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Odeh's killer
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Mahmoud Odeh Killed by a settler November 30 2017 |
7 dec 2017
While police investigation into Qusra shooting incident still ongoing, preliminary conclusions say father acted in self defense when discharging almost entire clip into air, accidentally hitting, killing Palestinian; father said to have left children in cave, reached higher ground to scare off rioters but was hit in head and fell back down; sector's brigade cmdr., additional forces later called to disperse rioters.
The Jerusalem District Police's investigation into the shooting incident that killed a Palestinian near the West Bank village of Qusra last week is still ongoing, but sources close to the investigation said Thursday findings so far point to the shooter acting in self defense.
The shooter, a father who accompanied a children's bar mitzvah that passed near the village, discharged almost an entire clip of his weapon when his group was attacked by Palestinians who threw stones at them. The father's shots hit, and later killed, Mahmoud Odeh.
The police sources said they were taking the investigation extremely seriously and explained they will take all necessary measures to ascertain the exact circumstances of the deadly shooting.
"All involved have already been interrogated or will be in the future," the sources said. Speaking about the shooter, suspected of involuntary manslaughter, they said, "We realize their lives were in danger. The father emptied almost an entire clip in self defense."
The father accompanied the young boys through an area he knew well, the sources said, adding the group was attacked from above with rocks when they reached a point below the Palestinian village.
The parents and children could not see who was throwing the stones at them, said the sources, and therefore decided to leave the children in a cave with one of the parents supervising them.
The person accompanying the hike gave his weapon to the parent who remained with the children in the cave and tried to scare off the Palestinian rioters. The father claimed during his interrogation that he fired several shots in the air, which evidently hit Qusra resident Odeh. He also attempted to reach higher ground above the cave to guard the boys, but was hit on the head with a rock and fell down.
The father contacted the sector's brigade commander
The father then again resumed firing in the air, he told investigators, in order to keep back the mob. While the event was ongoing, several parents attempted to contact the Samaria emergency call center and notified them of what was transpiring.
Realizing the event was escalating, the father directly contacted the sector's brigade commander, who rushed to the scene in his vehicle. Cooler heads prevailed once army forces began arriving to the scene and the group was extracted.
Head of the Shomron Regional Council Yossi Dagan then arrived as well, at the behest of the father who called him for assistance in pressing charges.
The father has been questioned under caution once since the incident, but has maintained in constant communication with police investigators. He reconstructed the events on the scene with the brigade commander and is expected to do the same with police in the coming days.
Investigators may also collect testimony from the children who attended the hike. Regardless, the father is expected to be questioned again by police, notwithstanding the preliminary conclusion the shooting was indeed justified as both the adults' and children's lives were at real risk.
The Honenu legal defense organization, which represents the father, demanded the creation of a special investigative team to find the Palestinian rioters and prosecute them.
Pursuant to the same effort, security forces arrested 20 Qusra residents overnight on suspicion of attacking the Israeli hikers in last week's incident and participating in violent disturbances over the past few days.
The detainees, who include two minors, have played a central role in the riots as well as in inciting others to throw rocks at IDF forces, security sources said. Some of them are also suspected of rolling rocks down at far-right Otzma Yehudit activists who were in the area this past Monday.
The Jerusalem District Police's investigation into the shooting incident that killed a Palestinian near the West Bank village of Qusra last week is still ongoing, but sources close to the investigation said Thursday findings so far point to the shooter acting in self defense.
The shooter, a father who accompanied a children's bar mitzvah that passed near the village, discharged almost an entire clip of his weapon when his group was attacked by Palestinians who threw stones at them. The father's shots hit, and later killed, Mahmoud Odeh.
The police sources said they were taking the investigation extremely seriously and explained they will take all necessary measures to ascertain the exact circumstances of the deadly shooting.
"All involved have already been interrogated or will be in the future," the sources said. Speaking about the shooter, suspected of involuntary manslaughter, they said, "We realize their lives were in danger. The father emptied almost an entire clip in self defense."
