14 feb 2018

Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a 29-year-old double amputee, was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers close to the perimeter fence in the Gaza Strip. Abu Thuraya, a resident of Deir al-Balah, had already been injured three times by the Israeli military:
In 2001 he was hit in the leg by soldiers’ gunfire during clashes to the east of Gaza City.
About three years later, in 2004, he was hit in the stomach by soldiers’ gunfire during clashes in the same area.
The third time was in 2008, during Operation Cast Lead, when he was injured by a missile the military fired after entering al-Bureij Refugee Camp.
Seven Palestinians, including four minors, were killed by the missile, while Abu Thuraya lost both his legs.
Abu Thuraya lived with his parents and six siblings. He was the family’s sole provider, washing cars and receiving a disability allowance from a government association that supports individuals who suffered injuries.
President Trump’s “Jerusalem Declaration” on 6 December 2017 sparked a wave of protests. Abu Thuraya joined these demonstrations and threw stones at soldiers stationed on the other side of the perimeter fence.
During protests, because of the lay of the land, he would get out of his wheelchair, crawl toward the fence, then crawl away and get back into his wheelchair. He became a familiar figure to the soldiers.
On the morning of Friday, 15 December 2017, at about 9:00 A.M., approximately one hundred youths gathered near the perimeter fence, by Nahal Oz Checkpoint to the east of Gaza City.
After about two hours, the youths began to burn tires and throw stones at military jeeps and soldiers stationed by two towers approximately 15 meters from the fence; the soldiers were firing live ammunition and teargas at the demonstrators.
When Abu Thuraya arrived, youths who were already there pushed his wheelchair nearer the fence. At about 4:30 P.M., while Abu Thuraya was on the ground some 10-20 meters from the perimeter fence, a soldier shot him in the head, killing him. Approximately half an hour earlier, at the same demonstration, soldiers fatally shot another protester in the head, 23-year-old Yasser Sukar from Gaza City.
A.S., 22, from Gaza City, gave his testimony to B’Tselem field researcher Muhammad Sabah on 19 December 2017, recounting the day’s events:
Over the days leading up to the incident, Ibrahim Abu Thuraya and I became friends. He’d ask me to push him toward the border while he waved a Palestinian flag. I wasn’t afraid of the gunfire and I pushed him as near the border as he wanted. We’d get as close as 100 meters or so from the border. He thought that the soldiers wouldn’t shoot at him. Ibrahim would approach even nearer the border without his wheelchair, shout at the soldiers and then move back. Sometimes when he got to the border he’d wave a Palestinian flag or the flag of the Popular Front. Sometimes he’d throw stones. On Wednesday, a military jeep drove up and the soldiers in the jeep started addressing him on a bullhorn. One soldier said, in Arabic, “Go away, Ibrahim.” The jeep stopped there for a little while and then drove away.
On Friday, 15 December 2017, at about 9 o’clock in the morning, I walked to the Nahal Oz area. There were about a hundred teens and youths there, standing around 200 meters from the fence. Soldiers were stationed in both the military towers. No one was throwing stones because we were waiting for ambulances to arrive and for more youths to get there. After about two hours some more guys arrived. Ibrahim Abu Thuraya came too. He’d move from one place to another, sometimes approaching the border sometimes moving away again. Sometimes he’d lift up his shirt to show the soldiers that he wasn’t armed and that he posed no threat to anyone. Suddenly the soldiers fired teargas canisters and the air filled with gas. We couldn’t see anything in front of us. Then they fired live ammunition, and then teargas again. I saw that Ibrahim had been hit. The guys picked him up and took him toward the ambulance.
Another protester, J.H., 26, from Beit Lahiya, also described the shooting of Abu Thuraya. He gave a statement on 27 December 2017 to B’Tselem field researcher Muhammad Sabah:
The clashes that day continued until the afternoon and grew more intense because many youths came. The military fired live ammunition and teargas at us and every few minutes someone was injured either by live gunfire, by a direct hit from a gas canister, or by inhaling teargas.
At about half past four, Ibrahim approached the border. One of the guys pushed him on his wheelchair. Then he got out of the wheelchair and began to crawl toward us. We were standing a few meters from the fence. The soldiers swore at us and we swore back and threw stones at them. Ibrahim Abu Thuraya approached us, and suddenly we heard the loud sound of live fire. I saw Ibrahim collapse and fall on his back. As he fell we began to shout “Allahu akbar.” Straight away we picked him up and carried him to the ambulance.
