Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Israeli Army Investigation Reveals Serious Shortcomings Led to Death of Palestinian

TEL AVIV, September 28, 2011 (WAFA) – An Israeli army investigation concluded that serious shortcomings have been found in Israel soldiers' handling of an incident in which a Palestinian was shot to death by troops in Qusra, a Palestinian village south of Nablus in the northern West Bank, on Friday, said Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The daily claimed that a group of about 15 settlers went down into the dry riverbed near Qusra to pray, despite the fact that the area had identified the location as a potential flash point in advance and troops were moved to the area.

However, Israeli army commander didn’t declare the valley next to Qusra, where the settlers were headed a closed military zone and allowed the settlers to come close to the edge of the village.

Haaretz allegedly reported that a crowd of Palestinians threw stones at Israeli soldiers from close range, who resorted to live weapon fire after “tear gas failed to disperse the crowd.”

“According to the interim findings of the investigation, a soldier directed two shots at the lower part of the body of the Palestinian who was shot in the incident after he was identified as the leader of the crowd. He was hit around the hips, but the bullet exited from his neck and he died,” the daily said.

Issam Badran, 37, was killed on the day of President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech at the United Nations General Assembly to call on the world to approve a Palestinian request for full UN membership of a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders.

Badran’s death followed two weeks of Jewish settlers’ violent campaign targeting Palestinians in retaliation of the bid to UN and in attempt to provoke violence from them. The area around Qusra has been the scene of repeated settlers’ attacks, including the arson at a mosque in Qusra by settlers.

Palestine News & Info Agency - WAFA

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