Mosab Shawer
APA images
The Israeli military cleared itself of wrongdoing in the shooting and grave injury of a Palestinian man in the southern West Bank last week, claiming soldiers acted in self-defense.
The perfunctory investigation closed less than a week later exemplifies the culture of impunity long decried by human rights organizations seeking war crimes investigations at the International Criminal Court.
The military claimed that the man who was shot, Harun Abu Aram, was “hit by a stray bullet fired when a Palestinian tried to seize a commander’s weapon,” as the Tel Aviv daily
Abu Aram, 24, is paralyzed from the neck down as a result of his injury.
Mosab Shawer
APA images
The new year is off to a deadly start in the occupied West Bank where Israeli soldiers reflexively use lethal force against Palestinians.
A Palestinian man was shot dead by soldiers at a settlement road junction near the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Tuesday. The military claimed that the slain man, identified as Ahed Abdulrahman Qawqas Ikhleil, 25, had thrown a knife at soldiers.
No one besides Ikhleil was injured during the incident, as in countless other alleged attacks on Israeli soldiers in which only the accused Palestinian assailant was injured, often fatally.
Israeli outlets published photos of a meat cleaver that was reportedly found at the scene where Ikhleil was killed.
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Jan. 7, 2021
Forces present at the shooting of Harun Abu Aram were in a life-threatening situation, the Israeli army said Thursday, following the conclusion of the investigation into the incident.
The army said that Abu Aram had been hit by a stray bullet fired when a Palestinian tried to seize the commander s weapon.
Abu Aram was shot following a dispute at a building site in the village of al-Rakiz, half of which falls inside an Israeli military zone. Abu Aram was shot in the neck and evacuated in critical condition to a hospital in the city of Yatta. According to the hospital report from the Ahli Hospital in Hebron, he is now paralyzed.
A statement from the military spokesperson’s unit said the preliminary inquiry found the soldiers “faced mortal threats while carrying out enforcement activities in the area of the village of At-Tuwani.”
It said the commanding officer had fired warning shots in the air, and as the shots were fired, “two Palestinians attacked the commander - one grabbing him forcibly and the other seizing his weapon. As a result, a stray round struck another Palestinian who was part of the riot.”
The army said that a separate Military Police investigation was also underway.
Palestinians and human rights groups have criticized the Israeli military for “whitewashing” cases of violence committed by its troops in the West Bank and not holding soldiers accountable.
Israeli army: Paralyzed Palestinian shot in self-defence
by The Associated Press
Last Updated Jan 7, 2021 at 7:28 am EDT
JERUSALEM The Israeli military said Thursday that an internal investigation found soldiers had acted in self-defence during an incident last week in the occupied West Bank in which a Palestinian man was shot and left paralyzed.
The man was shot in the neck as Israeli troops clashed with Palestinians in a West Bank village on Saturday. The Israeli military said “a violent riot” broke out when troops were evacuating a building that was built illegally.
The Palestinian health ministry said the gunshot left Haron Abu Aram, 24, quadriplegic.