Tag: Live Ammunition - Page 29 - International Solidarity Movement

10-year-old child shot in chest with live ammunition

6th August 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Khalil team | Hebron, Occupied Palestine

In al-Khalil (Hebron) on Sunday August 3^rd, a 10-year-old Palestinian boy was walking to his home near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba when the Israeli military shot him in the chest with live ammunition.

The following day, ISM volunteers went to visit the young boy in al-Mezan hospital. The young boy was in critical condition, and although doctors were able to save his life, the bullet remains in his left lung, as it is too dangerous to remove it.

His father told the ISM volunteers that a relative of the boy witnessed the shooting and that it had been a man in a soldiers’ uniform that shot him, without any visible motive. His father also pointed out that even if there had been a motive, such as if the boy would have been throwing stones, nothing could have justified this shot, which was clearly aimed at the heart of this 10-year-old child.

A funeral for a solder that died in Gaza was held in the Tel Rumeida area of al-Khalil between 1 AM and 3 AM last Sunday evening. The area was under heavy military presence, shop owners were forced to close down their shops early and Palestinians living in the area received orders stay in their homes and turn the lights off. Doctors at al-Mezan hospital have reported that in recent weeks there has been an increase in the number of bullet wounds resulting from live ammunition. Many of these wounds have been in the chest and abdomen, seemingly aimed to kill.

Live ammo used as ‘crowd dispersal’

31st July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Vern | Occupied Palestine

On July 29th, Palestinian activists from the Human Rights Defenders Group, as well as several ISM volunteers, went to the Almezan Hospital in Hebron, and met some of the Palestinians recently shot and injured by Israeli soldiers. Some of them were taking part in clashes; others were watching from rooftops or leaving their cars. They range in ages from 17 to 24-years-old. All of them were shot with live ammunition by the Israeli army.

Here are eight of their stories:

Abdi* is 18-years-old. He is from Beit Fajjar. He went to a peaceful demonstration, which turned quickly turned violent. The soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, killing one person and wounding nine. Five minutes into the demonstration, the approximately 100 soldiers present began to use live ammunition. They did not throw stun grenades or use tear gas. There were no arrests. The tactic seemed to be to heavily wound or kill people and Abdi was shot in the leg with live ammunition.

Omar* is from Seiir village. He is 22-years-old. Omar was shot and wounded in Beit Anun, which is between Hebron and his village of Seiir. He was shot in the leg with a live bullet, which was fired from 30-40 meters away, and he then required surgery. Three others were also shot and injured that day. Neither Omar nor the people he was with were throwing rocks at the army. People were chanting before they were shot. The Israeli army came to the protest, with the sole purpose of inflicting harm.

Hamdi* is 19-years-old. Last Friday, he was taking part in clashes in Hebron. He was shot in the right leg with live ammunition. Part of his ligament had to be removed. Live ammunition was shot at him and other demonstrators, from 13 meters away. Seven people were injured in the demonstration. When he was carried into the hospital, three other wounded people were carried in with him. Afterwards, four more were brought in. He will need to remain in the hospital for two more weeks.

Nasser* is 19-years-old, and he is from Hebron. He was injured in last Friday’s demonstration, which took part by the Halhul Bridge. A live bullet, fired by a soldier standing some 30-40 meters away, went through both of his legs. It is still embedded in his left leg. The soldiers who shot him started with stun grenades and tear gas, then moved on to live ammunition. Some of the soldiers were using silencers. Nasser lost four units of blood, and will need to spend ten more days in the hospital.

Ali* is 24-years-old, and is from Saiir. He took part in a demonstration at Beit Anun, during which clashes broke out. A bullet was fired into his leg, which exploded upon entry. The Israeli military used rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, stun grenades, and live ammunition. Ali was shot by a bullet that was fired from a silencer. He was shot from a distance of 30 meters.

Yusuf* is 17-years-old. Last Sunday, he took part in a demonstration against the massacre in Gaza, in Bab Al-Zawiye, the city center of Hebron. He was shot from the roof by a sniper, and the live bullet that entered his leg was fired from a distance of 80-100 meters. A silencer was used. Initially, the soldiers shot tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Some of the demonstrators threw it back at them. While some of the protesters were throwing rocks, not all of them were, and the soldiers nevertheless fired at everyone. Yusuf has spent 10 days in the hospital already, and does not know when he will be able to go home.

Bukhari* is from Tarkumia, a village near Hebron. He is 20-years-old. Bukhari was injured during clashes near the Halhul Bridge, but he was not taking part in the protests. Bukhari was taking a service (shared taxi) to go home after work, when soldiers closed the bridge. He had to look for another vehicle for transportation, and as he was leaving the service, he was shot. Bukhari was shot with a live bullet that went through his leg, from a distance of 11 meter. He lost eight units of blood. Bukhari will need another 14 days in the hospital, and will need physical rehabilitation for some time, to help him walk again.

Jalal* is 20-years-old. He was injured at Bab Al-Zawiye on Monday, July 21st. That night, clashes were taking place between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers. He was shot with a bullet that went into one leg and exited through the other. He was not taking part in the clashes, but instead observing from his roof. He was shot by a sniper who was on a nearby roof. The march he was observing was the second demonstration against the massacre in Gaza, during which people marched from Hosseini Mosque to Bab Al-Zawiye. It was a very large demonstration. Jalal will need to spend at least 15 more days in the hospital.

