One killed as army invades village near Bethlehem

Thursday July 26, 2007 12:05 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

A Palestinian civilian was killed and his father was kidnapped by the Israeli army on Thursday at midday during an invasion of the village of Taqua, southeast of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. The father was later released.

Palestine ambulance workers help an injured man (archive)

Local sources reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the village and searched homes.

The Israeli army said that a number of invading soldiers opened fire on Palestinian youth standing in front of the local high school in the village center, killing Jihad Al Sha'er, 20, after he attacked the soldiers.

Palestinian medics working with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance said that the army abducted the dead youth's body. When the body was later recovered by the Palestinian ambulance, the medics discovered that the soldiers had badly beaten the boy on his head, and that the severe head injuries had killed him.

Israeli troops also stormed Al Sha'er home. After searching and ransacking the house, they kidnapped Al Sha'er father, Khalil, aged 45, later releasing him.

Khalil told IMEMC that his son was standing in front of the local high school, trying to reach the city of Bethlehem, when he was stopped by invading troops. The soldiers started to search and beat Al Sha'er, dragging him behind their jeep as he tried to protect himself. After severely beating him, they shot him twice in the head and took him to a nearby military base where he was left to die.

Khalil stated that soldiers came to his house and kidnapped him, taking him to the same place his son was being held. They told him that his son had attacked them with a knife. When Khalil asked to see the knife, the soldiers said that it had been taken by army investigators. Khalil confirmed that when his son left the house, he had no knife or any other weapons in his possession.

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