Salfit

Ahmad Yacoub Taha

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April 27, 2023: Ahmad Yacoub Taha, 39, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Hares village, west of Salfit in the central West Bank.

The Palestinian Health Ministry has confirmed the soldiers killed Ahmad and added that the slain man was an officer with the Palestinian National Security Forces.

Israeli sources claimed the Palestinian was shot after “attempting to stab soldiers and officer at the Gitai Junction before he was neutralized at the scene.”

A video from the scene shows an Israeli officer ordering Taha to step out of his car, and once he got out of the car, he reached for his wallet before many soldiers started firing at him.

The man did not appear to be armed or carrying a knife and was trying to get his ID card to show it to the soldiers.

After killing him, the soldiers closed the entire area to Palestinian traffic and forced the Palestinians to leave.

Taha’s killing is similar to how undercover Israeli soldiers executed Nidal Amin Khazem, 28, at point-blank after he was already shot and seriously injured on March 16, 2023, in Jenin, in the northern West Bank.

It is similar to how the soldiers killed Ahmad Hasan Kahla, 45, on January 15, 2023, underneath the Yabroud Bridge, east of Ramallah in the central West Bank. Khala was a married father of five children and was with his oldest son, Qussai, 20, when he was killed.

On Monday, April 24, a paramilitary Israeli colonizer killed Hatem As’ad Abu Najma, 39, a married father of five from Beit Safafa town, south of occupied Jerusalem, after he reportedly injured seven Israelis in what the army called a ramming attack in occupied Jerusalem.

Earlier same day, April 24, Israeli soldiers invaded the Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho city in the northeastern West Bank, killed Suleiman Ayesh Hussin Oweid, 20, before taking his corpse away, injured three, and abducted three others, including two siblings.

Ahmad, a Palestinian security officer, was from Bidiya town, west of Salfit in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Mithqal Suleiman Rayan

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February 11, 2023: Mithqal Suleiman Abdel Halim Rayan, 27, was shot and killed on Saturday evening, by Israeli paramilitary invaders, in the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit.

The mayor of Qarawat Bani Hassan, Ibrahim Asi, told the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency, “The young man was killed by a live bullet fired by an armed and angry settler towards a group of young men in the village.” He confirmed that the armed, paramilitary colonial settlers were guarded by the Israeli occupation forces as they carried out their assassination of the unarmed Palestinian civilian.

Mithqal Rayan was the father of three young children: a 4-year-old boy, a two-year-old son, and a baby girl.

Israeli colonizers have targeted the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit, for their colony expansion. They have been forcibly expelling Palestinian landowners and taking over their land – claiming that their ancestors once lived there 2,000 years ago, so they have the right to take the land from its owners by force. Most of these paramilitary Israeli settlers come from Europe, the US and the former Soviet Union, with no direct or indirect ancestral ties to the land of Palestine.

Earlier on Saturday, Israeli colonial settlers uprooted dozens of Palestinian olive trees, and destroyed an agricultural building, as part of their forced takeover of Palestinian land in Qarawat Bani Hassan.

Israeli forces have been helping the Israeli paramilitary settlers in their forced takeover of Palestinian village land- last week, the soldiers uprooted an olive grove, and in January the army demolished a Palestinian home located in the area that the Israeli colonizers have targeted to take over.

Mithqal was from Qarawat Bani Hassan, west of Salfit in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Mujahed Ahmad Mohammad Daoud

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October 16, 2022: Mujahed Ahmad Mohammad Daoud, 30, was shot and killed by Israeli troops invading the village of Qarawat Bani Hassan, northwest of Salfit in the central West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced the death of Mujahed Ahmad Mohammad Daoud, as a result of critical wounds he sustained on Saturday afternoon, with live bullets fired by the occupation in the chest.

Mujahed was one of 5 civilians who were injured during protests that erupted in Qarawat Bani Hassan between Palestinian youths and the occupation forces on Saturday afternoon.

