Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Yacoub

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