Israeli troops kill two on Gaza border, Jerusalem stabber shot dead

[rooster59]

Israeli troops kill two on Gaza border, Jerusalem stabber shot dead

By Nidal al-Mughrabi

 

A wounded Palestinian is evacuated during a protest demanding the right to return to their homeland at the Israel-Gaza border, in Gaza August 17, 2018. REUTERS/Mohammed Salem

 

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops killed two Palestinians and wounded scores of others taking part in weekly Gaza border protests on Friday, medics said, as Egyptian mediators tried to clinch a truce deal that would calm the impoverished enclave.

 

In Jerusalem's Old City, another area that Palestinians want for a future state, Israeli police said they shot dead an Arab who attacked them with a knife after leaving a mosque complex.

 

After a more than four-month surge in confrontations over the Gaza Strip border, Israel this week eased its clampdown on the enclave's commercial traffic and fishing. Cairo said it was finalising details of a longer-term accommodation between Israel and the dominant Palestinian Islamist group Hamas.

 

Some 20,000 people participated in Friday's protests, which took place a few hundred meters from the fence, though dozens came closer, with some rolling burning tyres, witnesses said.

 

Medics said Israeli gunfire killed two men and wounded at least 270 other Palestinians, 50 of them with live bullets.

 

An Israeli army spokeswoman said troops had responded with "riot-dispersal means" to prevent breaches of the border.

 

Friday's deaths brought to 170 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the weekly protests began on March 30. The campaign is pressing for rights to land that Palestinians lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation, and for an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza.

 

Anger in Gaza has also been stoked by funding cuts by the Western-backed administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which dominates the West Bank and is the rival of Hamas, which runs Gaza. Their efforts at agreeing on a power-sharing unity deal with Egyptian mediation have not borne fruit.

 

Cairo had no immediate comment on Friday's incidents.

 

Hamas official Izzat Reshiq said the group, and other Palestinian factions, concluded a round of talks with Egyptian security officials over a possible truce with Israel and that further talks were scheduled for later this month.

 

"Efforts will resume after the holiday of Eid Al-Adha," Reshiq said on Twitter, referring to a Muslim festival that begins on Aug. 21 and ends on Aug. 24.

 

Israel sees the Gaza protests as a bid by Hamas, against which it has fought three wars in the last decade, to use civilians as cover for cross-border attacks. Hamas denies this.

 

Separately, Israeli police said they were attacked on Friday by a knife-wielding man after he emerged from a complex housing Al Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest shrine, in East Jerusalem.

 

The man was shot dead, police said, describing him as a resident of an Israeli Arab town where pro-Palestinian sympathies are strong. CCTV video from the scene showed a man lunging at a police trooper with a knife, but not what followed.

 

Palestinians said that, after the incident, Israeli authorities barred Muslim worshippers from Al Aqsa mosque.

 

"This is a grave escalation that may lead to unpredictable consequences," Abbas said in a statement carried by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-08-18

[Scott]

Troll post removed.  

 

[Elfin]

How can the firing of live bullets be justified as "riot-dispersal" means?

[dexterm]

OP...
"Friday's deaths brought to 170 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the weekly protests began on March 30. The campaign is pressing for rights to land that Palestinians lost to Israel in the 1948 war of its foundation, and for an end to the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of Gaza."

 

More Israeli war crimes against unarmed civilians who simply want to return home to land from which they have been ethnically cleansed across a border unilaterally imposed by Israel and not officially recognized by any other country in the world.

 

The violence could be ended in an instance if Israel and Egypt eased the blockade of Gaza tantamount to collective punishment of 2 million people, and in a gradual, controlled, security vetted manner allowed Palestinian refugees whose families were actually born in Israel to return to their home land.

 

OP..
"The man was shot dead, police said, describing him as a resident of an Israeli Arab town where pro-Palestinian sympathies are strong. CCTV video from the scene showed a man lunging at a police trooper with a knife, but not what followed."

 

I wonder why the tape was edited? What has Israel got to hide yet again? Was the man summarily executed after being subdued?

 

This was an act of legitimate resistance against Israeli forces illegally occupying Palestinian East Jerusalem.

[Grouse]

Excellent documentary on BBC World highlighting the use of video to bring to our attention the daily brutality of IDF against their fellow semites.

 

I full expect to be metaphorically stoned or cast into the wilderness for mentioning it. 

[Elfin]

On 8/18/2018 at 4:24 PM, Grouse said:

I full expect to be metaphorically stoned or cast into the wilderness for mentioning it. 

