Ramallah

Sofian Nawwaf al-Khawaja

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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

Fakhr Mahmoud Qurt

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Fakhr QurtFebruary 17, 2020: Fakhr Mahmoud Abu Zayed Qurt, 53, was found dead in a deserted valley in the West Bank. Israeli soldiers stationed in the occupied West Bank recovered his body, which they found tangled among bushes in a rural area, and stated that Fakhr apparently died of his wounds after a shooting attack targeting Israeli soldiers two weeks prior.

The corpse was found near Ras Karkar village, west of Ramallah, in central West Bank.

The slain Palestinian has been identified as Fakhr Mahmoud Abu Zayed Qurt, 53, from Betunia town, south of Ramallah.

According to the Israeli military spokesperson, the body was found “at the end of operational and intelligence efforts and after sweeping operations of the Israeli security services.”

The military claimed the Palestinian was injured after the soldiers responded to him firing at them, and fled the scene.

The military reported to Israeli news outlets that next to the body, which was eventually located only one kilometer from where the incident took place, the soldiers located an M16 rifle and a pistol, indicating that the person killed may have been responsible for the shooting.

The attack which the deceased Palestinian is suspected of having taken part was a shooting incident targeting Israeli soldiers two weeks ago, in which one Israeli soldier was lightly wounded near the “Dolip” settlement on Feb. 6th.

Local sources in Betunia said that, five days ago, the soldiers invaded and ransacked his home, before abducting two of his sons, Haitham and Mohammad, in addition to confiscating his car.

A statement issued by the Israeli military read, in part, “Following an operational and intelligence effort by all the security forces, and after extensive searches, [Israeli military] fighters soon located a body of the Palestinian who carried out a shooting attack in Binyamin”.

The February 6th exchange of fire was one of three attacks that same day, which was the day that the Trump-Kushner plan for Israeli annexation of historic Palestine was publicly announced. Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets in protest of the plan when it was announced, because they see it as a colonial land grab by Israel. No Palestinian leaders were consulted in the creation of the Trump-Kushner plan.

Fakhr was from Betunia town, south of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC

Yousef Wajeeh Sohweil

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May 31, 2019: Yousef Wajeeh Sohweil, 18, was killed by Israeli police officers in occupied East Jerusalem, after he reportedly stabbed and injured two Israelis, and attempted to attack a police officer.

Israeli sources said the Palestinian came from the West Bank to attend Friday prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque, on the last Friday of Ramadan.

Israeli online daily, The Jerusalem Post, said an Israeli man, in his fifties, suffered critical wounds, and added that a teen, 16 years of age, suffered moderate-to-severe wounds.

It quoted the Superintendent of the Israeli Police in Jerusalem Micky Rosenfeld telling its reporter that one Israeli was stabbed and critically injured at Damascus Gate, and that the second Israel was stabbed and moderately injured when the Palestinian managed to make it through the gate to the Old City, before the officers shot him dead.

Following the incident, the Israeli army and police significantly increased their deployment in the Old City, and all areas leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

The soldiers started searching hundreds of worshipers, after ordering them out of several buses in Wadi al-Jouz neighborhood, and forced them to walk a long distance towards the mosque.

It is worth mentioning that this incident took place on the last Friday of the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

Earlier Friday, the soldiers killed a Palestinian child near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and injured a young man from Hebron, while trying to enter Jerusalem for Friday prayers in the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Media sources said the soldiers shot and killed Abdullah Luay Gheith, 16, from the southern West Bank city of Hebron, after opening fire at him and several Palestinians, who were trying to enter Jerusalem from Wad Abu al-Hummus area, near the villages of al-Khass and an-No’man, east of Bethlehem.

Yousef was from Abwein village, northwest of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC

Qassem Mohammad Ali Abasi

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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

Mahmoud Nakhleh

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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

 

Mohammad Tareq dar Yousef

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July 26, 2018: Mohammad Tareq dar Yousef, 17, was shot and killed by an armed paramilitary Israeli settler after he allegedly stabbed three Israeli paramilitary settlers, killing one.

