Live
Audio Only
Omar Badawi was shot in the abdomen in Al-Aroub refugee camp near Hebron city.
Israeli forces shot and killed a 22-year-old Palestinian man Monday in the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Authority (PA) said.
RELATED:
Omar Badawi was shot in the abdomen in Al-Aroub refugee camp near Hebron city during a march marking the 15th anniversary of the death of former Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, according to the PA news agency Wafa.
“There were protests in commemoration of Yasser Arafat’s death, like every year,” Mohammad Badawi, a cousin of Omar Badawi, told Middle East Eye. “Then the Israeli army entered the camp.”
“Soldiers were firing live ammunition, tear gas and sound bombs into the crowd, and one of the tear gas canisters exploded next to Omar’s house, causing a small fire,” Mohammad reported.
“So he stepped outside of his house to go see what was wrong. He was holding a bottle of water, and communicated to one of the soldiers that he was just going to put out the fire. The soldier immediately fired live ammunition at him in his abdomen and he fell to the ground.”
Video published by Palestinian news outlet J Media circulated on social media showing the moment Badawi was shot at close range.
“Shocking to see the video (of) today’s killing of Omar Badawi by Israeli security forces,” Nickolay Mladenov, United Nations’ special coordinator for Middle East peace, tweeted, adding that the Palestinians appeared to have “posed no threat to anyone”.
“Such acts must be thoroughly investigated,” Mladenov said.
The video also shows soldiers firing bullets and throwing tear gas canisters, even as Palestinian journalists and civilians attempt to carry Badawi to safety.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said troops were sent into Al-Aroub in pursuit of Palestinians who had thrown rocks at cars on a nearby road, and opened fire when confronted by “a large number of rioters,” adding the fatal shooting is under investigation.
A permanent Israeli military checkpoint is located at the entrance of al-Arroub.
“Al-Arroub camp is located at a strategic point for the Zionist occupation,” Badawi told MEE. “There are settlements around us and a permanent military base across the main road, constantly subjecting us to their attacks.”
Newsletter