Abu Thuraya was carried to a Red Crescent ambulance waiting about 250 meters from the fence which took him to a-Shifaa Hospital in Gaza City where he was pronounced dead
In 2001 he was hit in the leg by soldiers’ gunfire during clashes to the east of Gaza City.
About three years later, in 2004, he was hit in the stomach by soldiers’ gunfire during clashes in the same area.
The third time was in 2008, during Operation Cast Lead, when he was injured by a missile the military fired after entering al-Bureij Refugee Camp.
Seven Palestinians, including four minors, were killed by the missile, while Abu Thuraya lost both his legs.
Abu Thuraya lived with his parents and six siblings. He was the family’s sole provider, washing cars and receiving a disability allowance from a government association that supports individuals who suffered injuries.
President Trump’s “Jerusalem Declaration” on 6 December 2017 sparked a wave of protests. Abu Thuraya joined these demonstrations and threw stones at soldiers stationed on the other side of the perimeter fence.
During protests, because of the lay of the land, he would get out of his wheelchair, crawl toward the fence, then crawl away and get back into his wheelchair. He became a familiar figure to the soldiers.
On the morning of Friday, 15 December 2017, at about 9:00 A.M., approximately one hundred youths gathered near the perimeter fence, by Nahal Oz Checkpoint to the east of Gaza City.
After about two hours, the youths began to burn tires and throw stones at military jeeps and soldiers stationed by two towers approximately 15 meters from the fence; the soldiers were firing live ammunition and teargas at the demonstrators.
When Abu Thuraya arrived, youths who were already there pushed his wheelchair nearer the fence. At about 4:30 P.M., while Abu Thuraya was on the ground some 10-20 meters from the perimeter fence, a soldier shot him in the head, killing him. Approximately half an hour earlier, at the same demonstration, soldiers fatally shot another protester in the head, 23-year-old Yasser Sukar from Gaza City.
A.S., 22, from Gaza City, gave his testimony to B’Tselem field researcher Muhammad Sabah on 19 December 2017, recounting the day’s events:
Over the days leading up to the incident, Ibrahim Abu Thuraya and I became friends. He’d ask me to push him toward the border while he waved a Palestinian flag. I wasn’t afraid of the gunfire and I pushed him as near the border as he wanted. We’d get as close as 100 meters or so from the border. He thought that the soldiers wouldn’t shoot at him. Ibrahim would approach even nearer the border without his wheelchair, shout at the soldiers and then move back. Sometimes when he got to the border he’d wave a Palestinian flag or the flag of the Popular Front. Sometimes he’d throw stones. On Wednesday, a military jeep drove up and the soldiers in the jeep started addressing him on a bullhorn. One soldier said, in Arabic, “Go away, Ibrahim.” The jeep stopped there for a little while and then drove away.
On Friday, 15 December 2017, at about 9 o’clock in the morning, I walked to the Nahal Oz area. There were about a hundred teens and youths there, standing around 200 meters from the fence. Soldiers were stationed in both the military towers. No one was throwing stones because we were waiting for ambulances to arrive and for more youths to get there. After about two hours some more guys arrived. Ibrahim Abu Thuraya came too. He’d move from one place to another, sometimes approaching the border sometimes moving away again. Sometimes he’d lift up his shirt to show the soldiers that he wasn’t armed and that he posed no threat to anyone. Suddenly the soldiers fired teargas canisters and the air filled with gas. We couldn’t see anything in front of us. Then they fired live ammunition, and then teargas again. I saw that Ibrahim had been hit. The guys picked him up and took him toward the ambulance.
Another protester, J.H., 26, from Beit Lahiya, also described the shooting of Abu Thuraya. He gave a statement on 27 December 2017 to B’Tselem field researcher Muhammad Sabah:
The clashes that day continued until the afternoon and grew more intense because many youths came. The military fired live ammunition and teargas at us and every few minutes someone was injured either by live gunfire, by a direct hit from a gas canister, or by inhaling teargas.
At about half past four, Ibrahim approached the border. One of the guys pushed him on his wheelchair. Then he got out of the wheelchair and began to crawl toward us. We were standing a few meters from the fence. The soldiers swore at us and we swore back and threw stones at them. Ibrahim Abu Thuraya approached us, and suddenly we heard the loud sound of live fire. I saw Ibrahim collapse and fall on his back. As he fell we began to shout “Allahu akbar.” Straight away we picked him up and carried him to the ambulance.