Nope Grouse, it was mine that was cast into the wilderness ?

[ivor bigun]

Tough, stay home and do something usefull,not throw rocks and petrol bombs and rockets into Israael. Live like animals die like animals

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[sammieuk1]

Looks like the peace talks are well underway then?

[Grouse]

33 minutes ago, ivor bigun said:

Tough, stay home and do something usefull,not throw rocks and petrol bombs and rockets into Israael. Live like animals die like animals

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

Gimme an "a" ...

 

I decline to respond 

[JimmyTheMook]

Quote

Anger in Gaza has also been stoked by funding cuts by the Western-backed administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, which dominates the West Bank and is the rival of Hamas, which runs Gaza. Their efforts at agreeing on a power-sharing unity deal with Egyptian mediation have not borne fruit.

 

Idiots, play stupid games win stupid prizes.

 

 

[Morch]

On 8/18/2018 at 12:15 PM, Elfin said:

How can the firing of live bullets be justified as "riot-dispersal" means?

 

Considering this was addressed on multiple past topics, in which you partook - either a memory or comprehension issue. The alternative would be that you actually get it, but prefer pretending not to.

[Morch]

 

@dexterm

 

The routine almost copy-pasted rant, complete with the usual misleading and nonsense comments.

 

That you announce something to be a "war crime" doesn't make it so. Your grasp of what actually constitutes such seems rather subjective. You keep using "unarmed" as a blanket term, disregarding reports to the contrary or even Hamas/Islamic Jihad own statements. The nonsense about "...simply want to return home...." is the usual simplistic fare. Same goes for the border bit. Both been addressed, in depth, numerous times - but expected you'll just plow on.

 

The bogus assertion that the "violence could be ended in an instance" is counterfactual. To remind, violence played a central role in the Blockade coming about. Getting back to reality, the only instances in which the violence "ended in an instance" were when Hamas decided to. This was even the case with regard to previous lulls this time around.

 

Harping on your own formulations of the supposed Palestinian "right of return" doesn't change facts. Them facts require both a recognition of Israel's sovereignty, and having no hostile intentions. That you would ignore that is expected as well - we've been over it on multiple past topics. It is unlikely such a move could be achieved without some sort of comprehensive agreement.

 

As for your run of the mill allegations regarding "something to hide" etc... about per script. Nothing whatsoever on the attacker's action, but rather an unfounded conspiracy theory variant. Considering the person in question was a citizen of Israel, I somehow doubt your assertions about "legitimate resistance" hold much water - but then, I don't really consider you a legal expert. Nor, for that matter, to hold much of an acceptable position regarding violence, particularly in light of supposedly being a great "humanist". Regardless, the family already claimed he had mental issues etc...

 

[dexterm]

Looks like another instance of Israeli trigger happy shoot first ask questions later policy, when the deceased was mentally ill.

 

 "31-year-old man from Umm el-Fahm, who was killed Friday in Jerusalem’s Old City while stabbing a policeman, was mentally ill and could have been subdued without ending his life, his family and the mayor of Umm el-Fahm claimed on Saturday.

Family members told KAN Radio that Ahmed Mahameed had a history of mental health issues and had not carried out the attack for nationalist reasons."

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Mayor-of-Arab-city-in-Israel-condemns-police-shooting-terrorist-565162

 

But I am sure, in the only democracy in the Middle East,  the imminent coroner's report and the thorough Israeli police investigation of the incident after they have examined the missing edited footage will produce more careful guidelines for better handling of these situations in future.

[ivor bigun]

If someone was attacking me with a knife and i have a gun i would shoot him ,sod asking if he has" mental" problems first.

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Morch]

 

@dexterm

 

The assertions cited were made by his family and the mayor of the town. As far as I'm aware, none of them was at the scene. The fact that someone had a history of mental health issues doesn't automatically classify him as a non-threat, or directly bears on security forces reaction.

 

But obviously, you don't really care one way or the other. On the previous post the attack was labeled "an act of legitimate resistance....", now it's milked as an instance of Israeli police brutality or something. No reference whatsoever to the guy actually trying to stab a policeman. All you're interested in is the bash opportunity - and if there isn't one, you'll spin one into being.

 

That you allege "missing edited footage" would require some sort of reference - that you make such claims carries very little weight, by itself.

 

[Ron19]

A post containing unproven comment has been removed.

[Rimmer]

A personal attack on another poster has been removed