At the time, the Health Ministry confirmed five were injured and added that two (including Mujahed) suffered life-threatening gunshot wounds to the chest and were rushed to Salfit governmental hospital.

Mujahed was later rushed to the Istishari Arab Hospital in Ramallah due to the seriousness of his injuries, but he succumbed to his wounds.

Local sources said that more than 10 military vehicles stormed the village on Saturday afternoon, leading to massive protests, during which a number of villagers were shot by invading Israeli soldiers.

On Friday, four Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers, including a doctor who was outside of the hospital trying to treat people’s wounds.

On Friday night, the soldiers killed Qais Emad Shojaya, 23, from Deir Jarir village east of Ramallah, fired live rounds in the direction of Beit Eil colony, north of Ramallah, before he was shot.

Earlier Friday, an Israeli army sharpshooter killed a Palestinian doctor, Abdullah Al-Ahmad, 43, while trying to render first aid to wounded Palestinians in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank.

During the invasion of Jenin, the soldiers also killed Mateen Dabaya, 25, from the Jenin refugee camp and injured many Palestinians, including medics, especially after the army deliberately targeted them and their ambulance.

On Friday dawn, a Palestinian, Mohammad Maher Sa’id, 17, from the Jenin refugee camp, died from serious wounds he suffered along with his cousin in early September of this year before they were abducted by the soldiers allegedly for being behind an attack targeting a bus transporting Israeli soldier to a military base.

The Palestinian Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers have killed 171 Palestinians this year, 2022, including 15 this month.

Mujahed was from Hares village, west of Salfit, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Ali Hasan Harb

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Ali HarbJune 21, 2022: Ali Hasan Harb, 27, was stabbed to death by an Israeli paramilitary colonial settler while Israeli soldiers stood by and watched, doing nothing to prevent the murder. Ali was on his family land when the Israeli colonizer invaded his land, along with a number of other Israeli colonizers, who were trying to establish a colonial outpost on the Harb family land. The attack took place in Iskaka village, east of Salfit, in the central West Bank.

In a statement, the Palestinian Health Ministry said the young man, Ali Hasan Harb, 27, was stabbed in the heart and died from his serious wounds.

Eyewitnesses said an Israeli colonizer stabbed Harb when he and several other Palestinians intercepted an attack by the illegal colonizers, who invaded their lands and installed an outpost in the al-Harayeq area of the town.

“I was at home when a shepherd phoned us telling the family that several Israeli colonizers are installing an outpost on our land,” his cousin Firas Naim Harb said, “We went to our land, and once we arrived there, the colonizers ran away and stood at a distance before several other colonizers joined them and invaded our lands again.”

“The Israeli army then arrived in the area and started firing gas bombs at us, and before we knew it, a colonizer ran towards us and stabbed Ali before the soldiers prevented us from helping him,” he added, “The soldiers pointed their guns at us and threatened to shoot us if we approach Ali who was bleeding on the ground. We told the soldiers that we need to provide first aid to Ali and that they can shoot us if they want to, but we have to help him; he was bleeding for thirty minutes.”

“At least fifteen colonizers and armed guards of the Ariel illegal colony were on our land, and despite the presence of Israeli soldiers, one of the colonizers ran towards Ali and stabbed him in the heart,” Firas stated.

The Palestinians had to carry Ali for more than three kilometers to reach a nearby road before the medics rushed him to Yasser Arafat Hospital in Salfit, where he was pronounced dead due to his serious wounds.

 A spokesperson for the Israeli police claimed, “It is unclear who stabbed the Palestinian,” and alleged that the police were “investigating the incident,” however, the police did not make any arrests.

The ministry said the 28-year-old, identified as Ali Hassan Harb, had been stabbed in the heart by a settler.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Shtayyeh, issued statements denouncing the crime and calling for international protection for the Palestinian people living under illegal Israeli colonialist occupation.

The office of President Mahmoud Abbas called on the International Community to help end the escalating Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, especially since these deadly violations are carried out without repercussions and are not only committed by the occupation soldiers but also by the illegal colonizers living on stolen Palestinian lands.

