Army: “Death Of Four Palestinians near Nablus in March Could Have Been Avoided”

Tuesday April 06, 2010 17:20

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Avi Mizrahi, head of the General Command of the Israeli army stated that the March fatal shooting of four Palestinians in two separate incidents near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, could have been avoided.

Image by Arabs48

The army invaded the village of Iraq-Burin on March 20, and killed Aseed Abdul-Nasser Qadous, 16, and Ibrahim Abdul-Qader Qadous, 16. Troops claim that soldiers only used rubber-coated bullets and did not fire live rounds.

Troops also obstructed Palestinian medics while on their way to provide the much needed medical attention to the two residents.

Aseed was shot in his abdomen during Saturday clashes with invading Israeli forces. He was admitted to surgery but died of his wounds on Sunday morning. He bled to death despite extensive efforts to save his life and despite receiving several units of bloods. Mohammad, 16, was shot in his head and died instantly.

On March 21, soldiers invaded Awarta nearby village and a soldier shot and killed two more Palestinians.

An investigation by the Central Command Investigation Committee of the Israeli Army revealed that the killing could have been avoided as the soldiers failed to distinguish between a life threatening situation and other incidents that could be dealt with without casualties, Israeli Ynet News reported.

Mizrahi stated on Monday at night the army could have acted differently if the brigade that conducted the invasion managed to draw more accurate conclusions.

During a testimony before a military tribunal, the deputy commander of the unit stated that he received permission to fire rubber-coated bullets at the protestors, and wounded one of them. The army then learnt that two Palestinians were killed, the commander claimed.

The tribunal did not publish how the two Palestinians were killed although an X-Ray showed a live round in the head of one of the victims while the army said soldiers only used rubber-coated bullets.

The second deadly shooting place on March 21 in Awarta. Soldiers claimed that two Palestinian men attempted to attack soldiers, stationed at a roadblock near Awarta, with a pitchfork and a broken bottle.

The two were identified as Mahmoud Faisal Qawariq and his relative Salah Mohammad Qawariq, both 19 years old.

Soldiers claimed that the two were “disguised as farmers”, and attempted to attack them while shouting and carrying the pitchfork and a broken bottle. The army stated that the soldiers they acted according to procedures.

Eyewitnesses reported that the two were working in their farmland, east of the Awarta military roadblock, when the soldiers fired live rounds at them.

The army immediately declared the area a closed military zone to keep the press out.
The Military Police said it would continue its investigation into the incidents, while Mizrahi is still to determine whether to “discipline” the soldiers involved.

But a previous investigation conducted by the army revealed that the four slain Palestinians were shot and killed due to “impairments in the deployment of the soldiers”, and due to “tactical errors”.