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Razan Ashraf Najjar 21, june 1 2018
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30 dec 2018
On June 1, an Israeli soldier shot into a crowd, killing a volunteer medic named Rouzan al-Najjar. Israeli officials say soldiers only use live fire as a last resort.
Our investigation shows otherwise. video
We analyzed over 1,000 photos and videos, froze the fatal moment in a 3-D model of the protest, and interviewed more than 30 witnesses and I.D.F. commanders to reveal how Rouzan was killed.
New York Times calls shooting of Gaza medic ‘possible war crime’
Paper conducts thorough investigation into the death of 20-year-old Rouzan al-Najjar during the Gaza border riots in June; IDF says young woman was not a target and likely hit by ricocheting bullet
The New York Times claimed Sunday that the death of a Palestinian medic by Israeli army gunfire in Gaza in June was "possibly a war crime." The claim comes in a lengthy investigative article on the death of Rouzan al-Najjar, a 20-year-old paramedic who was killed by Israel Defense Forces fire during protests at the Gaza border fence during a summer of violent clashes.
The article calls the shooting “reckless at best, and possibly a war crime, for which no one has yet been punished."
According to the paper, the “bullet that killed (al-Najjar) was fired by an Israeli sniper into a crowd that included white-coated medics in plain view. A detailed reconstruction, stitched together from hundreds of crowd-sourced videos and photographs, shows that neither the medics nor anyone around them posed any apparent threat of violence to Israeli personnel.”
The New York Times said that the IDF reported four cases of sniper fire during the day's clashes. The army said that all of the targets were men, and all four were hit in the lower limbs, but the paper said it was only able to locate three of the four.
The article paints Najjar as a heroic figure, who was unfraid to put herself in danger to help others.
"Nearly everyone who saw Ms. Najjar at the protests was struck by her readiness to place herself in harm’s way," the report says, "the first to those in trouble, the last to safety."
The article intersperses a retelling of the events of that day with recollections from Najjar's family, friends and acquaintances. Recounting the moments of her shooting, the paper writes: "Ms. Najjar reaches for her back, then crumples... (She) is picked up by protesters she had treated just a few minutes ago. As they carry her off, blood pours from her chest."
After Najjar’s death, an initial IDF investigation found that a small number of shots were fired during the incident, but that troops didn’t fire directly at the medic. The IDF believes that Najjar likely died as a result of a ricocheting bullet. The Times’ investigation also found that “the bullet hit the ground in front of the medics, then fragmented, part of it ricocheting upward and piercing Ms. Najjar’s chest.” The bullet, the paper says, came from a sniper’s post some 110 meters (120 yards) away from where Najjar was standing when she was hit.
The head of the IDF International Media Branch, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, told the NYT that Najjar “was not the target,” and that “none of the medical personnel are ever a target.” The IDF has concluded that the young medic was shot by accident, but the Times found no record of an IDF soldier reporting a misfire during the incident.
A week after Najjar’s death, IDF Arabic spokesman posted a video on Facebook showing Najjar throwing tear gas, and said that Hamas was using her as a human shield. Palestinians sources said that the medic was shot while raising her arms up in the air.
The IDF said in response to the article that that “the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is conducting its investigation regarding the death of Rouzan al-Najjar. The Military Advocate General will receive the investigation's findings once it is finished.”
The New York Times says it used 1,000 photos and videos taken during the riots that day by journalists, medical personnel and protesters.
According to the paper, their investigation included an examination of Najjar’s autopsy records, conversations with her family and friends, interviews with 30 “key witnesses,” Gazans at the scene and senior IDF officials, as well as crime scene investigators and ballistic experts. Their reporters also visited the site of the shooting and digitally recreated the incident using drone footage to create a 3D image of the scene. Videos from phones belonging to other Gaza paramedics were used to pinpoint their location at the scene during the shooting.
Our investigation shows otherwise. video
We analyzed over 1,000 photos and videos, froze the fatal moment in a 3-D model of the protest, and interviewed more than 30 witnesses and I.D.F. commanders to reveal how Rouzan was killed.
New York Times calls shooting of Gaza medic ‘possible war crime’
Paper conducts thorough investigation into the death of 20-year-old Rouzan al-Najjar during the Gaza border riots in June; IDF says young woman was not a target and likely hit by ricocheting bullet
The New York Times claimed Sunday that the death of a Palestinian medic by Israeli army gunfire in Gaza in June was "possibly a war crime." The claim comes in a lengthy investigative article on the death of Rouzan al-Najjar, a 20-year-old paramedic who was killed by Israel Defense Forces fire during protests at the Gaza border fence during a summer of violent clashes.
The article calls the shooting “reckless at best, and possibly a war crime, for which no one has yet been punished."
According to the paper, the “bullet that killed (al-Najjar) was fired by an Israeli sniper into a crowd that included white-coated medics in plain view. A detailed reconstruction, stitched together from hundreds of crowd-sourced videos and photographs, shows that neither the medics nor anyone around them posed any apparent threat of violence to Israeli personnel.”
The New York Times said that the IDF reported four cases of sniper fire during the day's clashes. The army said that all of the targets were men, and all four were hit in the lower limbs, but the paper said it was only able to locate three of the four.
The article paints Najjar as a heroic figure, who was unfraid to put herself in danger to help others.
"Nearly everyone who saw Ms. Najjar at the protests was struck by her readiness to place herself in harm’s way," the report says, "the first to those in trouble, the last to safety."
The article intersperses a retelling of the events of that day with recollections from Najjar's family, friends and acquaintances. Recounting the moments of her shooting, the paper writes: "Ms. Najjar reaches for her back, then crumples... (She) is picked up by protesters she had treated just a few minutes ago. As they carry her off, blood pours from her chest."
After Najjar’s death, an initial IDF investigation found that a small number of shots were fired during the incident, but that troops didn’t fire directly at the medic. The IDF believes that Najjar likely died as a result of a ricocheting bullet. The Times’ investigation also found that “the bullet hit the ground in front of the medics, then fragmented, part of it ricocheting upward and piercing Ms. Najjar’s chest.” The bullet, the paper says, came from a sniper’s post some 110 meters (120 yards) away from where Najjar was standing when she was hit.
The head of the IDF International Media Branch, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, told the NYT that Najjar “was not the target,” and that “none of the medical personnel are ever a target.” The IDF has concluded that the young medic was shot by accident, but the Times found no record of an IDF soldier reporting a misfire during the incident.
A week after Najjar’s death, IDF Arabic spokesman posted a video on Facebook showing Najjar throwing tear gas, and said that Hamas was using her as a human shield. Palestinians sources said that the medic was shot while raising her arms up in the air.
The IDF said in response to the article that that “the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division is conducting its investigation regarding the death of Rouzan al-Najjar. The Military Advocate General will receive the investigation's findings once it is finished.”
The New York Times says it used 1,000 photos and videos taken during the riots that day by journalists, medical personnel and protesters.
According to the paper, their investigation included an examination of Najjar’s autopsy records, conversations with her family and friends, interviews with 30 “key witnesses,” Gazans at the scene and senior IDF officials, as well as crime scene investigators and ballistic experts. Their reporters also visited the site of the shooting and digitally recreated the incident using drone footage to create a 3D image of the scene. Videos from phones belonging to other Gaza paramedics were used to pinpoint their location at the scene during the shooting.
15 nov 2018
Nearly 3 weeks into its planned 4-week run, an electronic billboard honoring first responders in the Gaza Strip was pulled on November 13th when the billboard company received phone calls and email complaints labeling their staff as terrorists and anti-Semites, and threatening a boycott.
The Palestine Advocacy Project sponsored the billboard on Interstate 93, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to highlight the desperate situation in the Gaza Strip, and to emphasize the humanity and agency of the people of Gaza, who are often portrayed as terrorists or victims.
The billboard included a photo of deceased Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar, and text reading: “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza. Saving Lives.
Rescuing Hope.” It was estimated to be viewed by over a half million motorists each week of its planned 4-week run, beginning 24 October. The billboard was met with positive media coverage.
This week, a coordinated, aggressive campaign was launched against the billboard company with accusations of anti-Semitism, intended to damage the company for hosting this billboard. Sarah Gold, a volunteer with the Palestine Advocacy Project, said, “This campaign is neither engaging us nor our perspective. Instead it is attempting through intimidation to eradicate the avenues of free speech we have endeavored to use; to silence us.”
The billboard is another casualty in an ongoing attack on free speech. Palestine Legal states in their 2017 report, “The Israeli state and its proxy organizations in the U.S. are investing heavily in punitive measures to intimidate and chill the free speech of those who wish to express criticism of Israeli policies.” The report documents 308 attacks on U.S.-based Palestine-related free speech in 2017 alone, according to the PNN.
Razan al-Najjar and other Gazan first responders were doing their best to attend to wounded civilians; yet celebrating them is construed as an act of “hate & anti-Semitism.”
One complaint reads in part: “A billboard glorifying those who try to kill and destroy our People and Homeland! Anti Semitism is as old as time itself, Hate of Israel is hate of Jews, completely unacceptable!”
This negative campaign appears to be based on the erroneous notions that all Gazans are anti-Semites intent on murdering Jews, that Gazans are not entitled to basic human rights, and that any display of solidarity with them equates to a call for the destruction of Israel.
Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, remarked that “The billboard was extremely positive and does not even mention Israel.
Instead it was a celebration of Palestinian heroes. Apparently, there cannot be Palestinian heroes without some advocates of Israel feeling attacked.”
The Palestine Advocacy Project sponsored the billboard on Interstate 93, near Boston, Massachusetts, USA, to highlight the desperate situation in the Gaza Strip, and to emphasize the humanity and agency of the people of Gaza, who are often portrayed as terrorists or victims.
The billboard included a photo of deceased Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar, and text reading: “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza. Saving Lives.
Rescuing Hope.” It was estimated to be viewed by over a half million motorists each week of its planned 4-week run, beginning 24 October. The billboard was met with positive media coverage.
This week, a coordinated, aggressive campaign was launched against the billboard company with accusations of anti-Semitism, intended to damage the company for hosting this billboard. Sarah Gold, a volunteer with the Palestine Advocacy Project, said, “This campaign is neither engaging us nor our perspective. Instead it is attempting through intimidation to eradicate the avenues of free speech we have endeavored to use; to silence us.”
The billboard is another casualty in an ongoing attack on free speech. Palestine Legal states in their 2017 report, “The Israeli state and its proxy organizations in the U.S. are investing heavily in punitive measures to intimidate and chill the free speech of those who wish to express criticism of Israeli policies.” The report documents 308 attacks on U.S.-based Palestine-related free speech in 2017 alone, according to the PNN.
Razan al-Najjar and other Gazan first responders were doing their best to attend to wounded civilians; yet celebrating them is construed as an act of “hate & anti-Semitism.”
One complaint reads in part: “A billboard glorifying those who try to kill and destroy our People and Homeland! Anti Semitism is as old as time itself, Hate of Israel is hate of Jews, completely unacceptable!”
This negative campaign appears to be based on the erroneous notions that all Gazans are anti-Semites intent on murdering Jews, that Gazans are not entitled to basic human rights, and that any display of solidarity with them equates to a call for the destruction of Israel.
Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, remarked that “The billboard was extremely positive and does not even mention Israel.
Instead it was a celebration of Palestinian heroes. Apparently, there cannot be Palestinian heroes without some advocates of Israel feeling attacked.”
29 oct 2018
The army received testimonies of Palestinians according to which IDF soldiers kneeled and aimed straight at 21-year-old volunteer medic Razan Ashraf Najjar, prompting the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division to launch an investigation into the incident.
The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) will question the IDF soldiers who shot dead 21-year-old volunteer medic Razan Ashraf Najjar east of the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis in June.
The IDF said Monday that the findings of the incident's operational investigation as well as the General Staff operational debriefing have been transferred to the Military Advocate General.
Najjar was killed during one of the "March of Return" riots along the Gaza border fence. In her line of duty, she treated Palestinian casualties.
Following the debriefings of the Southern Command and the General Staff operational debriefing mechanism, it was concluded it is unknown what caused Najjar's death.
However, According to testimonies of Palestinians transferred to the IDF by an international organization which operates in Gaza, the IDF soldiers kneeled and aimed straight at the medic, which prompt the MPCID investigation during which the soldiers and their commanding officers will be questioned.
An initial investigation of the incident indicated that the troops did not fire directly at Najjar, and the possibility she was hit by a bullet ricochet was considered.
Six days after the incident The IDF's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted a video on his Facebook page purporting to show the 21-year-old Palestinian throwing a gas grenade.
"She's not a merciful angel as Hamas are trying to portray her," the text on the screen says. "Hamas used her as a human shield, as it uses the entire Gazan population for its and Iran's purposes.
"Do other medics in the world hurl grenades, participate in riots and call themselves human shields?" the Facebook post read.
Thousands of people attended Najjar's funeral in Gaza, including some she had treated when they were wounded at previous border protests and hundreds of medical workers in white uniforms.
Najjar's body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag as the funeral procession started from the hospital and passed near her home in Khuzaa, a village near Khan Yunis that is close to the border and has served as one of five protest encampments across Gaza in recent weeks. She was the eldest of six siblings.
The Military Police Criminal Investigation Division (MPCID) will question the IDF soldiers who shot dead 21-year-old volunteer medic Razan Ashraf Najjar east of the south Gaza city of Khan Yunis in June.
The IDF said Monday that the findings of the incident's operational investigation as well as the General Staff operational debriefing have been transferred to the Military Advocate General.
Najjar was killed during one of the "March of Return" riots along the Gaza border fence. In her line of duty, she treated Palestinian casualties.
Following the debriefings of the Southern Command and the General Staff operational debriefing mechanism, it was concluded it is unknown what caused Najjar's death.
However, According to testimonies of Palestinians transferred to the IDF by an international organization which operates in Gaza, the IDF soldiers kneeled and aimed straight at the medic, which prompt the MPCID investigation during which the soldiers and their commanding officers will be questioned.
An initial investigation of the incident indicated that the troops did not fire directly at Najjar, and the possibility she was hit by a bullet ricochet was considered.
Six days after the incident The IDF's Arabic-language spokesman Avichay Adraee posted a video on his Facebook page purporting to show the 21-year-old Palestinian throwing a gas grenade.
"She's not a merciful angel as Hamas are trying to portray her," the text on the screen says. "Hamas used her as a human shield, as it uses the entire Gazan population for its and Iran's purposes.
"Do other medics in the world hurl grenades, participate in riots and call themselves human shields?" the Facebook post read.
Thousands of people attended Najjar's funeral in Gaza, including some she had treated when they were wounded at previous border protests and hundreds of medical workers in white uniforms.
Najjar's body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag as the funeral procession started from the hospital and passed near her home in Khuzaa, a village near Khan Yunis that is close to the border and has served as one of five protest encampments across Gaza in recent weeks. She was the eldest of six siblings.
27 oct 2018
Palestine Advocacy Project is launching a billboard ad campaign to honor the heroism and self-sacrifice of the Palestinian medics who put their lives on the line to rescue and treat injured protesters in Gaza’s ongoing “Great March of Return” demonstrations.
Razan al-Najjar, aged 21, was one of almost 120 medics thus far shot by Israeli snipers while attempting to care for wounded demonstrators.
She was killed wearing her white nurse’s coat and raising her hands to show that she was unarmed. Palestine Advocacy Project’s billboard displays her photograph with the text, “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza” and “Saving lives under Israeli fire.”
The ongoing Great March of Return campaign began on March 30, 2018. Its aim is to end the ongoing siege and blockade of Gaza and resulting inhumane conditions under which its residents are forced to live, and to restore Gazans’ right to return to the homes they or their forebears were forced to flee in 1948.
Although the vast majority of protesters are unarmed, the Israeli Defense Forces continue to fire indiscriminately on peaceable civilians in the besieged coastal enclave. As of October 1, 2018, Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians and wounded more than 21,000, according to health officials in Gaza. The victims include children, the elderly, and the disabled, as well as journalists and medics like Razan.
Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, explains that “the purpose of the billboard is to raise awareness about the courage and fortitude of Razan and other aid workers who risk their lives to support Gazans suffering under the disastrous effects of the U.S.-backed blockade.”
Colbath-Hess notes that the United States government has enabled Israel’s blockade and military assaults by providing over $3.8 billion annually in military aid.
Gazans live in some of the worst humanitarian conditions in the world, with the majority of the region’s children suffering malnutrition and nearly half of all adults without reliable access to food. Gaza’s residents survive on a 97% contaminated water supply and receive only four hours of electricity per day.
The United Nations has warned that the area could become “uninhabitable” by 2020 as a result of Israel’s blockade and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison.
Razan al-Najjar, aged 21, was one of almost 120 medics thus far shot by Israeli snipers while attempting to care for wounded demonstrators.
She was killed wearing her white nurse’s coat and raising her hands to show that she was unarmed. Palestine Advocacy Project’s billboard displays her photograph with the text, “Honoring the First Responders of Gaza” and “Saving lives under Israeli fire.”
The ongoing Great March of Return campaign began on March 30, 2018. Its aim is to end the ongoing siege and blockade of Gaza and resulting inhumane conditions under which its residents are forced to live, and to restore Gazans’ right to return to the homes they or their forebears were forced to flee in 1948.
Although the vast majority of protesters are unarmed, the Israeli Defense Forces continue to fire indiscriminately on peaceable civilians in the besieged coastal enclave. As of October 1, 2018, Israeli forces have killed at least 190 Palestinians and wounded more than 21,000, according to health officials in Gaza. The victims include children, the elderly, and the disabled, as well as journalists and medics like Razan.
Richard Colbath-Hess, founder of the Palestine Advocacy Project, explains that “the purpose of the billboard is to raise awareness about the courage and fortitude of Razan and other aid workers who risk their lives to support Gazans suffering under the disastrous effects of the U.S.-backed blockade.”
Colbath-Hess notes that the United States government has enabled Israel’s blockade and military assaults by providing over $3.8 billion annually in military aid.
Gazans live in some of the worst humanitarian conditions in the world, with the majority of the region’s children suffering malnutrition and nearly half of all adults without reliable access to food. Gaza’s residents survive on a 97% contaminated water supply and receive only four hours of electricity per day.
The United Nations has warned that the area could become “uninhabitable” by 2020 as a result of Israel’s blockade and the destruction of civilian infrastructure. Gaza is often referred to as the world’s largest open-air prison.
1 sept 2018
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The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported that Israeli soldiers shot and seriously injured, on Friday evening, a Palestinian female medic, east of Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, during their excessive use of force against the Great Return March in the coastal region.
The Health Ministry said the medic, identified as Shorouq Abu Mosameh, was seriously injured after the soldiers shot her with a live round in the chest, which exited through her back. video video She was rushed to the Surgery Room at the Gaza European Hospital, and is currently in very serious condition in the Intensive Care Unit. |
The Health Ministry said Israeli soldiers injured, Friday, 180 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including 59 who were rushed to hospitals, including a seriously wounded child, 10 years of age; the rest received treatment at field clinics. video
In an interview after being injured in a previous Israeli attack while performing her humanitarian duties, Shorouq called for international protection to the medics, who are directly and deliberately targeted by the army while performing their duties in aiding wounded Palestinians during the Great Return March procession in the Gaza Strip.
“My message to the world, and the International Community, is to provide protection to us as medics, and to the journalists facing constant Israeli assaults and violations. I was targeted by the army, although I was wearing a white nurses’ gown,” she said, “This is my message to the world, the army continues to target us, and killed our colleague, medic Razan Najjar, and journalist Yasser Mortaja.
Our message to the world is that we demand our legitimate rights as journalists and medics, to be provided with international protection.”
In an interview after being injured in a previous Israeli attack while performing her humanitarian duties, Shorouq called for international protection to the medics, who are directly and deliberately targeted by the army while performing their duties in aiding wounded Palestinians during the Great Return March procession in the Gaza Strip.
“My message to the world, and the International Community, is to provide protection to us as medics, and to the journalists facing constant Israeli assaults and violations. I was targeted by the army, although I was wearing a white nurses’ gown,” she said, “This is my message to the world, the army continues to target us, and killed our colleague, medic Razan Najjar, and journalist Yasser Mortaja.
Our message to the world is that we demand our legitimate rights as journalists and medics, to be provided with international protection.”
17 july 2018
In a photo taken on 1 April, Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar helps an injured man at an emergency medical tent near Khan Younis, during protests in Gaza near the boundary with Israel. Al-Najjar was fatally shot by an Israeli sniper as she performed her duties on on 1 June.
Ashraf Amra APA imagesAn Israeli sniper deliberately targeted Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar, an investigation by the human rights group B’Tselem has found.
Al-Najjar, 21, was killed on 1 June, as she and her colleagues treated Palestinians taking part in Great March of Return protests in Gaza, near the boundary fence with Israel, east of Khan Younis.
According to B’Tselem, al-Najjar “was fatally shot by a member of the security forces who was aiming directly at her as she was standing about 25 meters away from the fence, despite the fact that she posed no danger to him or anyone else and was wearing a medical uniform.”
Shortly before she was killed, al-Najjar was with several other paramedics, including Rami Abu Jazar, Rasha Qudaih, Rida al-Najjar and Mahmoud Abd al-Ati.
All were wearing clearly marked medical vests.
They were approaching the area of the fence with their hands in the air in order to rescue two young men who had passed out due to the heavy amounts of teargas the Israelis were firing.
“We got to the two young men, and when we started evacuating them, the soldiers started firing a heavy barrage of teargas canisters at us,” Abu Jazar told B’Tselem.
Razan al-Najjar and Qudaih began choking, and they withdrew from the area in order to receive treatment from their colleagues Abu Jazar and Abd al-Ati.
Abd al-Ati’s told B’Tselem how he had given Razan al-Najjar first aid to treat the tear gas inhalation and that shortly after, “We went back and stood northwest of the protesters, about 10 to 20 meters away from the concertina fence.”
Other colleagues managed to bring the two young men to safety.
“After we had moved away, we started feeling better and decided to go closer to the protesters,” Abu Jazar stated. “We stood about 10 meters away from them, which was about 25 meters away from the fence. There were no protesters near us.”
That is when an Israeli sniper deliberately targeted Razan al-Najjar.
“Sniper stance”
“At around a quarter to six, we saw two soldiers get out of a military jeep, kneel and aim their guns at us, taking up a sniper stance,” Abu Jazar said. “Razan was standing to my right and Rasha was behind me. We were talking. Suddenly, they fired two live bullets at us. I looked at Razan and saw her point to her back and then fall down.”
Abu Jazar was also shot in the leg and Abd al-Ati was hit by shrapnel in the right hand and pelvis.
Then, according to Abd al-Ati, “two soldiers got out of a military jeep and pointed their guns at us. They fired two bullets at us.”
One hit Razan al-Najjar in the left side of the chest and exited from her back, while Abd al-Ati was hit by fragments from a live round.
Razan al-Najjar was taken to the European Hospital near Khan Younis and after 30 minutes of resuscitation efforts was pronounced dead.
“Sham” investigation
B’Tselem notes how the Israeli military tried to clear itself of responsibility for al-Najjar’s death by offering varying accounts.
At first, the army claimed that soldiers did not fire directly at al-Najjar.
Then the army claimed the medic might have been killed by a ricocheting bullet, and finally it resorted to a smear campaign, accusing al-Najjar of offering herself up as a “human shield” for Hamas.
Al-Najjar’s killing, the human rights group states, “is a direct result of the open-fire policy Israel has been implementing since the protests began.”
Since the Great March of Return was launched on 30 March, Israeli forces have killed some 150 Palestinians in Gaza, the vast majority unarmed civilians killed during protests.
More than 4,000 others have been injured by live fire.
Al-Najjar was the second paramedic to be killed, two weeks after Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein was fatally shot in another incident of Israeli soldiers opening fire on clearly marked rescue personnel.
In total, more than 350 medical staff have been injured since the protests began, including 26 hit with live fire, 12 hurt by shrapnel and nearly 40 directly hit by tear gas canisters, according to World Health Organization figures cited by B’Tselem.
Dozens of ambulances have been damaged.
Israelis snipers are under orders to shoot directly at unarmed protesters, including children, a policy that the International Criminal Court prosecutor has warned could land Israeli leaders and commanders on trial.
The Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq had already dismissed the Israeli army’s self-investigation into al-Najjar’s killing as a “sham” that is “neither transparent or credible.”
Dreamed of being a nurse
On the day she was killed, Razan al-Najjar was doing what she had always wanted to do – give medical care to people in need.
“She loved life and was always smiling. She dreamed of studying nursing at the university, but our finances wouldn’t allow it so she made do with first aid courses,” Razan’s mother Sabrin al-Najjar told B’Tselem.
But the courses at a local hospital were rigorous and al-Najjar worked hard, earning the respect of doctors and other colleagues.
“Razan was driven to prove herself in the nursing field and make up for not being able to go to university,” her mother added.
Her killing has left behind a devastated family unable to come to terms with losing her.
“Sometimes I call her when it’s time to eat, because I feel that she’s with us and she hasn’t died. The whole family is having a really hard time,” Sabrin said.
Razan’s younger siblings are struggling and can’t understand why she’s never coming home.
“My husband is broken,” Sabrin said. “He cries all the time and misses her badly.”
“I keep praying for her to receive the grace of God and go to heaven. Losing her is terrible,” Sabrin said. “What wrong did Razan commit that she had to be killed?”
Ashraf Amra APA imagesAn Israeli sniper deliberately targeted Palestinian medic Razan al-Najjar, an investigation by the human rights group B’Tselem has found.
Al-Najjar, 21, was killed on 1 June, as she and her colleagues treated Palestinians taking part in Great March of Return protests in Gaza, near the boundary fence with Israel, east of Khan Younis.
According to B’Tselem, al-Najjar “was fatally shot by a member of the security forces who was aiming directly at her as she was standing about 25 meters away from the fence, despite the fact that she posed no danger to him or anyone else and was wearing a medical uniform.”
Shortly before she was killed, al-Najjar was with several other paramedics, including Rami Abu Jazar, Rasha Qudaih, Rida al-Najjar and Mahmoud Abd al-Ati.
All were wearing clearly marked medical vests.
They were approaching the area of the fence with their hands in the air in order to rescue two young men who had passed out due to the heavy amounts of teargas the Israelis were firing.
“We got to the two young men, and when we started evacuating them, the soldiers started firing a heavy barrage of teargas canisters at us,” Abu Jazar told B’Tselem.
Razan al-Najjar and Qudaih began choking, and they withdrew from the area in order to receive treatment from their colleagues Abu Jazar and Abd al-Ati.
Abd al-Ati’s told B’Tselem how he had given Razan al-Najjar first aid to treat the tear gas inhalation and that shortly after, “We went back and stood northwest of the protesters, about 10 to 20 meters away from the concertina fence.”
Other colleagues managed to bring the two young men to safety.
“After we had moved away, we started feeling better and decided to go closer to the protesters,” Abu Jazar stated. “We stood about 10 meters away from them, which was about 25 meters away from the fence. There were no protesters near us.”
That is when an Israeli sniper deliberately targeted Razan al-Najjar.
“Sniper stance”
“At around a quarter to six, we saw two soldiers get out of a military jeep, kneel and aim their guns at us, taking up a sniper stance,” Abu Jazar said. “Razan was standing to my right and Rasha was behind me. We were talking. Suddenly, they fired two live bullets at us. I looked at Razan and saw her point to her back and then fall down.”
Abu Jazar was also shot in the leg and Abd al-Ati was hit by shrapnel in the right hand and pelvis.
Then, according to Abd al-Ati, “two soldiers got out of a military jeep and pointed their guns at us. They fired two bullets at us.”
One hit Razan al-Najjar in the left side of the chest and exited from her back, while Abd al-Ati was hit by fragments from a live round.
Razan al-Najjar was taken to the European Hospital near Khan Younis and after 30 minutes of resuscitation efforts was pronounced dead.
“Sham” investigation
B’Tselem notes how the Israeli military tried to clear itself of responsibility for al-Najjar’s death by offering varying accounts.
At first, the army claimed that soldiers did not fire directly at al-Najjar.
Then the army claimed the medic might have been killed by a ricocheting bullet, and finally it resorted to a smear campaign, accusing al-Najjar of offering herself up as a “human shield” for Hamas.
Al-Najjar’s killing, the human rights group states, “is a direct result of the open-fire policy Israel has been implementing since the protests began.”
Since the Great March of Return was launched on 30 March, Israeli forces have killed some 150 Palestinians in Gaza, the vast majority unarmed civilians killed during protests.
More than 4,000 others have been injured by live fire.
Al-Najjar was the second paramedic to be killed, two weeks after Mousa Jaber Abu Hassanein was fatally shot in another incident of Israeli soldiers opening fire on clearly marked rescue personnel.
In total, more than 350 medical staff have been injured since the protests began, including 26 hit with live fire, 12 hurt by shrapnel and nearly 40 directly hit by tear gas canisters, according to World Health Organization figures cited by B’Tselem.
Dozens of ambulances have been damaged.
Israelis snipers are under orders to shoot directly at unarmed protesters, including children, a policy that the International Criminal Court prosecutor has warned could land Israeli leaders and commanders on trial.
The Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq had already dismissed the Israeli army’s self-investigation into al-Najjar’s killing as a “sham” that is “neither transparent or credible.”
Dreamed of being a nurse
On the day she was killed, Razan al-Najjar was doing what she had always wanted to do – give medical care to people in need.
“She loved life and was always smiling. She dreamed of studying nursing at the university, but our finances wouldn’t allow it so she made do with first aid courses,” Razan’s mother Sabrin al-Najjar told B’Tselem.
But the courses at a local hospital were rigorous and al-Najjar worked hard, earning the respect of doctors and other colleagues.
“Razan was driven to prove herself in the nursing field and make up for not being able to go to university,” her mother added.
Her killing has left behind a devastated family unable to come to terms with losing her.
“Sometimes I call her when it’s time to eat, because I feel that she’s with us and she hasn’t died. The whole family is having a really hard time,” Sabrin said.
Razan’s younger siblings are struggling and can’t understand why she’s never coming home.
“My husband is broken,” Sabrin said. “He cries all the time and misses her badly.”
“I keep praying for her to receive the grace of God and go to heaven. Losing her is terrible,” Sabrin said. “What wrong did Razan commit that she had to be killed?”
