A 23-year-old disabled Palestinian man was shot dead in the back as he walked down the street. Israel claimed that this occurred during a “clash,” but a video has now surfaced belying the claim.
By Jack Khoury and Yaniv Kubovich, reposted from Ha’aretz:
A video of the fatal shooting of a Palestinian shows that he was shot in the back and contradicts the Israeli military’s claim that the incident occurred during violent clashes. The army has opened an investigation into the shooting, which occurred Tuesday in the West Bank city of Tul Karm.
A video of the incident aired by a local television statement shows Mohammad Khossam Khabali,a 23-year-old who used a cane to help him walk, being shot in the back as he walks with a group of other people in the city in the early morning hours.
Acquaintances of Khabali, who lived in a refugee camp in the city, said he was physically disabled and cognitively impaired. He was known in the camp as someone who often looked to work simple odd jobs.
According to earlier Palestinian reports, the Israeli army entered Tul Karm early in the morning on Tuesday, and Khabali was critically wounded and was pronounced dead after being carried to the city’s hospital.
The Israel Defense Forces said following the reports that that while troops were operating in Tul Karm, “a violent riot was instigated in which dozens of Palestinians hurled rocks.”
“Troops responded with riot control methods and later with live fire,” said the spokeswoman.
The video, however, does not show any violent confrontation and soldiers were walking on a main street in the western part of Tul Karm.
For a list of Palestinians and Israelis killed see this Timeline.