Abu Thuraya was carried to a Red Crescent ambulance waiting about 250 meters from the fence which took him to a-Shifaa Hospital in Gaza City where he was pronounced dead

His mother, E’tidal Abu Thuraya, 56, a resident of Deir al-Balah, a married mother of seven, related the following in the testimony she gave on 24 December 2017 to B’Tselem field researcher Olfat al-Kurd:
Ibrahim got an injured person’s allowance from a government organization that supports people who have been injured, and we used that to pay the rent and buy groceries. My husband is already old and he can’t work, and Ibrahim has a younger brother and five sisters who aren’t working. The allowance wasn’t enough for us, and Ibrahim also worked washing cars on the streets of Gaza City. Even though he suffered a lot because of the loss of both his legs, Ibrahim was always smiling, optimistic, and friendly. He was kind and compassionate to me and his father. He always tried to make sure I had everything I need.
When Ibrahim heard about the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital he was very angry. After he heard about the clashes between the youths and the military, he decided to go to the demonstrations to the east of Gaza City. He wouldn’t let anything keep him from it and I couldn’t stop him. Nothing could stop him. Although he had been injured so many times, he didn’t give up or get tired. On Friday, 15 December 2017, he woke up at 9 o’clock in the morning, had breakfast, and told me and his brother and sisters that he was going to the demonstrations near Nahal Oz. He told me to look after the family because that day he was going to fall as a martyr, and he said goodbye to me and to his brother and sisters. I didn’t believe him because he always used to fool around and joke a lot.
He left home at 10 o’clock. We live in the Deir al-Balah area. The demonstration he wanted to go to was near Shuja’iyeh, by Nahal Oz. That’s far away and it’s difficult to get there. He was used to going there because until a few months ago we lived in Gaza City. Every time he went off to the demonstrations I was worried and scared, but I always expected that he’d come back home. I thought that the Israeli military wouldn’t shoot him because he was a cripple and he wasn’t a danger to anyone. He couldn’t walk, only crawl by the fence.
At about 5 o’clock one of his cousins phoned and told me that Ibrahim had been hit in the head and had fallen as a martyr. I didn’t believe him and I was sure Ibrahim would come home. I told his father and he went on his own to a-Shifaa Hospital and saw the body in the morgue to make sure it was true. He phoned and told me that Ibrahim was dead and that he had been hit in the head. I became hysterical and started screaming and crying. His sisters also completely fell apart when they heard the news that he was dead. What had he done to deserve this?! The next day we held his funeral and I said my goodbyes to him. I hugged him, wept over him, his brother and sisters and I said goodbye to him. I was sad, in shock. My heart was broken. May the Heavens comfort me. He’s left such a void behind. Sometimes I imagine that I can hear him laughing at home. I pray for him every day.
During the wave of protests sparked by President Trump’s declaration about Jerusalem, another seven demonstrators – apart from Abu Thuraya – were shot and killed by soldiers who were stationed on the other side of the perimeter fence. Like Abu Thuraya, none of the protesters who were killed posed mortal danger to the soldiers. According to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, between 7 and 31 December 2017, a total of 322 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition fired by the military and 58 were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. This reality is a direct result of the military’s open-fire policy near the perimeter fence, which includes gunfire – also by snipers – at stone-throwers who pose no danger whatsoever.
The media reported that the Military Police Investigations Unit has launched an investigation into the shooting of Abu Thuraya. However, past experience shows the investigation is highly unlikely to lead to the prosecution of those responsible for this unlawful killing, to say nothing of the prosecution of senior figures.
This experience, which shows that such investigations almost always end in a whitewash, has led B’Tselem to stop sending demands to the MAG Corps to open investigations. That said, the obligation to investigate and bring to justice those responsible remains squarely on the shoulders of the military system. Yet as long as the MAG Corps continues its policy of systematically whitewashing instances in which Israeli security forces kill or injure Palestinians, with no one being held to account for these actions, the unlawful killing will continue.
Ibrahim got an injured person’s allowance from a government organization that supports people who have been injured, and we used that to pay the rent and buy groceries. My husband is already old and he can’t work, and Ibrahim has a younger brother and five sisters who aren’t working. The allowance wasn’t enough for us, and Ibrahim also worked washing cars on the streets of Gaza City. Even though he suffered a lot because of the loss of both his legs, Ibrahim was always smiling, optimistic, and friendly. He was kind and compassionate to me and his father. He always tried to make sure I had everything I need.
