Palestinians: Protestor injured by IDF fire dies
Several hours before funeral of Muhammad Qadus, 16, who was shot to death in violent clashes with Israeli soldiers in Nablus area, medical sources report 20-year-old Osayed Qadus has also died following critical injury
A Palestinian shot by Israel Defense Forces troops in the West Bank died Sunday at dawn, medical sources reported. Osayed Qadus, 20, was in critical condition after being hit by a bullet Saturday afternoon at Burin, south of Nablus, when IDF soldiers opened fire to disperse protesters throwing stones on them.
Meanwhile, question marks have emerged over the violent clash that resulted in the death of 16-year-old Muhammad Qadus on Saturday.
Military officials say that troops did not use live ammunition during the confrontation but Nablus doctor Mahmoud Qaadan, who treated Qadus at Rapidia hospital, told Ynet that the findings were conclusive: "We had an entry and exit of a bullet. We do not have a bullet, but this type of injuries with entry and exit wounds are only created by live ammunition and not by rubber-coated bullets."
The X-rays done at the hospital left no room for doubt regarding the use of live fire in the incident, the Palestinian doctor said. A B'Tselem investigator who arrived at the hospital also claimed that the X-rays proved that the teen was killed by live ammunition and not by rubber bullets.
Osayed Qadus' X-ray (Photo: Salma a-Dab'i, B'Tselem)
An IDF source told Ynet that the army engaged in covert surveillance in the area Saturday, spotting masked Palestinians in possession of rocks heading to the nearby Bracha settlement. Troops fired tear gas at the Palestinians, to no avail, and later fired rubber bullets at stone throwers roughly 70 meters (about 250 feet) away from them.
According to an initial probe, the forces did not fire live ammunition at the Palestinians, the IDF source said. He added that troops who attempted to detain two suspects inside the Palestinian village encountered a pile of rocks blocking the road, as stone throwers on a nearby hill hurled rocks at the forces, which were hence facing a life-threatening situation. In such cases, IDF troops are allowed to use live fire.