Mohammad allegedly managed to climb over the fence into the illegal Israeli settlement of Geva Binyamin, which had been built on stolen Palestinian land which was taken from his village, Kobar, near Ramallah. He then stabbed three people before he was shot and killed.

A 31-year old Israeli colonial settler was killed, identified as Yotam Ovadia. Another unnamed Israeli settler, age 50, was put in critical condition with stab wounds to the upper body, according to Israeli media sources.

Before going to the settlement to carry out the attack, the young Palestinian wrote on his Facebook page, “After all of the injustice the Palestinians continue to face: the killing, the diaspora, the theft of land by force, this injustice still prevails, and many Palestinians are silent – including those who have weapons, and are watching the massacres. Those are the traitors.”

He goes on to say, “You [Palestinians] who own a weapon, remember this is for your enemy, not for use against your own people. Remember the children of Gaza, suffering and dying.” The statement ends, “A salute to the people who defend their land and their honor. And to those who sold their land and betrayed their country, those cowards, you must be ashamed of yourselves. The people of Gaza and Jerusalem are resisting, and you are trying to silence them.”

Dozens of soldiers in armored vehicles surrounded and invaded Kobar, near Ramallah, in the hours following this incident. Protests broke out in the village, and some teens threw stones at the invading soldiers.

The troops invaded Mohammad’s home, surrounding it and demanding that the family leave. It is unknown at the time of this report if the soldiers are planning to carry out a punitive demolition of the alleged assailant’s home, but this is a known and common practice by the Israeli military.

Over the past hundred days, Palestinians have been engaging in largely non-violent protests on a weekly basis in Gaza as part of the ‘Great March of Return’, calling for a return of the Palestinian refugees to their homes in what is now Israel, and an end to the siege on Gaza that has strangled the economy of the tiny coastal strip since 2007.

Israeli forces have killed nearly 150 Palestinian demonstrators during this time, and wounded more than 17,000, many with live ammunition. One Israeli was killed in this time period, in May, by a stone slab that fell on him from a building in a Palestinian town he was invading in the West Bank. The Palestinian resistance in Gaza has held its fire in solidarity with the non-violent demonstrators, but this past Friday a firefight broke out and an Israeli soldier and four Palestinian fighters were killed.

Mohammad was from the village of Kobar, near Ramallah in the central part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Laith Abu Na’im

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January 30, 2018: Laith Haitham Abu Na’im, 16, was killed by Israeli soldiers who invaded the al-Mughayyir village, northeast of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Medical sources at Ramallah Governmental Hospital said the child was shot with a live round in the head from a close range, causing a serious injury, before he was rushed to a local hospital where he died from his wounds a few hours later.

The child was shot after dozens of soldiers invaded the village, and attacked Palestinian protesters with gas bombs, rubber-coated bullets, concussion grenades and live rounds.

The Israeli army claimed that approximately 30 Palestinians hurled stones and burnt tires when the soldiers “entered” the town, and alleged that the soldiers “did not use live ammunition in dispersing the protesters.”

The army added that it was “launching an investigation into the circumstances which lead to the child’s death,” and alleged that “some protesters hurled Molotov cocktails at the soldiers.”

He is the fourth Palestinian child to be killed by Israeli soldiers this month, January 2018. Laith was from al- Mughayyir village. Source: IMEMC

Mos’ab Tamimi

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January 3, 2018: Mos’ab Firas Tamimi, 17, was killed by Israeli soldiers who shot him with a live round in his neck during a protest march in his village of Deir Nitham village, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Palestinian medical sources said the soldiers shot Mos’ab Firas Tamimi, 17, in his neck, causing very serious wounds, before he was moved to the Istishari Hospital, in Ramallah, where he succumbed to his injuries.

The Palestinian was shot after the soldiers invaded Deir Nitham, and fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets and gas bombs, at Palestinian protesters who were marching in the village. The Israeli army claimed that the Palestinian was shot after the soldiers “noticed he was holding a gun,’ a claim that was never verified.