When Ibrahim heard about the declaration of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital he was very angry. After he heard about the clashes between the youths and the military, he decided to go to the demonstrations to the east of Gaza City. He wouldn’t let anything keep him from it and I couldn’t stop him. Nothing could stop him. Although he had been injured so many times, he didn’t give up or get tired. On Friday, 15 December 2017, he woke up at 9 o’clock in the morning, had breakfast, and told me and his brother and sisters that he was going to the demonstrations near Nahal Oz. He told me to look after the family because that day he was going to fall as a martyr, and he said goodbye to me and to his brother and sisters. I didn’t believe him because he always used to fool around and joke a lot.
He left home at 10 o’clock. We live in the Deir al-Balah area. The demonstration he wanted to go to was near Shuja’iyeh, by Nahal Oz. That’s far away and it’s difficult to get there. He was used to going there because until a few months ago we lived in Gaza City. Every time he went off to the demonstrations I was worried and scared, but I always expected that he’d come back home. I thought that the Israeli military wouldn’t shoot him because he was a cripple and he wasn’t a danger to anyone. He couldn’t walk, only crawl by the fence.
At about 5 o’clock one of his cousins phoned and told me that Ibrahim had been hit in the head and had fallen as a martyr. I didn’t believe him and I was sure Ibrahim would come home. I told his father and he went on his own to a-Shifaa Hospital and saw the body in the morgue to make sure it was true. He phoned and told me that Ibrahim was dead and that he had been hit in the head. I became hysterical and started screaming and crying. His sisters also completely fell apart when they heard the news that he was dead. What had he done to deserve this?! The next day we held his funeral and I said my goodbyes to him. I hugged him, wept over him, his brother and sisters and I said goodbye to him. I was sad, in shock. My heart was broken. May the Heavens comfort me. He’s left such a void behind. Sometimes I imagine that I can hear him laughing at home. I pray for him every day.
During the wave of protests sparked by President Trump’s declaration about Jerusalem, another seven demonstrators – apart from Abu Thuraya – were shot and killed by soldiers who were stationed on the other side of the perimeter fence. Like Abu Thuraya, none of the protesters who were killed posed mortal danger to the soldiers. According to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health, between 7 and 31 December 2017, a total of 322 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition fired by the military and 58 were injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. This reality is a direct result of the military’s open-fire policy near the perimeter fence, which includes gunfire – also by snipers – at stone-throwers who pose no danger whatsoever.
The media reported that the Military Police Investigations Unit has launched an investigation into the shooting of Abu Thuraya. However, past experience shows the investigation is highly unlikely to lead to the prosecution of those responsible for this unlawful killing, to say nothing of the prosecution of senior figures.
This experience, which shows that such investigations almost always end in a whitewash, has led B’Tselem to stop sending demands to the MAG Corps to open investigations. That said, the obligation to investigate and bring to justice those responsible remains squarely on the shoulders of the military system. Yet as long as the MAG Corps continues its policy of systematically whitewashing instances in which Israeli security forces kill or injure Palestinians, with no one being held to account for these actions, the unlawful killing will continue.
22 dec 2017

Analysis: Israel was widely condemned over the death of the 'innocent' double amputee Ibrahim Abu Thuraya in Gaza protests. But digging into his history shows he was a member of a terror group that morphed into Hamas and an agitator who wanted to 'die a martyr.'
Last Friday, Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a disabled person who uses a wheelchair, who participated in a protest meters from the border fence in Gaza, was killed. Israel was widely criticized for killing Abu Thuraya and in some cases accused that an IDF sniper deliberately shot him.
Zeid al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published a condemnation claiming the protester did not pose a threat so there was no justification for his death. The Guardian published the story under the title “'A shocking and wanton act': Israel accused over death of wheelchair user”. The Telegraph reported “How a dead man in a wheelchair became a symbol of Palestinian anger over Donald Trump’s Jerusalem decision”.
Israel gave a different version of events. According to the IDF’s investigation, “Riot control equipment was used in the protest area. A few live rounds were fired towards the main instigators. Troops received approval prior to shooting each round by a senior commander in the field. No live fire was aimed at Abu Thuraya”.
In reports worldwide, Abu Thuraya has been described as an innocent victim, having lost his legs as a result of an Israeli bombing during Operation Cast Lead in 2008 and as a protester brutally shot without any justification.
However, new information recently uncovered, makes the story questionable. Tomer Ilan, an Israeli activist, has researched Abu Thuraya’s history and found that his family members have reported to the media on his last words the day before the protest. Russia Today reports he told his family, “Brother, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me. And you, my mother, forgive me, and you my sisters, you all forgive me... He kissed the hand and the leg of my father and said to him: Father, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me, as I intend to be a martyr. I am bored of this life, I have no legs and I have nothing. I want to die and rest from life.” Mondoweiss quotes similar a testimony by a family member.
Abu Thuraya’s alleged injury as an innocent civilian by an IDF bombing on his home in 2008, has also been found to be totally inaccurate. The Independent reported in 2005 that Abu Thuraya, a Fatah Force 17 member, was shot in the leg, in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. His membership in Fatah’s Force 17 is also reported in the 2010 book “Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement” By Beverley Milton-Edwards, Stephen Farrell“.
A Palestinian website reports he was injured again and lost his legs in April 2008 in battle with the IDF, as a Hamas combatant, 8 months before Operation Cast Lead.
The circumstances of Abu Thuraya’s death last week remain unclear. His past as a terrorist may not be related to the protest in which he was killed.
However, in stark contrast to worldwide media reports, he was not an innocent civilian but a member of terrorist groups Force 17 and later Hamas, was injured twice while serving these groups, and went to last Friday’s protest in order to die as a “martyr”.
Last Friday, Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, a disabled person who uses a wheelchair, who participated in a protest meters from the border fence in Gaza, was killed. Israel was widely criticized for killing Abu Thuraya and in some cases accused that an IDF sniper deliberately shot him.
Zeid al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, published a condemnation claiming the protester did not pose a threat so there was no justification for his death. The Guardian published the story under the title “'A shocking and wanton act': Israel accused over death of wheelchair user”. The Telegraph reported “How a dead man in a wheelchair became a symbol of Palestinian anger over Donald Trump’s Jerusalem decision”.
Israel gave a different version of events. According to the IDF’s investigation, “Riot control equipment was used in the protest area. A few live rounds were fired towards the main instigators. Troops received approval prior to shooting each round by a senior commander in the field. No live fire was aimed at Abu Thuraya”.
In reports worldwide, Abu Thuraya has been described as an innocent victim, having lost his legs as a result of an Israeli bombing during Operation Cast Lead in 2008 and as a protester brutally shot without any justification.
However, new information recently uncovered, makes the story questionable. Tomer Ilan, an Israeli activist, has researched Abu Thuraya’s history and found that his family members have reported to the media on his last words the day before the protest. Russia Today reports he told his family, “Brother, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me. And you, my mother, forgive me, and you my sisters, you all forgive me... He kissed the hand and the leg of my father and said to him: Father, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me, as I intend to be a martyr. I am bored of this life, I have no legs and I have nothing. I want to die and rest from life.” Mondoweiss quotes similar a testimony by a family member.
Abu Thuraya’s alleged injury as an innocent civilian by an IDF bombing on his home in 2008, has also been found to be totally inaccurate. The Independent reported in 2005 that Abu Thuraya, a Fatah Force 17 member, was shot in the leg, in fighting between Hamas and Fatah. His membership in Fatah’s Force 17 is also reported in the 2010 book “Hamas: The Islamic Resistance Movement” By Beverley Milton-Edwards, Stephen Farrell“.
A Palestinian website reports he was injured again and lost his legs in April 2008 in battle with the IDF, as a Hamas combatant, 8 months before Operation Cast Lead.
The circumstances of Abu Thuraya’s death last week remain unclear. His past as a terrorist may not be related to the protest in which he was killed.
However, in stark contrast to worldwide media reports, he was not an innocent civilian but a member of terrorist groups Force 17 and later Hamas, was injured twice while serving these groups, and went to last Friday’s protest in order to die as a “martyr”.
20 dec 2017

The UN is calling for a probe into the killing of a wheelchair-bound Palestinian during a protest against Trump’s Jerusalem decision, despite the IDF stating that it found “no moral or professional failures” related to the death.“The facts gathered so far by my staff in Gaza strongly suggest that the force used against Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was excessive,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said Tuesday.
At least four Palestinians were killed and more than 150 injured, as thousands took to the streets of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem last Friday. Among those killed was 29-year-old Thurayeh, a disabled activist confined to a wheelchair after losing both of his legs, allegedly, in the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2008.
Social media was flooded with videos and photos of Thurayeh a few hours before his death – sitting in his wheelchair and waving a Palestinian flag. “This land is our land, we will not give up. America has to withdraw its decision,” he reportedly said in a video seen by AFP.
Hours later, Thurayeh was shot and killed by Israeli forces during clashes in Anata, a village just outside Jerusalem, where the IDF fired live ammunition and rubber bullets against the Palestinians. The UN human rights chief condemned the mass and brutal crackdown by Israeli forces, describing Thurayeh’s killing as a “shocking and wanton act.”
“There is nothing whatsoever to suggest that Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was posing an imminent threat of death or serious injury when he was killed. Given his severe disability, which must have been clearly visible to those who shot him, his killing is incomprehensible – a truly shocking and wanton act,” Hussein said.
He maintains the IDF acted against international human rights law which strictly regulates the use of force against demonstrators. “The lethal use of firearms should only be employed as the last resort, when strictly unavoidable, in order to protect life,” Hussein pointed out.
The Palestinian’s brother told Ruptly that Thurayeh knew he would not be coming back from the protest alive. “Yesterday my brother said to me while he was eating dinner us: ‘Brother, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me. And you, my mother, forgive me, and you my sisters, you all forgive me...’
“He kissed the hand and the leg of my father and said to him: Father, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me, as I intend to be a martyr. I am bored of this life, I have no legs and I have nothing. I want to die and rest from life.”
His mother told Ruptly that her son wanted to “sacrifice himself for the homeland,” adding that “he has become a martyr.” His father said that his son died for Jerusalem.
Following the backlash over the death of the 29-year-old disabled Palestinian, the Israeli army announced Sunday that it was launching an investigation into the case. On Monday, the IDF said its investigation found “no moral or professional failures” in the incident. Israeli troops were also cleared of any wrongdoing, according to AP.
According to the military, no live fire was aimed at Thurayeh during the "extremely violent" Friday protest. “Few controlled shootings were carried out towards main instigators,” an Israeli military spokesperson told +972 Magazine on Monday. “Troops received approval prior to shooting each round by a senior commander in the field. No live fire was aimed at Abu Thuraya.”
The military said it was impossible to determine the Palestinian’s cause of death, and that it has repeatedly requested information on the man’s injuries and will examine them if they are received.
However, Israeli military investigations are often criticized by rights groups and Palestinians who allege that they are neither independent nor effective, citing a low indictment rate. Meanwhile, the military, insists its system works.
At least five people have been killed so far and over a thousand injured as Israel continue to fire live munitions, rubber bullets and other dispersal weapons to crack down on Palestinians following Trump's December 6 declaration which spurred mass unrest, the UN said Tuesday. Palestine’s Maan news agency, however, estimates that at least 10 Palestinians were killed in the two weeks of ongoing clashes after Hamas urged a new intifada to liberate Jerusalem. The use of live ammunition has resulted in over 220 people being injured in Gaza, including 95 on Friday alone, according to UN figures.
“This level of casualties raises serious concerns as to whether the force used by Israeli forces was properly calibrated to the threat,” Hussein said. He urged Israel to “immediately open an independent and impartial investigation into this” and other deadly incidents. “And these events, including the loss of five irreplaceable human lives, can sadly be traced directly back to the unilateral US announcement on the status of Jerusalem, which breaks international consensus and was dangerously provocative.”
At least four Palestinians were killed and more than 150 injured, as thousands took to the streets of the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem last Friday. Among those killed was 29-year-old Thurayeh, a disabled activist confined to a wheelchair after losing both of his legs, allegedly, in the Israeli attack on Gaza in 2008.
Social media was flooded with videos and photos of Thurayeh a few hours before his death – sitting in his wheelchair and waving a Palestinian flag. “This land is our land, we will not give up. America has to withdraw its decision,” he reportedly said in a video seen by AFP.
Hours later, Thurayeh was shot and killed by Israeli forces during clashes in Anata, a village just outside Jerusalem, where the IDF fired live ammunition and rubber bullets against the Palestinians. The UN human rights chief condemned the mass and brutal crackdown by Israeli forces, describing Thurayeh’s killing as a “shocking and wanton act.”
“There is nothing whatsoever to suggest that Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was posing an imminent threat of death or serious injury when he was killed. Given his severe disability, which must have been clearly visible to those who shot him, his killing is incomprehensible – a truly shocking and wanton act,” Hussein said.
He maintains the IDF acted against international human rights law which strictly regulates the use of force against demonstrators. “The lethal use of firearms should only be employed as the last resort, when strictly unavoidable, in order to protect life,” Hussein pointed out.
The Palestinian’s brother told Ruptly that Thurayeh knew he would not be coming back from the protest alive. “Yesterday my brother said to me while he was eating dinner us: ‘Brother, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me. And you, my mother, forgive me, and you my sisters, you all forgive me...’
“He kissed the hand and the leg of my father and said to him: Father, forgive me. This is the last night you will see me, as I intend to be a martyr. I am bored of this life, I have no legs and I have nothing. I want to die and rest from life.”
His mother told Ruptly that her son wanted to “sacrifice himself for the homeland,” adding that “he has become a martyr.” His father said that his son died for Jerusalem.
Following the backlash over the death of the 29-year-old disabled Palestinian, the Israeli army announced Sunday that it was launching an investigation into the case. On Monday, the IDF said its investigation found “no moral or professional failures” in the incident. Israeli troops were also cleared of any wrongdoing, according to AP.
According to the military, no live fire was aimed at Thurayeh during the "extremely violent" Friday protest. “Few controlled shootings were carried out towards main instigators,” an Israeli military spokesperson told +972 Magazine on Monday. “Troops received approval prior to shooting each round by a senior commander in the field. No live fire was aimed at Abu Thuraya.”
The military said it was impossible to determine the Palestinian’s cause of death, and that it has repeatedly requested information on the man’s injuries and will examine them if they are received.
However, Israeli military investigations are often criticized by rights groups and Palestinians who allege that they are neither independent nor effective, citing a low indictment rate. Meanwhile, the military, insists its system works.
At least five people have been killed so far and over a thousand injured as Israel continue to fire live munitions, rubber bullets and other dispersal weapons to crack down on Palestinians following Trump's December 6 declaration which spurred mass unrest, the UN said Tuesday. Palestine’s Maan news agency, however, estimates that at least 10 Palestinians were killed in the two weeks of ongoing clashes after Hamas urged a new intifada to liberate Jerusalem. The use of live ammunition has resulted in over 220 people being injured in Gaza, including 95 on Friday alone, according to UN figures.
“This level of casualties raises serious concerns as to whether the force used by Israeli forces was properly calibrated to the threat,” Hussein said. He urged Israel to “immediately open an independent and impartial investigation into this” and other deadly incidents. “And these events, including the loss of five irreplaceable human lives, can sadly be traced directly back to the unilateral US announcement on the status of Jerusalem, which breaks international consensus and was dangerously provocative.”
19 dec 2017

Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, who lost his legs during an Israeli airstrike nine years ago, was one of four Palestinians killed during protests over Trump's declaration of Jerusalem as Israel's capital
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein condemed on Tuesday the shooting of a wheelchair-bound Palestinian man during clashes along the Israel-Gaza border on Friday.
Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, 29, lost his legs during an Israeli airstrike nine years ago. He was one of four Palestinians killed during a wave of protests and clashes over the weekend following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. One of those killed was shot after he attempted to stab an Israeli officer.
"The facts gathered so far by my staff in Gaza strongly suggest that the force used against Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was excessive," Zeid said, adding that Thuraya appears to have been killed by a bullet wound to the head when he was around 20 meters from the Israel-Gaza border fence.
Zeid said that given Thuraya's disability there was no evidence that he posed a threat to the Israeli forces. "His killing is incomprehensible - a truly shocking and wanton act," Zeid said.
"These events, including the loss of five irreplaceable human lives, can sadly be traced directly back to the unilateral U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem, which breaks international consensus and was dangerously provocative," he added.
Trump's Jerusalem declaration nearly two weeks ago sparked protests and violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security services. Scores of Palestinians have been injured and eight Palestinians - including two Hamas militants and a Palestinian attacker - have died during the unrest following the U.S. move.
The Israeli army said that Thuraya participated in "extremely violent" riots, in which Palestinians threw rocks and explosive devices and burned tires.
The army added that the soldiers "showed restraint in the use of force" and requests for details on Thuraya's injuries were not recieved.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein condemed on Tuesday the shooting of a wheelchair-bound Palestinian man during clashes along the Israel-Gaza border on Friday.
Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, 29, lost his legs during an Israeli airstrike nine years ago. He was one of four Palestinians killed during a wave of protests and clashes over the weekend following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. One of those killed was shot after he attempted to stab an Israeli officer.
"The facts gathered so far by my staff in Gaza strongly suggest that the force used against Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was excessive," Zeid said, adding that Thuraya appears to have been killed by a bullet wound to the head when he was around 20 meters from the Israel-Gaza border fence.
Zeid said that given Thuraya's disability there was no evidence that he posed a threat to the Israeli forces. "His killing is incomprehensible - a truly shocking and wanton act," Zeid said.
"These events, including the loss of five irreplaceable human lives, can sadly be traced directly back to the unilateral U.S. announcement on the status of Jerusalem, which breaks international consensus and was dangerously provocative," he added.
Trump's Jerusalem declaration nearly two weeks ago sparked protests and violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security services. Scores of Palestinians have been injured and eight Palestinians - including two Hamas militants and a Palestinian attacker - have died during the unrest following the U.S. move.
The Israeli army said that Thuraya participated in "extremely violent" riots, in which Palestinians threw rocks and explosive devices and burned tires.
The army added that the soldiers "showed restraint in the use of force" and requests for details on Thuraya's injuries were not recieved.
15 dec 2017
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![]() Muhammad Amin Aqel al-Adam 18
Four Palestinians have been declared dead by the Palestinian Health Ministry in the West Bank and Gaza, after a day of violent clashes with Israeli forces on Friday across the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and besieged Gaza Strip. The ministry reported that 18-year-old Muhammad Amin Aqel al-Adam succumbed to his wounds on Friday evening after he was shot multiple times by Israeli forces in the central West Bank town of al-Bireh, after an alleged stabbing attempt against soldiers. Video |
Al-Adam was a resident of the town of Beit Ula in the western Hebron district of the southern West Bank

Bassel Mustafa Muhammad Ibrahim 29
In the Jerusalem area town of Anata, in the central West Bank, 29-year-old Bassel Mustafa Muhammad Ibrahim succumbed to his wounds shortly after being shot in the chest by Israeli forces during clashes in the town.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and injured hundreds others during clashes that broke out along the border between the besieged coastal enclave and Israel.
Yassir Sokhar, 23, a resident of the al-Shujaiyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City was shot during clashes and declared dead by the ministry of health in Gaza.
In the Jerusalem area town of Anata, in the central West Bank, 29-year-old Bassel Mustafa Muhammad Ibrahim succumbed to his wounds shortly after being shot in the chest by Israeli forces during clashes in the town.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians and injured hundreds others during clashes that broke out along the border between the besieged coastal enclave and Israel.
Yassir Sokhar, 23, a resident of the al-Shujaiyya neighborhood of eastern Gaza City was shot during clashes and declared dead by the ministry of health in Gaza.
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![]() Ibrahim Abu Thurayya 29
The fourth slain Palestinian was identified by the ministry as Ibrahim Abu Thurayya, 29, who was shot in the head during clashes. Video Tributes to Abu Thurayya -- who was wheelchair-ridden after losing both his legs during Israel’s offensive on the Gaza Strip in 2008 -- popped up across social media, as Palestinians widely circulated a video of him calling on Palestinians to protest against US President Donald Trump’s recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. |
Hundreds of Palestinians across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza had been injured with live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets on Friday during clashes with Israeli forces in protest of Trump’s decision last week.

Yassir Sokhar 23
Friday’s events brought the death toll over the past week to 10 -- six Palestinians had previously been killed by Israeli forces over the past week, four in airstrikes and two in clashes.
Palestinians have vowed to continue protesting Trump’s unprecedented decision, which Palestinian and Arab leaders warned would cause instability and unrest in the region.
Trump’s announcement was the first step to a drastic abdication of longstanding US policy that has largely adhered to international standards on Israel-Palestine, which maintains that East Jerusalem is an intricate part of occupied Palestinian territory and the capital of any future Palestinian state, despite Israel’s annexation of the territory.
The fate of Jerusalem has been a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades, with numerous tensions arising over Israeli threats regarding the status of non-Jewish religious sites in the city, and the "Judaization" of East Jerusalem through settlement construction and mass demolitions of Palestinian homes.
Also read: Israel: International law strictly regulates the use of force in the context of protests and demonstrations, and the lethal use of firearms should only be employed as the last resort when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life, Zeid said.
Friday’s events brought the death toll over the past week to 10 -- six Palestinians had previously been killed by Israeli forces over the past week, four in airstrikes and two in clashes.
Palestinians have vowed to continue protesting Trump’s unprecedented decision, which Palestinian and Arab leaders warned would cause instability and unrest in the region.
Trump’s announcement was the first step to a drastic abdication of longstanding US policy that has largely adhered to international standards on Israel-Palestine, which maintains that East Jerusalem is an intricate part of occupied Palestinian territory and the capital of any future Palestinian state, despite Israel’s annexation of the territory.
The fate of Jerusalem has been a focal point of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for decades, with numerous tensions arising over Israeli threats regarding the status of non-Jewish religious sites in the city, and the "Judaization" of East Jerusalem through settlement construction and mass demolitions of Palestinian homes.
Also read: Israel: International law strictly regulates the use of force in the context of protests and demonstrations, and the lethal use of firearms should only be employed as the last resort when strictly unavoidable in order to protect life, Zeid said.
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