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16-02-06, 20:32
http://www.haaretzdaily.com/hasen/spages/683207.html
IDF troops kill Palestinian wielding toy rifle near Jenin
By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man on Wednesday while carrying out an arrest raid in Qabatiyah, near the West Bank city of Jenin.
Palestinian security officials said the victim was a mentally-handicapped 19-year-old Palestinian man, identified as Mujahed Al-Simadi, who was carrying a toy rifle.
IDF sources said soldiers from the elite Maglan unit entered Qabatiyah in order to arrest wanted Palestinians.
Palestinian youths began throwing stones at the soldiers. When the soldiers spotted what appeared to be an armed individual near them, they opened fire at him.
Qabatiyah residents said Al-Simadi had a tendency to wander the streets of the village to collect donations. On Wednesday morning, Al-Simadi left his home carrying a cloth bag containing a toy rifle.
"Leave the village," residents quoted Al-Simadi, as yelling at the soldiers. Village residents maintained Al-Simadi was ambushed and shot by the soldiers.
"This man is mentally disabled," said Qabatiyah Mayor Issam Nazzal, a description also given by other local residents. "He had a plastic toy gun and went towards the soldiers, asking them to go away and they shot him dead."
The IDF said it was examining reports the man was mentally-handicapped and was carrying a toy rifle.
Clashes between Palestinian gunmen and IDF soldiers broke out after the incident.
This is the latest in a number of incidents of IDF soldiers shooting to death Palestinians carrying toy rifles.
Three months ago, IDF soldiers shot dead a 12-year-old boy in the Jenin refugee camp who was carrying a toy gun, also during an IDF arrest raid in Maglan. The boy, Ahmed Al-Khatib, was holding a plastic rifle that soldiers believed was a real weapon. One of the soldiers opened fire from inside a jeep and hit Al-Khatib in the head.
In January 2005, Mohammad Za'arma, 12, was killed in the village of Taysir located east of Jenin. Soldiers from the Nahal Haredi unit were driving through the village when local youths began congregating and throwing stones at their jeep.
Soldiers said Za'arma aimed a rifle at them that resembled in design and size an M-16 assault rifle. The soldiers opened fire and killed Za'arma.
IDF troops kill Palestinian wielding toy rifle near Jenin
By Amos Harel and Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondents, and Haaretz Service
Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot dead a Palestinian man on Wednesday while carrying out an arrest raid in Qabatiyah, near the West Bank city of Jenin.
Palestinian security officials said the victim was a mentally-handicapped 19-year-old Palestinian man, identified as Mujahed Al-Simadi, who was carrying a toy rifle.
IDF sources said soldiers from the elite Maglan unit entered Qabatiyah in order to arrest wanted Palestinians.
Palestinian youths began throwing stones at the soldiers. When the soldiers spotted what appeared to be an armed individual near them, they opened fire at him.
Qabatiyah residents said Al-Simadi had a tendency to wander the streets of the village to collect donations. On Wednesday morning, Al-Simadi left his home carrying a cloth bag containing a toy rifle.
"Leave the village," residents quoted Al-Simadi, as yelling at the soldiers. Village residents maintained Al-Simadi was ambushed and shot by the soldiers.
"This man is mentally disabled," said Qabatiyah Mayor Issam Nazzal, a description also given by other local residents. "He had a plastic toy gun and went towards the soldiers, asking them to go away and they shot him dead."
The IDF said it was examining reports the man was mentally-handicapped and was carrying a toy rifle.
Clashes between Palestinian gunmen and IDF soldiers broke out after the incident.
This is the latest in a number of incidents of IDF soldiers shooting to death Palestinians carrying toy rifles.
Three months ago, IDF soldiers shot dead a 12-year-old boy in the Jenin refugee camp who was carrying a toy gun, also during an IDF arrest raid in Maglan. The boy, Ahmed Al-Khatib, was holding a plastic rifle that soldiers believed was a real weapon. One of the soldiers opened fire from inside a jeep and hit Al-Khatib in the head.
In January 2005, Mohammad Za'arma, 12, was killed in the village of Taysir located east of Jenin. Soldiers from the Nahal Haredi unit were driving through the village when local youths began congregating and throwing stones at their jeep.
Soldiers said Za'arma aimed a rifle at them that resembled in design and size an M-16 assault rifle. The soldiers opened fire and killed Za'arma.