West Bank

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

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

December 12, 2018: Saleh Omar Saleh Barghouthi, 29, was extra judicially assassinated by Israeli soldiers near Surda village, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah; the army claimed the Palestinian was allegedly “involved” in a shooting targeting colonialist settlers, last Sunday.

The slain  Palestinian has been identified as a a Palestinian Taxi driver named Saleh Omar Saleh Barghouthi, 29; eyewitnesses said he was driving his taxi when the undercover Israeli soldiers, driving an old commercial Mercedes, ambushed him, and opened fire at him, before abducting him while he was still alive, but severely injured and bleeding.

The army later said the Palestinian died from his wounds in a hospital in occupied Jerusalem.

Eyewitnesses said that the taxi remained in the middle of the road, after the soldiers shot Saleh, and added that a young man, identified as Wa’ad Barghouthi, tried to remove it from the road, but the undercover forces attacked him and abducted him too.

Eyewitnesses said the undercover soldiers instantly opened fire at the car after ambushing it, in what appeared to be a clear assassination, not an attempt to abduct and imprison him.

The soldiers also abducted Ala’ Tarifi, who owns the Taxi company, when he tried to ask about Saleh’s condition.

Hours after killing Barghouthi, dozens of soldiers invaded Kobar village, northwest of Ramallah, and stormed his home where they forced his family in one room, and then removed the males from the property, before conducting extensive and violent searches.

The soldiers assaulted the family, and hurled concussion grenades in the property, eyewitnesses said.

The invasion into the village led to protests, and the army fired dozens of rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs.

Medical sources said the soldiers injured several Palestinian, including a child, and prevented a Palestinian ambulance from transferring the wounding child to a hospital in Ramallah.

The sources added that the army prevented many ambulances from entering Kobar.

The soldiers also invaded Ein Misbah area in the al-Biereh nearby city, and confiscated a Palestinian car, which looks similar to the one used in the shooting targeting the settlers.

Dozens of Palestinians hurled stones at the soldiers, while the army fired gas bombs and concussion grenades at them and at many homes and cars.

Among the wounded Israelis in the shooting incident is a pregnant woman, and her husband, who both remain hospitalized.

Israeli Ynet News has reported, Wednesday, that the doctors had to perform an emergency cesarean section on the injured mother, but the infant was announced dead.

In related news, the soldiers invaded Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, and fired a barrage of gas bombs, concussion grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at local protesters.

One Palestinian was shot with a gas bombs in his neck, and many others suffered the severe effects of teargas inhalation, especially when the the soldiers fired gas bombs and homes.

Local nonviolent activist Mohammad Tamimi said the soldiers also invaded and violently searched many homes in the village, and interrogated several Palestinians while inspecting their ID cards.

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