IDF soldiers manning a temporary checkpoint in Wadi al-Juz in East Jerusalem open fire on a Palestinian car they claim refused orders to halt, killing 1 Palestinian man, wounding his 5-yr.-old son, and severely beating a Palestinian who runs to the scene to provide medical aid. Palestinian witnesses claim the driver turned down a side street before the checkpoint to avoid a scene at the checkpoint, where Palestinian children were throwing stones at the troops; troops then chased the car, ordered it to stop, and willfully shot the driver when he halted and stepped out of the car, wounding him with 3 bullets before shooting him twice more at pointblank range, wounding the child in the initial volley. Palestinians (sometimes accompanied by Israeli and international activists) hold weekly nonviolent demonstrations against the separation wall and land confiscations in Bil‘in, Ni‘lin, Dayr Nizam/al-Nabi Salih, and al-Ma‘sara. IDF soldiers fire rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at the protesters, leaving 10s suffering tear gas inhalation and detaining 3 Palestinian cameramen for foreign news agencies, 1 international activist, and 2 Palestinians (including a main organizer of the al-Ma‘sara protest, who is formally arrested after the others are released). (PCHR 6/17; OCHA 6/18)
Friday, June 11, 2010