The army said that the soldiers instantly used live fire against the Palestinians, when they saw the alleged gun.

Mos’ab’s father said that the soldiers had detained a teen who suffers from a mental disability, and that he and other Palestinians went to the soldiers to secure the teen’s release.

He added that he was near the teen when the soldiers shot his son in the neck, from a short distance of 5 – 6 meters, and killed him.

“There were clashes between the youngsters and the soldiers, before the army detained a mentally ill boy, I told the officer that this boy is disabled, but he said – we arrested him, and we want to kill another one,” the father stated, “I turned my car around and returned because wanted to remove the youths when I saw the soldiers’ evil intentions, but when I was 5 to 6 meters away from my son, the soldiers shot him in his neck, and killed him – he was nearly one meter away from the soldier who killed him.”

After killing the teen, the soldiers imposed a strict siege on Deir Nitham, prevented the Palestinians from entering or leaving it, and cut the power supply to the village.

Eyewitnesses said dozens of soldiers continued surrounding the village, apparently preparing for a massive invasion Wednesday night.

Mos’ab was from Deir Nitham village, north of the central West Bank city of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC.

Mohammad Mousa

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October 31, 2017: Mohammad Abdullah Mousa, 25, was killed by Israeli soldiers who fired live rounds at his car, near a military roadblock, close to Halamish Israeli settlement, northwest of Ramallah, in the West Bank.

Mohammad and his sister, Latifah Mousa, 33, were both injured by army fire, but he later died from his serious wounds in Beilinson Israeli Hospital in Petah Tikva.
Mohammad worked odd jobs, while his sister is a married mother of four daughters and a son.

Although the army initially claimed the soldiers opened fire at the car after the driver attempted a “vehicular attack” against them, the Israeli District Coordination office later said the soldiers apparently “accidentally fired at the car.”

The army stated that the soldiers opened fire at the vehicle after it “raised suspicion when it approached the roadblock,” and added that it was investigating the incident.

Mohammad’s sister was transferred to the Istishari Hospital, in Ramallah, and is receiving treatment for gunshot wounds in her shoulder.

Mousa Ballout, one of their cousins said Mohammad didn’t see the military roadblock, and the stop sign leading to it, adding that the soldiers instantly opened fire at the car.

Mousa stated that the Palestinian District Coordination Office was talking to the military to arrange the transfer Mohammad’s corpse back to his family.

Mousa added that the Mohammad was driving to Ramallah to prepare the needed paperwork for his driver’s license, while his sister accompanied him to check out a school for her daughter.

The Palestinian Red Crescent said the soldiers obstructed the work of its ambulance crew, before they later managed to transfer the wounded woman to the hospital in Ramallah.

Talking to Israeli online daily Haaretz, Mohammad’s cousin, Kamal Mousa, said the family strongly rejects the military’s allegations, and described them as lies and fabrication, to justify the shooting.

He added that a person who intends to carry out an attack does not bring a family member, such as a sister or a mother, because he knows that he, and those who accompany him, will be seriously hurt, and even killed. Mohammad was from Deir Ballout town, near Salfit, in northwestern West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Amer Tirawi

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July 16, 2017: Amer Ahmad Tirawi, 34, was killed by Israeli soldiers who invaded Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah in the West Bank, and exchanged fire with him.

The Israeli army said the Palestinian was suspected of carrying out a shooting attack, a day earlier, near Um Safa Palestinian village and Ateret Israeli settlement, and of another shooting targeting a military post in the area.

According to the army, the first incident took place when Amer reportedly opened fire on a car of an Israeli settler near Ateret settlement, and the second targeted a fortified military base, near Nabi Saleh.

The invasion into Nabi Saleh was carried out by Police SWAT teams, Israeli soldiers and Shin Bet security officers, who were attempting to detain him, after identifying him and his location.

The army claims that the Palestinians was killed when he “attempted to open fire on the soldiers with his homemade weapon,” and that another Palestinian, who was with him, was taken prisoner. Amer was from Kafr Ein village, northwest of Ramallah. Source: IMEMC