuries stood at more than 112 Palestinians in the past two days — among them 90 who suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, and eighteen who were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets.

The soldiers also abducted at least three young men, after more than 40 additional military vehicles invaded the area.

The protests are still ongoing as more soldiers and fanatic illegal colonists continue to flock to the mountain and prevented many Palestinian ambulances from approaching it.

The head of the Beita Fuad Maali Village Council told Wafa reporters that scores of illegal Israeli colonists began storming the mountain last night and are still in the place, explaining that hundreds of Palestinian citizens remain stationed on the mountain to repel their invasion.

Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian Authority official who monitors Israel’s colonialist activities, said that there have been calls by colonists to storm the mountain, in an attempt to control an archaeological historical site above its summit, and install an illegal colony after occupying the entire Palestinian Mountain.

It is reported that the residents of the village, and the neighboring towns and villages, responded to previous attempts by the settlers to storm the top of the mountain two weeks ago.

Mohammad was from the Nablus district, in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Maher Ibrahim Zaatra

February 22, 2020February 24, 2020 contact@ifamericansknew.org

February 22, 2020: Maher Ibrahim Zaatra, 33, was shot and killed by the Israeli police in Bab al-Asbat area in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem.

Israeli police opened a barrage of gunfire toward the Palestinian man at Lions’ Gate of Jerusalem’s Old City, reportedly after attempting a stabbing attack.

Witnesses told the Palestinian News Agency Wafa that the man, who was not immediately identified, was shot several times and was left to bleed on the ground before Israeli paramedics arrived at the scene.

The man was identified as Maher Ibrahim Zaatra, 33. He was a father of three children, and his wife is pregnant, from Jabal al-Mokabber village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. Video clips show the young man lying motionless on the ground, with a large police force at the scene.

In an act of retribution and collective punishment, the soldiers invaded the home of the slain Palestinian, ransacked the property, before abducting his mother, and two brothers.

First Published on: Feb 23, 2020 at 00:34

Israeli forces have, in the past, made false claims about Palestinians who they said were attacking Israeli soldiers when they were shot, but were found upon closer evidence to have been the victims of trigger-happy soldiers who were not under threat at all.

Maher was from Jabal al-Mokabber village, south of occupied East Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC