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Israelis Kill Unarmed Palestinian at Shrine

Man shot at disputed Hebron holy site after ignoring orders to stop

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted May 7, 2009 1:30 AM CDT
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(Newser) – Israeli troops shot and killed a suspected Palestinian attacker at the West Bank's Cave of the Patriarchs yesterday, Reuters reports. He was later found to be unarmed, according to the Jerusalem Post. Paramilitary police at the Hebron site—which is sacred to both Jews and Muslims—say they fired after the man refused to be searched and ignored orders to stop.

"They ordered the suspect to halt for inspection, and when he didn't stop, they went through the arrest procedure, cocking and aiming their rifles,"  said a military spokesman said. "When that didn't work, they opened fire. He was killed."  Palestinians at the cave said they heard some 30 shots. One Israeli policeman was lightly wounded by shrapnel.

An Israeli soldier stands guard while bulldozers clear land for the expansion of the Israeli settlement of Carmel, south of Hebron, last month.
An Israeli soldier stands guard while bulldozers clear land for the expansion of the Israeli settlement of Carmel, south of Hebron, last month.   (AP Photo / Nasser Shiyoukhi)
Israeli police stand guard outside the Cave of the Patriarchs, the burial place of the bible's Abraham.
Israeli police stand guard outside the Cave of the Patriarchs, the burial place of the bible's Abraham.   (Getty Images)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 5 comments
riffran
May 7, 2009 11:50 AM CDT
well put Nwambe...well put
Nwambe
May 7, 2009 11:33 AM CDT
A typical squadron is about 6 soldiers. Thirty shots works out to about five shots a person, over a ten-second period. That's not very much. That's admirable restraint, compared to a number of American cases, such as Amadou Diallo. I won't make a judgement, however, until I hear BOTH sides, no matter how flawed the information might be. I can say, though, that this is a regrettable incident.
mockingbird
May 7, 2009 11:14 AM CDT
Sorry, but I'll put the blame squarely on the soldiers. Perhaps that guy had just reached a point of mental exhaustion: "I'm here...at a shrine...trying to worship...and they're doing THIS?" I'm not saying that he didn't react with a certain degree of idiocy (much as I'd argue that the students shot at Kent State didn't act with due discretion), but the fault still lies with the men who fired the 30-odd shots.

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Israel • West Bank • Israel and Palestinians • Palestinians • Hebron

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