*All names have been changed for security reasons.

Israeli forces fire live ammunition injuring 15 protesters in Beit Furik

27th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Beit Furik, Occupied Palestine

At 22:00 in the evening of Friday, July 25th, Israeli forces injured 15 Palestinians during a protest in the village of Beit Furik, which is located fifteen km southeast of Nablus in the northern half of the West Bank.

Approximately 2000 protesters were marching towards the checkpoint near the village. Roughly 40 Israeli soldiers were waiting for them there, and when they came into view, the soldiers began to shoot tear gas canisters in their direction. Shortly after the protest began, the soldiers changed from firing tear gas, to live ammunition.

23-year-old Yousef Mfeed Mletat was struck by a bullet in his left hip. He recounted the scene tearfully in his bed in Rafidia hospital in Nablus. “They were less than four meters away when they shot me. And then they started to beat me. A soldier was standing on my stomach while some of the others were kicking me. This went on for 15 minutes.” He revealed several welts on his arms and shoulders.

Yousef Mfeed Mletat (Photo by ISM). — Yousef Mfeed Mletat (photo by ISM).

Yahya Hanay, who is 25-years-old, was trying to escape from the scene, when a stun grenade struck his hand, which was covering his face at the time. As he lay on the ground, another stun grenade hit his knee. Yahya has nerve damage in his left thumb, which is said to be serious.

19-year-old Yezen Tala Khatatba, was attempting to help an injured protester, when he was shot in the left knee. The bullet exited his left knee and then entered an exited his right one. He was wearing bandages on both knees as he told his story. “The ambulance was taking me to the hospital, when soldiers twice stopped me for half an hour at a checkpoint. When I told them I had a leg injury, they said it would have been better if I’d been hit in the head.” Yezen also mentioned that another injured protestor had been taken from the ambulance at the checkpoint and beaten by soldiers.

Walking to Qalandia

25th July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement | Qalandia, Occupied Palestine

We began walking in a crowd, full of men, women, and children. I couldn’t began to estimate how many people were gathered, at least 10,000.

The mood was cheerful, people were singing, clapping, holding banners, and waving many Palestinian flags. Cars were driving alongside us and playing loud music. People were standing on roofs; it felt joyful.

As the crowds become larger, though I was still far from Qalandia checkpoint, I could see ambulances driving away, seemingly already full of injured people. As I got closer the mood seemed to change. Youths started running through the crowds and I could hear fireworks in the distance; though as time went on I could know longer distinguish between fireworks and military weapons.

The ambulances were struggling to drive through the crowds; it felt like every few seconds another protester was injured. It was difficult to see, there was smoke in the air and you only knew you of an injury when someone fell to the ground, or the crowd parted for youths carrying their friends away.

As I slowly moved forward, the first sound of a bullet passing by struck a shop door to the side of me. The sound of rubber-coated steel bullets and live ammunition is very distinctive, it is hard to confuse the two and both were being fired, seemingly at random, into the crowds of people. I couldn’t see where they were shooting from, but I didn’t hesitate to dive down with the crowd. Everyone was holding on to someone else, it didn’t matter if you knew the person or not, at the sound of fire you grabbed the person next to you and tried to shield them, and yourself.

We heard another round of live ammunition and suddenly a young boy standing approximately five feet away from me fell to the ground in the middle of the crowd. He lay on the ground with his arms wrapped around his neck. Everything happened so fast that it took a few seconds for the people surrounding him to realize that he had been shot. Soon after a group of people carried him away but I was unable to see where he was being taken as the heaviest and longest lasting round of live ammunition began. The crowd immediately ducked and began to move backwards; some people crawling while others ran.

Two people have been killed and over a hundred others were wounded. The aim of the protest was to walk to Jerusalem and pray. I’m not sure if people thought this was truly possible, but I think at the start of the demonstration there was hope.

Young man injured by Israel army live ammunition in invasion of Iraq Bureen

21st July 2014 | International Solidarity Movement, Nablus team | Iraq Bureen, Occupied Palestine

On Thursday, July 17, 19 year old Mohamad Yousef Kadan was shot by an Israeli soldier in Iraq Bureen, near Nablus in the northern half of the West Bank, during an army invasion into the village.

Mohamad was playing football with his friends in Nablus. As he and a friend were returning home for work in Iraq Bureen, the youths were approached by an Israeli soldier. “He was screaming in Hebrew and shooting live ammunition into the air” said Mohamad.

The boys fled back to the village, where they were confronted by seven soldiers. Without warning, the soldiers shot at the boys from a ten-meter distance, hitting Mohamad in the groin, the bullet exiting his body through his buttocks.

The soldiers then proceeded to arrest him, when people from the village approached the scene. The soldiers pulled back, and Mohamad was brought to the hospital. Though his injuries were described as severe, Mohamad is preoccupied with the risk of arrest. “In many cases, when people come home from the hospital, they are arrested at home.”