The father accompanied the young boys through an area he knew well, the sources said, adding the group was attacked from above with rocks when they reached a point below the Palestinian village.
The parents and children could not see who was throwing the stones at them, said the sources, and therefore decided to leave the children in a cave with one of the parents supervising them.
The person accompanying the hike gave his weapon to the parent who remained with the children in the cave and tried to scare off the Palestinian rioters. The father claimed during his interrogation that he fired several shots in the air, which evidently hit Qusra resident Odeh. He also attempted to reach higher ground above the cave to guard the boys, but was hit on the head with a rock and fell down.
The father contacted the sector's brigade commander
The father then again resumed firing in the air, he told investigators, in order to keep back the mob. While the event was ongoing, several parents attempted to contact the Samaria emergency call center and notified them of what was transpiring.
Realizing the event was escalating, the father directly contacted the sector's brigade commander, who rushed to the scene in his vehicle. Cooler heads prevailed once army forces began arriving to the scene and the group was extracted.
Head of the Shomron Regional Council Yossi Dagan then arrived as well, at the behest of the father who called him for assistance in pressing charges.
The father has been questioned under caution once since the incident, but has maintained in constant communication with police investigators. He reconstructed the events on the scene with the brigade commander and is expected to do the same with police in the coming days.
Investigators may also collect testimony from the children who attended the hike. Regardless, the father is expected to be questioned again by police, notwithstanding the preliminary conclusion the shooting was indeed justified as both the adults' and children's lives were at real risk.
The Honenu legal defense organization, which represents the father, demanded the creation of a special investigative team to find the Palestinian rioters and prosecute them.
Pursuant to the same effort, security forces arrested 20 Qusra residents overnight on suspicion of attacking the Israeli hikers in last week's incident and participating in violent disturbances over the past few days.
The detainees, who include two minors, have played a central role in the riots as well as in inciting others to throw rocks at IDF forces, security sources said. Some of them are also suspected of rolling rocks down at far-right Otzma Yehudit activists who were in the area this past Monday.
20 Palestinians were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces at daybreak Thursday in an assault on Nablus’s southern town of Qasra.
Israeli army troops stormed Qasra in 35 military vehicles at the crack of dawn and ransacked civilian homes, triggering tension across the area.
The assault culminated in the abduction of 20 Palestinians, among them Mohamed Hasan, Adham Kanaan, Mohamed Oudeh, Haythem Hamdan, Rebhi Samara, Mohamed Wadi, and Kusay Abu Rida, among others.
Tension has been running high in Qasra over recent days after Israeli extremist settlers shot and killed the Palestinian farmer Mahmoud Oudeh earlier this week. Dozens of anti-occupation protesters have also been left wounded in fierce clashes with the Israeli army.
Update from Imemc:
Israeli army troops stormed Qasra in 35 military vehicles at the crack of dawn and ransacked civilian homes, triggering tension across the area.
The assault culminated in the abduction of 20 Palestinians, among them Mohamed Hasan, Adham Kanaan, Mohamed Oudeh, Haythem Hamdan, Rebhi Samara, Mohamed Wadi, and Kusay Abu Rida, among others.
Tension has been running high in Qasra over recent days after Israeli extremist settlers shot and killed the Palestinian farmer Mahmoud Oudeh earlier this week. Dozens of anti-occupation protesters have also been left wounded in fierce clashes with the Israeli army.
Update from Imemc:
- Mohammad Ibrahim Hasan.
- Ramah Ibrahim Hasan.
- Radwan Qassem Shehada.
- Adham No’man Kanaan.
- Mohammad Jawdat Odeh.
- Mohammad Shehada Odeh.
- Ra’fat Ramadan Odeh.
- Haitham Ayman Hamdan.
- Ribhi Shaker Samara.
- Yazan Mohammad Samara.
- Morad Mohammad Samara.
- Akram Taiseer Odeh.
- Mohammad Ibrahim Wadi.
- Ramzi Fathi Hasan.
- Rami Yousef Hasan.
- Yazan Rami Hasan.
- Qussai Mahmoud Abu Reeda.
- Seniour Sharif Odeh.
- Mohammad Nasr Hasan.
- Allan Sayel Hasan.
- Mohammad Aqla Hasan.
- Fuad Yousef Hasan.
4 dec 2017
Qusra Now, the official Facebook page of the Palestinian village, releases photo of the settler who last week shot and killed a Palestinian he says threatened him and others, inciting local residents to call for his death.
The Facebook page of the Palestinian village of Qusra posted Sunday a photo of the Israeli father who shot and killed 47-year-old Palestinian Mahmoud Za’al Odeh, a resident of the village, in last week's violent incident that took place near the village.
The photo, in which the father is marked in a red circle, is captioned: "The one in the red circle shot Mahmoud Za’al Odeh." It further noted that Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan had decided to award him a medal of valor.
It didn't take long for people to start posting comments wishing him ill, with some even calling for his death.
"Allah will take the greatest revenge on him," posted one, with another writing: "His day will come soon enough."
In response to the comments, the settler's attorney Menashe Yado of the Honenu organization sent an urgent letter to the commander of the police's Judea and Samaria District, demanding him to act to have the inflammatory post removed as it was inciting in nature.
"The page was flooded with murderous reactions against the shooter, and I therefore ask you to act immediately to remove the dangerous post and to bring the posters to justice," Yado wrote.
Odeh was among a group of Palestinian rioters throwing rocks at a group of some 20 Israeli children who were on a bar mitzvah trip in the area last week.
The shooter is now suspected of negligent homicide, which incensed the hikers' families.
The families claimed the incident was extremely severe and might have ended in disaster if not for the father's swift response. "My son came back traumatized. He said they were going to die. He's still suffering from anxiety and it's shameful the army and police are treating the heroes who saved the children as criminals and distorting the picture by turning the assaulted into the assailant," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among the hikers.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman also commented on the incident, writing on Facebook, "Using a weapon for self defense is a moral value protected by law in all democratic countries."
The Facebook page of the Palestinian village of Qusra posted Sunday a photo of the Israeli father who shot and killed 47-year-old Palestinian Mahmoud Za’al Odeh, a resident of the village, in last week's violent incident that took place near the village.
The photo, in which the father is marked in a red circle, is captioned: "The one in the red circle shot Mahmoud Za’al Odeh." It further noted that Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan had decided to award him a medal of valor.
It didn't take long for people to start posting comments wishing him ill, with some even calling for his death.
"Allah will take the greatest revenge on him," posted one, with another writing: "His day will come soon enough."
In response to the comments, the settler's attorney Menashe Yado of the Honenu organization sent an urgent letter to the commander of the police's Judea and Samaria District, demanding him to act to have the inflammatory post removed as it was inciting in nature.
"The page was flooded with murderous reactions against the shooter, and I therefore ask you to act immediately to remove the dangerous post and to bring the posters to justice," Yado wrote.
Odeh was among a group of Palestinian rioters throwing rocks at a group of some 20 Israeli children who were on a bar mitzvah trip in the area last week.
The shooter is now suspected of negligent homicide, which incensed the hikers' families.
The families claimed the incident was extremely severe and might have ended in disaster if not for the father's swift response. "My son came back traumatized. He said they were going to die. He's still suffering from anxiety and it's shameful the army and police are treating the heroes who saved the children as criminals and distorting the picture by turning the assaulted into the assailant," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among the hikers.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman also commented on the incident, writing on Facebook, "Using a weapon for self defense is a moral value protected by law in all democratic countries."
A Palestinian man on Monday evening was injured by Israeli exploding bullets. Meanwhile, others suffered from suffocation during the ongoing clashes with Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Qusra town south of Nablus city.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the clashes broke out after the inhabitants confronted a group of Jews who raided the town.
The eyewitnesses pointed out that the man was seriously injured and that he was transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus city.
In a previous time, two Palestinians were wounded by IOF rubber and live bullets, while dozens of others choked on Israeli tear gas during earlier clashes in the town.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that the clashes broke out after the inhabitants confronted a group of Jews who raided the town.
The eyewitnesses pointed out that the man was seriously injured and that he was transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus city.
In a previous time, two Palestinians were wounded by IOF rubber and live bullets, while dozens of others choked on Israeli tear gas during earlier clashes in the town.
A Palestinian young man was injured Monday afternoon by Israeli forces during clashes near the village of Qusra, to the south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
The PIC reporter quoted local sources as saying that clashes erupted between Israeli occupation forces and villagers after settlers stormed the village and provoked the residents.
Soldiers were deployed in the area to provide protection for the setters and fired live ammunition and teargas canisters to disperse the villagers, injuring one of them with live fire and causing various suffocation cases.
The injured Palestinian, who was identified as Ahmed Hassan, was rushed to Rafidya hospital in Nablus in serious condition.
The PIC reporter quoted local sources as saying that clashes erupted between Israeli occupation forces and villagers after settlers stormed the village and provoked the residents.
Soldiers were deployed in the area to provide protection for the setters and fired live ammunition and teargas canisters to disperse the villagers, injuring one of them with live fire and causing various suffocation cases.
The injured Palestinian, who was identified as Ahmed Hassan, was rushed to Rafidya hospital in Nablus in serious condition.
Four days after attack on bar mitzvah hike near Qusra, West Bank, right-wing activists plan follow-up hike, regardless of military authorization; 'We don’t need permission to tour the land of Israel.'
Four days after the incident in which a group of boys on a Bar Mitzvah hike were attacked by a stone-throwing mob near the Palestinian village of Qusra, activists of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party are planning an expedition to the area.
Among those set to participate are former Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari and far-right activist Baruch Marzel. Members of Otzma Yehudit stated that the motive for the expedition is to display a Jewish presence at the location and they have no intention of requesting authorization from the military, only to notify them of the trip.
This will be the second time that settlers are returning to the site of the incident. On Friday, some youth from the settlement of Yitzhar visited the area and even danced near the cave where the children were attacked.
"We aren’t afraid and we don’t need permission to tour the land of Israel," said a message publicized by Otzma Yehudit. "In response to the children's lynching near Qusra, and the IDF Spokesperson's announcement that all hikes in Judea and Samaria require authorization, we will are arranging a hike tomorrow (Monday) to the cave in which the children hid. We will update the military but we will not ask for permission.
We are mindful of the army's failings during the incident. We will demonstrate a Jewish presence at the site and we will let everyone know that the area will become a preferred destination for trips."
"The abandonment of the Bar Mitzvah children is an ongoing failure of the defense establishment, since the abandonment of Madhat Yusuf (A Druze soldier killed in 2000 at Joseph's tomb near Nablus) by those who have chosen to surrender to terrorism. We want to change the direction and move from defeat to victory," said Doctor Ben-Ari.
"We do not need to justify walking around our country. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has to deal with the rioters, not the Jews."
"The fact that instead of discussing the army's failures and the massacre that was almost done to the children on the trip they are demanding of us to fight to obtain permission to travel in the center of the country. Qusra should become a symbol of what happens to an enemy that harms children, so that deterrence will return to Israel," added Baruch Marzel.
Last Thursday, during a bar mitzvah excursion taken by several settlers, they encountered dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at them. One of the parents serving as escorts fired on and the killed a Palestinian in the skirmish.
After the incident, the father who shot was interrogated on suspicion of causing death by negligence and released on bail. Anger has soared among the settlers, largely directed against the police for interrogating the shooter.
The crowd that witnessed the attack have maintained since that he acted as expected and his actions were to protect the children.
The mothers of the children have also emphasized the severity of the attack, inisisting that without the decisive response, the incident would have ended with injury or worse to the chidlren.
"My son came home traumatized, he said: 'mom, we were about to die.' It's a disgrace that the army and the police treat these heroes who saved the children as criminals. Distorting the facts and turning the victim into the attacker," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among those attacked.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman posted on Facebook after the incident: "The use of weapons for self-defense is a moral value which the law in every democratic regime protects"
Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, announced that he will present certificates of honor to the parents who protected the children. "These are heroes who must be thanked, for protecting the children with their bodies and doing all that was necessary to bring them home safely."
Dagan accompanied the parents to the police station and waited with them in the hospital. He called for "establishing an investigative unit to catch the terrorists from Qusra who attempted to lynch the children."
Four days after the incident in which a group of boys on a Bar Mitzvah hike were attacked by a stone-throwing mob near the Palestinian village of Qusra, activists of the far-right Otzma Yehudit Party are planning an expedition to the area.
Among those set to participate are former Knesset member Michael Ben-Ari and far-right activist Baruch Marzel. Members of Otzma Yehudit stated that the motive for the expedition is to display a Jewish presence at the location and they have no intention of requesting authorization from the military, only to notify them of the trip.
This will be the second time that settlers are returning to the site of the incident. On Friday, some youth from the settlement of Yitzhar visited the area and even danced near the cave where the children were attacked.
"We aren’t afraid and we don’t need permission to tour the land of Israel," said a message publicized by Otzma Yehudit. "In response to the children's lynching near Qusra, and the IDF Spokesperson's announcement that all hikes in Judea and Samaria require authorization, we will are arranging a hike tomorrow (Monday) to the cave in which the children hid. We will update the military but we will not ask for permission.
We are mindful of the army's failings during the incident. We will demonstrate a Jewish presence at the site and we will let everyone know that the area will become a preferred destination for trips."
"The abandonment of the Bar Mitzvah children is an ongoing failure of the defense establishment, since the abandonment of Madhat Yusuf (A Druze soldier killed in 2000 at Joseph's tomb near Nablus) by those who have chosen to surrender to terrorism. We want to change the direction and move from defeat to victory," said Doctor Ben-Ari.
"We do not need to justify walking around our country. Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman has to deal with the rioters, not the Jews."
"The fact that instead of discussing the army's failures and the massacre that was almost done to the children on the trip they are demanding of us to fight to obtain permission to travel in the center of the country. Qusra should become a symbol of what happens to an enemy that harms children, so that deterrence will return to Israel," added Baruch Marzel.
Last Thursday, during a bar mitzvah excursion taken by several settlers, they encountered dozens of Palestinians throwing stones at them. One of the parents serving as escorts fired on and the killed a Palestinian in the skirmish.
After the incident, the father who shot was interrogated on suspicion of causing death by negligence and released on bail. Anger has soared among the settlers, largely directed against the police for interrogating the shooter.
The crowd that witnessed the attack have maintained since that he acted as expected and his actions were to protect the children.
The mothers of the children have also emphasized the severity of the attack, inisisting that without the decisive response, the incident would have ended with injury or worse to the chidlren.
"My son came home traumatized, he said: 'mom, we were about to die.' It's a disgrace that the army and the police treat these heroes who saved the children as criminals. Distorting the facts and turning the victim into the attacker," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among those attacked.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman posted on Facebook after the incident: "The use of weapons for self-defense is a moral value which the law in every democratic regime protects"
Yossi Dagan, Head of the Samaria Regional Council, announced that he will present certificates of honor to the parents who protected the children. "These are heroes who must be thanked, for protecting the children with their bodies and doing all that was necessary to bring them home safely."
Dagan accompanied the parents to the police station and waited with them in the hospital. He called for "establishing an investigative unit to catch the terrorists from Qusra who attempted to lynch the children."
Shomron regional council head Yossi Dagan, in the north of the West Bank, decided to honor the murderer of Mahmoud Odeh, who died in Qasra village, south of Nablus, last Thursday.
Al Ray reports that, according to “04” news site, Dagan said, “He deserved all kind of respect and appreciation as he defended his friends when the Palestinian farmers attack them in Qasra village.”
He called for supporting settlers in “their fair battle” with Palestinians.
The Israel settler is still free; he was interrogated for awhile and, then, Israeli police released him.
Odeh was killed and several others were injured when Israeli settlers attack Oasra village and the citizens tried to confront them.
Violent clashed erupted after this, as Israeli forces opened gunfire and launched tear gas bombs toward Palestinian citizens.
Al Ray reports that, according to “04” news site, Dagan said, “He deserved all kind of respect and appreciation as he defended his friends when the Palestinian farmers attack them in Qasra village.”
He called for supporting settlers in “their fair battle” with Palestinians.
The Israel settler is still free; he was interrogated for awhile and, then, Israeli police released him.
Odeh was killed and several others were injured when Israeli settlers attack Oasra village and the citizens tried to confront them.
Violent clashed erupted after this, as Israeli forces opened gunfire and launched tear gas bombs toward Palestinian citizens.
3 dec 2017
Father who shot Palestinian dead during bar mitzvah hike in Qusra last week produces email proving he requested authorization from IDF for trip, countering army's claim no prior authorization was sought; father received verbal, not written reply, he says; families of hike's participants, minister of defense rail against shooter being suspected of involuntary manslaughter.
The Israeli father who shot dead a Palestinian rioter in the West Bank town of Qusra hit back on Sunday against claims by the IDF that trip organizers did not coordinate it with the army, producing an email he said was sent to the IDF requesting authorization to hold a trip in the area.
The Palestinian who was shot was among a group of Palestinian rioters throwing rocks at a group of some 20 Israeli children who were on a bar mitzvah trip in the area on Thursday.
The email from the father said: "Hello, I would like to coordinate a short hike between Migdalim and Kida (two West Bank settlements). We have a rifle and a first aid kit."
The father claimed he had never received a written response but was contacted and received verbal IDF authorization.
He is now suspected of involuntary manslaughter, which incensed the hikers' families.
The families claimed the incident was extremely severe and might have ended in disaster if not for the father's swift response. "My son came back traumatized. He said they were going to die. He's still suffering from anxiety and it's shameful the army and police are treating the heroes who saved the children as criminals and distorting the picture by turning the assaulted into the assailant," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among the hikers.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman also commented on the incident, writing on Facebook, "Using a weapon for self defense is a moral value protected by law in all democratic countries."
The Israeli father who shot dead a Palestinian rioter in the West Bank town of Qusra hit back on Sunday against claims by the IDF that trip organizers did not coordinate it with the army, producing an email he said was sent to the IDF requesting authorization to hold a trip in the area.
The Palestinian who was shot was among a group of Palestinian rioters throwing rocks at a group of some 20 Israeli children who were on a bar mitzvah trip in the area on Thursday.
The email from the father said: "Hello, I would like to coordinate a short hike between Migdalim and Kida (two West Bank settlements). We have a rifle and a first aid kit."
The father claimed he had never received a written response but was contacted and received verbal IDF authorization.
He is now suspected of involuntary manslaughter, which incensed the hikers' families.
The families claimed the incident was extremely severe and might have ended in disaster if not for the father's swift response. "My son came back traumatized. He said they were going to die. He's still suffering from anxiety and it's shameful the army and police are treating the heroes who saved the children as criminals and distorting the picture by turning the assaulted into the assailant," said Naomi Ofen, whose son was among the hikers.
Minister of Defense Avigdor Lieberman also commented on the incident, writing on Facebook, "Using a weapon for self defense is a moral value protected by law in all democratic countries."
