Friday March 29, 2024
SNc Channels:

Search
About Salem-News.com

 

Feb-15-2009 22:06printcomments

Israel Reportedly 'Breaking the Bones' of Peaceful Demonstrators

Rabin’s legacy: Protesters' accounts show Israel ‘breaking the bones’ of peaceful demonstrators.

Free Palestine sign
Photo courtesy: Gaza.blogspot

(SALFIT ) - Israeli forces are carrying out a policy of shooting at the legs of peaceful demonstrators who protest the Israeli separation wall each Friday in towns across the West Bank, demonstrators are reporting.

The accounts of the Palestinian demonstrators who have been wounded by Israeli fire in recent weeks are raising the legacy of the first Palestinian Intifada, when Israeli then-defense minister Yitzak Rabin ordered his soldiers to “break the bones” of young protesters.

A representative of the Popular Committee against the Wall in the village of Ni’lin, Ahed Al-Khawaja, said that Israeli snipers, shooting from nearby hilltops or from stands of trees, are causing debilitating injuries, especially among young men who come to demonstrate.

In the village of Jayyus, which also holds a weekly demonstration against the wall, protesters said Israeli soldiers put silencers on their guns. When five young men were shot at last Friday’s demonstration, none of the marchers present said they heard the sound of gunshots when they were shot.

In Ni’lin, soldier allowed the protesters to reach the wall, then opened fire without warning, deploying tear gas and sound grenades. According to witnesses, soldiers fired on demonstrators as they were fleeing, their backs turned.

On January 9th, a Ma’an photojournalist, Khalil Ryash was among those who was shot in the legs. Another young man was also shot that day while he was sitting in his front yard.

“At the beginning, I did not feel pain,” Ryash said. “A medic tried to help me and I told him I was okay and did not need help. As soon as I finished the phrase, I felt very severe pain in my leg and I was evacuated to an ambulance which was about 100 meters away. The pain became intolerable. We got to Azzun health center where I was x-rayed and medics told me I had shrapnel in my leg, and needed to be taken to a hospital.”

“In hospital they discovered that I was hit by a live gunshot in my left leg, and the gunshot exited from my leg leaving behind shrapnel of different sizes. The doctor told me that some of the larger shrapnel could be removed after the wound heals up, but other could not be removed because removal would tear muscles.”

It was later learned that Ryash was hit with a new brand of ammunition that produces a scatter-shot, a spray of metal pellets that embed themselves in the flesh.

Muhammad Al-Khawaja, 26, from Ni’lin was injured last week. He was hit by a similar gunshot.

Al-Khawaja described his experience: “About half an hour after we arrived at the site of the separation wall, Israeli soldiers showered demonstrators with gunshots and tear gas canisters. As demonstrators rushed away, I was hit by a gunshot to my right leg and was taken to hospital. Doctors discovered that the gunshot penetrated the bones and the muscle leaving behind 20 pieces of shrapnel of which they removed some, but those in the bone they could not remove.”

Twenty-nine-year-old Hamada Al-Khawaja, also from Ni’lin was shot after the demonstration was over.

He said, “At about 4:00 pm, on Friday, February 6th, and after confrontations were over, I wandered with my friends trying to see what happened in the village. Israeli soldiers were stationed on a hill at the other side of the wall. They started firing at us gunshots and tear gas canisters. As I turned trying to flee the scene, a gunshot hit me in the leg. I could not move, and was evacuated to hospital. Doctors discovered that the bullet broke my bones and left behind 10 pieces of shrapnel in different sizes.”

Special thanks to Ma’an News Agency

WORLD VIEW NEWS SERVICE




Comments Leave a comment on this story.
Name:

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.



Vic February 18, 2009 6:14 am (Pacific time)

Hey conservative....how many more desades should we support Israel? It has been 60 years now and counting...why is it that other countries seem to be able to get along without American welfare..why cant Israel? Why is it our reponsibility to ensure the Israeli standard of living? And blaming the illegals for our problems while we spend half a million dollars a minute on war is ridiculous. I predict tho that the numbers of "illegals" coming here will dwindle as this debt-based economy tanks. Then who will you blame? Id bet it will be poor people on food stamps....an easy target. Just for the record, the daily payment to Israel would cover food for 1.25 to 1.5 million people. The cost of one cruise missile would cover food for four thousand families of four.But really, it is about behavior and apartheid that is unacceptable to the civilized world. It wasnt acceptable when the Nazis did it, and it isnt acceptable now. Do you think that maybe if the people of Gaza were allowed to eat and engage in basic human freedom and not be blocaded (wasnt that why Israel started the Six-Day War...because they were being blocaded?) that they might quit resisting? If I were in their situation, Id fight back too...maybe you wouldnt.


conservative February 17, 2009 10:33 pm (Pacific time)

Hey Vic,maybe you want to tell the Politicians to take care of the illegals and deport them. Then we might be able to take care of the American People. Did you know that Obama is going to send millions of dollars to Gaza? Take a wild guess who will get the money. Hind: Not the people, not for rebuilding, for HAMAS to rearm and attack Israel. So, where would you send the money? I pick Israel.


Vic February 16, 2009 7:17 am (Pacific time)

We give these thugs $15 million per day...While more Americans are living in their cars and our schools crumbling, we give Israel $15 million per day...more than all the aid we give Africa. Yet the Israelis have a higher standard of living than we do...free college o pursue whatever career you choose, free medical care for life, free computers for any Israeli who wants one, all of this subsidized by the US taxpayer. When do WE get these perks? When do our kids get free college? When do we get free healthcare? It has been 60 years now..when does Israel support itself? And now they are planning to attack Iran and of course, drag us into it. You can bet WE will be doing the bulk of the fighting, killing and dying. Israel knows that all they have to do is get something started, and we will blindly jump in regardless of WHO started it. Kind of like 9-11.

[Return to Top]
©2024 Salem-News.com. All opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Salem-News.com.


Articles for February 14, 2009 | Articles for February 15, 2009 | Articles for February 16, 2009
Annual Hemp Festival & Event Calendar

googlec507860f6901db00.html
The NAACP of the Willamette Valley



Click here for all of William's articles and letters.

Support
Salem-News.com: