28th November 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Kufr Qaddum, Occupied Palestine
Update 12th December:
The Italian activist know as Patrick is returning today to demonstrate in Kufr Qaddum.
Last Friday, while Patrick was still hospitalised, the residents of Kufr Qaddum flew Palestinian and Italian flags in solidarity.
Patrick required surgery to remove the bullet from his chest and was released from hospital several days ago. Since his release, he attended an olive tree planting demonstration at Turmusaya on the 10th of December where Palestinian Authority Minister Ziad Abu Ein was killed by an Israeli soldier.
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During the weekly Kufr Qaddum protest today, an 18-year-old Palestinian demonstrator, and an ISM volunteer, were both shot in the chest with .22 live ammunition.
The Italian activist, known as Patrick, was wearing a yellow high visibility jacket when he was shot.
11 Palestinian demonstrators were wounded at the Kufr Qaddum protest. 18-year-old Sami Jumma was shot twice with live ammunition, once in the hand and once in the chest. He required surgery and is now in a stable condition. The remaining 10 injured protesters were shot with rubber-coated steel bullets and four required hospital treatment. One of whom was a 10-year-old child, although all four have now been discharged.
“We were standing with a group of Palestinian demonstrators when Patrick was shot. The military had fired three rounds of tear gas, and then a shot rang out an Patrick stumbled back. There was between five and ten minutes from the last tear gas canister fired and the bullet that shot Patrick. He was just standing there, peacefully protesting, wearing a hi-viz jacket, he wasn’t doing anything and they just decided to shoot him.” Stated an ISM activist present at Kufr Qaddum.
Patrick is currently stable, the bullet entered through his chest and it is now lodged in his chest cavity, he remains in hospital under observation.
In 2003, Israeli forces closed the road connecting Kufr Qaddum with the city of Nablus, and since then at least three people have died due to the increased travel time to the closest hospital. A journey that used to take 10 minutes now takes over 30. In 2011, Kufr Qaddum began their weekly demonstrations.
Ally Cohen, ISM media coordinator said, “The bullet entered Patrick’s chest near a main blood vessel, but thankfully did not puncture it. If God forbid it had, the lengthened journey to the hospital because of the closed road could have cost Patrick his life.”
