Palestinian succumbs to wounds after Israeli gunfire

Palestinian succumbs to wounds after Israeli gunfire
The Palestinian health ministry said a 22-year-old Palestinian who was injured by Israeli gunfire in Nablus died on Wednesday.
3 min read
01 April, 2020
Israeli troops have been accused for using disproportionate force against Palestinians [Getty]
A Palestinian succumbed to wounds sustained from Israeli gunfire near the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said on Wednesday.

Islam Dweikat, 22, was shot on March 11 on the outskirts of the city in the north of the territory, according to the ministry. He died in a hospital in the central city of Ramallah.

Official news agency Wafa quoted a local mayor as saying he was shot by a rubber-coated bullet.

On the day of the clashes, 15-year-old Mohammed Hamayel was killed when he was shot in the face by Israeli live fire, the ministry said at the time.

An Israeli army statement from March 11 alleged soldiers had faced a "violent riot" of roughly 500 Palestinians hurling rocks and setting tyres on fire.

An AFP journalist in Nablus said hundreds of Palestinians had gathered in an area south of the city in response to rumours that Israeli settlers were coming to seize land.

Read more: Negligence in crisis: Palestinian citizens of Israel 'not being tested for coronavirus'

The army had denied using live ammunition to break up the demonstration, but said it was investigating Hamayel's death and other reported injuries.

An army spokeswoman confirmed to AFP on Wednesday that an investigation had been opened, but said it would take time to reach a conclusion.

Israeli troops have been criticised for routinely using disproportionate force against Palestinians.

On Wednesday, Palestinian citizens of Israel were beaten by Israeli police in Jaffa when police reportedly used coronavirus lockdown rules as cover to crack down on the area's Arab population.

Civilians took to the streets Wednesday afternoon to defend themselves after allegations that Israeli police had violently and disproportionately targeted Palestinians for breaking quarantine rules.

Videos emerged on Wednesday of large numbers of police crowding around and beating a Palestinian man who did not have his identification documents.

“This is police violence in Jaffa today”, The Mossawa Centre, a Haifa based advocacy group for Palestinian citizens of Israel said in a statement.

“There is clear selective enforcement of coronavirus rules and clearly shows the police are not adhering to social distancing rules themselves,” the group added.

In response to the police violence, Palestinian-Israelis in Jaffa began their protests, burning tyres and skips in an attempt to deter the security forces from entering. 

Israeli police stormed Jaffa with reinforcements and helicopters, locals say.

Last week, two Palestinian-Israeli youths in Jaffa were arrested and violently beaten across the head by the police whilst they were walking to a kiosk for supplies.

Palestinian citizens of Israel make up 20 percent of the Israeli population and face systematic discrimination and complain of being treated as second-class citizens in comparison to their Jewish counterparts.

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