Palestinian Prime Minister: Killing Palestinians is No ‘Mistake’
Ramallah, 06 Dzulhijjah 1437/08 September 2016 (MINA) – Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah sharply denounced on Thursday Israel’s most recent killing of an innocent Palestinian and its attempt to blame his brother-in-law for his death, WAFA reported.
On Monday, Israeli forces killed Mustafa Nimer, 27, as he headed home with his cousin, Ali Nimer, 25, in Shufat refugee camp in Jerusalem. Israeli soldiers initially claimed that Nimer was shot because he had tried to carry out an attack.
On Tuesday, Israeli authorities told the family that no such attack had taken place and that he had been “killed by mistake,” shifting the blame instead on Ali, who was driving the car, accusing him of involuntary manslaughter, driving without a license, driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless endangerment.
In a statement issued by his office, Hamdallah said “Israel’s systematic killing of innocent Palestinians is outrageous. Its most recent attempt to twist the facts and blame someone else for his killing is downright despicable.”
Hamdallah said that the only person responsible for Mustafa Nimer’s death is the soldier who executed him.
“There is now an established pattern by Israeli forces of executing Palestinians, then calling it a ‘mistake’,” said Jamal Dajani, director of Strategic Communications and Media at the prime minister’s office. “Even worse is the cover-up and blaming the victim.”
Dajani called upon the international community to step in to end Israel’s “senseless killing” of Palestinians.
Series of senseless killings
Dajani called upon the international community to step in to end Israel’s “senseless killing” of Palestinians.
On August 26, Israeli forces shot Iyad Zakariya Hamed, 38, a father of three in the Ramallah area town of Silwad. He was mentally disabled and had apparently lost his way as he was running towards an army tower.
Hamed was unarmed when Israeli soldiers executed him in cold blood. The soldier who killed him was merely questioned and then sent back to his unit.
On July 13, Israeli forces killed Anwar Salaymeh, 22. The newlywed was driving in the neighborhood of al Ram, north of Jerusalem, with two friends unaware that Israeli forces were carrying out a raid in the area.
Israeli authorities said soldiers “felt threatened” and claimed Salaymeh had tried to run them over, despite evidence to the contrary.
On June 21, Israeli forces killed Rafat Badran, 15, as he was driving home with his friends after a trip to the swimming pool. Israeli soldiers in the area randomly started shooting at the car Badran was sitting in. The Israeli army later admitted the killing was a “mistake.”
On May 4, Israeli soldiers shot Arif Jaradat, 23, from the Hebron area. He had Down syndrome and apparently stood in the soldiers’ way and waved at them to leave as they were raiding the village. Soldiers shot him in the stomach and left him there to bleed. Jaradat later died of his injuries.
On December 25, Israeli border police killed Mahdia Hammad, a mother of four, as she was rushing home to feed her baby in the town of Silwad. Because she only slowed down her car instead of stopping completely, they sprayed her car with bullets, shooting her 17 times. She died on the spot. (T/R07/R01)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