“We keep witnessing these crimes, and the international community fails to act. For example, we saw what terrorist colonizers did to the Dawabsha family in Nablus when they firebombed their home as they slept, burning the family  to death, including the 18-month-old Ali Dawabsha, and we also saw what the colonizers did to Mohammad Abu Khdeir, 16, in Jerusalem, when they kidnapped him and burnt him to death by dowsing him in fuel and pouring it down his throat before setting him ablaze….”

The president’s office called on the International Community to hold Israel accountable for its crimes and help establish a sovereign, independent, contiguous Palestinian state.

It is worth mentioning that, on May 14, 2021, Israeli soldiers killed his cousin, Awad Ahmad Harb, 27, in the same area.

Ali was from Iskaka village, east of Salfit, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC 

Amir Atef Khader Rayyan

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December 31, 2021: Amir Atef Khader Rayyan, 36, was killed by Israeli soldiers after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack near the illegal Ariel colony, northwest of Salfit in the central occupied West Bank.

Israeli sources claimed that the young man “got out of a vehicle and ran towards a bus stop at the Giti Avishar junction with a knife in his hand,” in an alleged stabbing attempt.

Israeli media agency “Walla” claimed that “the soldiers in the area ordered the man to stop, and when he did not respond, he was shot with several live rounds in the abdomen”.

The Palestinian News & Information Agency (WAFA) reported that the seriously injured young man was pronounced dead one hour after being shot and added that Palestinian medical crews rushed to the area but were denied access to provide him treatment.

There were no reports of any injuries among Israeli colonists or soldiers.

The slain Palestinian man was a married father of several children. His brother, Mansour, is a former political prisoner who was exiled by Israel from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip, several years ago.

Video By Hadi Sabarna

The Palestinian is the ninth to be killed by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank, in December 2021.

On December 24, a Palestinian woman, identified as Ghadir Anis Masalma, 63, was killed by an Israeli colonialist settler who rammed her with his car and fled the scene, near the entrance of the town of Sinjil, northeast of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank.

On December 22, Israeli soldiers killed Mohammad Issa Abbas, 26, in the al-Biereh city, near Ramallah.

On December 21, the soldiers killed Abdul-Aziz Hikmat Mousa, 22, at Dothan military roadblock, near Ya’bad town, southwest of Jenin in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

On December 12, 2021, the soldiers killed Jamil Mohammad al-Kayyal, 31, in Nablus city in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

On December 10, 2021, the soldiers killed Jamil Abu Ayyash, 31, during the weekly protest against the illegal Israeli colonies in Beita town, southeast of Nablus.

On December 6, 2021, the soldiers killed Mohammad Nidal Younis, 15, at a military roadblock near Tulkarem, in the northern part of the West Bank, after the army claimed he intentionally rammed his car into the roadblock.

On December 04, 2021, the army killed Mohammad Shawkat Salima, 25, after he stabbed an Israeli settler in occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank. He was first shot and injured and was lying on the ground before the soldiers fired a second live round that killed him.

Video By Al-Jazeera – Palestine

In addition, one Israeli was, identified as Yehuda Dimantman, 20, was killed on December 16, 2021, by Palestinians who opened fire at his car, near the evacuated Homesh colonialist outpost, which was built on Palestinian lands north of Nablus.

Amir was from Qarawat Bani Hassan town, northwest of Salfit in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

 

Mohammad Shawkat Salima

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December 04, 2021: Mohammad Shawkat Salima, 25, was killed by Israeli soldiers after he stabbed an Israeli settler in occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.

Media sources said Mohammad was shot by at least two soldiers at the al-Misrara junction in Bab al-Amoud, in Jerusalem.

[Crime Amounting to Extra-judicial Execution, IOF Kill Palestinian after Wounding Him and Neutralizing Any Threats in Occupied East Jerusalem – The Palestinian Center For Human rights]

The second live round that killed the Palestinian was delivered after he was struck by the first bullet and was lying on the ground.

