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A previous protest in Naalin
Photo: ActiveStills

IDF: Man killed in Naalin was Hamas operative

Ongoing security investigation into death of Palestinian anti-fence protester reveals he was known to security forces

An ongoing IDF and Border Guard investigation confirmed that the Palestinian casualties at an anti-fence demonstration in the West Bank town of Naalin on Friday – including the death of one man- was caused by IDF fire, but added that the victim had been a Hamas operative who had attacked soldiers as part of a large group.

 

The man, Akal Srur, was known to security forces working the region due to repeated violations, security sources revealed. The investigation, headed by the Regional Commander in Judea and Samari Brig. General Noam Tibon, was onging as of 9 p.m. Friday.

 

According to the investigation, the demonstration, in which some 200 Palestinian, Israeli and foreign left-wing activists took part, deteriorated into a violent riot, in which participants attacked security forces with stones and tried to damage the security fence in the area.

 

One of the Israeli security officers, feeling threatened, fired a 'roger' rifle at the legs of the participants. This rifle, intended for crowd dispersal, fires ammunition at lower (and thus less dangerous) speeds.

 

It appears that Srur, who was hit at close range and died upon arrival at the hospital, was fatally injured from the ammunition. The use of such ammunition was approved by senior IDF officials for use in riots in Naalin, security forces said.

 

"These are violent riots in which hundreds of people take part," one security source told Ynet. "Whoever participates in them needs to take into account that he might get hurt, just as security forces do."

 


Srur's mother (Photo: AP)

 

Protesters, on the other hand, claimed that security forces have a "loose trigger finger."

 

"Srur didn't threaten anyone, not one soldier. No one felt that his life was threatened," one of the participants said. "The soldiers were waiting on the outskirts of town and targeted us with tear gas before the protest even began."

 

He said that soldiers did not shoot the roger rifle at people's legs in order to disperse them, but rather relied on snipers, claiming as evidence the fact that Srur had been injured in his chest. "The IDF's response to this incident is laughable," he added.

 

Ali Waked contributed to this report

 


פרסום ראשון: 06.05.09, 21:06
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