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Harassment and murder during invasions in Qabatiya, near Jenin

The West Bank town of Qabatiya, just south of Jenin, is home to over 20,000 people. According to local residents the Israeli army invade the town every night from their base in Salem. As they invade, usually very early in the morning, they throw sound bombs and fire live ammunition to alert the residents to their presence. Sometimes they set up sniper positions, usually in empty houses or rooftops but often inside people’s homes, ransacking the properties during the occupation. The size and scope of the invasions varies from a few jeeps and foot patrols to full scale invasions of the town with, up to 30 jeeps and Armored Personnel Carriers (APCs). Sometimes they make arrests, and in the last month three people have been killed and another seriously wounded during the incursions.

During an incursion on the morning of February 4th, three fighters were shot. The soldiers denied a local ambulance access to one man who had been shot until he had died of his injuries two hours later. Another man was killed immediately, the other was injured but managed to escape.

Tayseer Nazzal was shot during a large scale invasion on the morning of February 7th. 20 jeeps had invaded, with a bulldozer and a helicopter hovering above. Tayseer, who has mental health problems, was on the streets. According to local sources, the soldiers were looking for a wanted man also named Tayseer, a common name in Palestine. When the soldiers asked Mr Nazzal who he was he replied Tayseer. Despite the fact that Mr Nazzal is 50 years old, much older than the fighter who shares his name, the soldiers mistook him for the wanted man. They proceeded to fire over 20 bullets into his legs. He was taken to the local hospital where one of his legs was amputated in an attempt to save his life, but he died of his wounds a week later.