After the fatal shooting, the soldiers also attacked many Palestinians who gathered in the area and fired gas bombs at them.

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center In Silwan (Silwanic) said the soldiers injured at least three Palestinians in Bab al-‘Amoud, in addition to abducting two others.

It added that one of the wounded was shot with a concussion grenade, and one was beaten by the soldiers, in addition to dozens who suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation.

The young man’s death led to protests in Jerusalem, Salfit, and other parts of the West Bank.

Israeli sources have confirmed that the injured Israeli man suffered moderate wounds.

The Israeli police issued a statement and released a surveillance video showing the Palestinian man stabbing the Israeli, in addition to attempting to stab the police before he was shot.

Mohammad was from Salfit, in the central West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Sharif Khaled Salman

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May 14, 2021: Sharif Khaled Salman, 37, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Salfit, in central West Bank.

Several Israeli army jeeps invaded Marda village, north of Salfit. leading to protests.

Local sources said Sharif was not participating in protests but was standing outside his home when he was shot by invading Israeli forces.

His mother told reporters with Ma’an News Agency, “I cannot believe that Sharif was killed. Just hours ago, he woke me up from sleep to have coffee together. He left behind a pregnant wife and three daughters.”

As tears streamed down her face, she told reporters, “I asked him to drink coffee with me, to drink it together, and to close the door for fear that his children, and his sister’s children might go out to the street, because the army was out in the street, and our home is located near the main street of the village. I fell asleep while I waited for him to drink his coffee. I was awakened by the sound of gunfire and screaming. I did not know that the bullets were fired at Sharif, to end his life. The occupation deprived me of my son for no reason, just as it has deprived so many mothers.”

The soldiers also killed Awad Ahmad Harb, 27, in Iskaka village, east of Salfit.

On that day, Israeli soldiers killed nine Palestinians and injured dozens, while paramilitary colonialist settlers also killed a young man, in several parts of the occupied West Bank. the Palestinian Health Ministry has reported and added that more than five hundred Palestinians have been injured.

Sharif was from Marda village, north of Salfit. Source: IMEMC

Ibrahim Mustafa Abu Yacoub

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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

Elias Saleh Yassin

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October 15, 2018: Elias Saleh Yassin, 22, was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier near an illegal Israeli colony, north of Salfit, in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian was shot dead by soldiers stationed at the “Gitai” Junction, close to Ariel illegal colony.

The Israeli army said the soldiers shot and killed Elias “before he was able to attack any of them”. But they presented no evidence that the Palestinian had any weapon or that he posed any danger to the soldiers. No soldiers were injured.

The army spokesperson added that two soldiers constantly guard the site of the reported attack, and added that one of them was the person who killed the Palestinian.

A Palestinian ambulance rushed to the scene, but the soldiers stopped it, and prevented the medics from approaching.

The head of the “Samaria Regional Council” of settlements, Yossi Dagan, arrived on the scene, and said that “the soldiers’ vigilance managed to foil the attempted attack,” and added that Israel’s colonies in the West Bank, will be expanded.

Elias is from the same village where Aisha ar-Rabi, 47, lived before she was killed, late on Friday, October 12, 2018, and her husband, Yacoub, was injured, near the Za’tara military roadblock, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus, when a group of Israeli colonialist settlers came onto the road and began throwing rocks at their car.

The area is also close to Industrial Zone of Barkan colony, where two Israeli settlers, identified as Ziv Hagbi, 35, and Kim Levengrond Yehezkel, 28, were killed on October 7th 2018.

On Friday, Israeli soldiers killed seven Palestinians, and injured 252, including 50 children, 10 woman and one journalist, after the army fired dozens of live rounds, in addition to high-velocity gas bombs, during the Great Return March processions, in several parts of the Gaza Strip.

On the same day, a group of Israeli paramilitary settlers attacked a Palestinian couple south of Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, on Friday, killing the woman and injuring her husband.

Elias was from from Biddya village, west of Salfit, in the northern part of the West Bank. 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