Four Palestinians Extra-judicially Killed by IOF

Despite international condemnation of Israel’s assassination policy, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) assassinated four Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, less than 48 hours after an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially killed a top Hamas activist in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

The killing of the four activists came few hours after IOF shot dead a Palestinian woman in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, Palestinian medical and security sources said.

Palestine security sources and witnesses said that an Israeli tank opened fire at a house in the re-occupied town of Beit Hanoun, killing four Palestinians and wounding three others.

The four victims were identified as Faker al-Za’aneen, 20, Mohammad al-Basioni, 23, Khaled al-Shinbari, 21, and Rushdi al-Za’aneen. They were members of the Fatah faction, Palestinian sources confirmed.

Israel has assassinated dozens of Palestinians since the beginning of the Intifada against 36-year old Israeli occupation in September 2000; many of the victims were bystanders, including women and children.

On Saturday, an IOF under coverunit assassinated unarmed Abdullah Qawasmi, the top Hamas activist in the West Bank, as he was leaving one of Hebron’s mosques after evening prayers.

He was a father to six children, relatives said.

Qawasmi’s assassination was seen as a blow to the efforts, carried out by the international community, to restore the peace process and implement the “roadmap.”

Hamas officials threatened to revenge the killing of the group’s high-ranking activist.

The Palestinian cabinet, meeting in Ramallah Saturday, condemned Israel’s assassination policy, adding that the Israeli policy is a violation of the “roadmap” peace plan.

Meanwhile, IOF killed a Palestinian woman in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, Palestinian medical sources said.

Su’ad al-Bahdari, 27, was shot dead by IOF soldiers near the illegal Israeli settlement of “Morag.”

Israeli sources earlier claimed that IOF have killed an unidentified Palestinian man who was trying to sneak into the settlement.

Medical sources said the victim was shot by live bullets in the head and chest, causing her immediate death.

Also in Rafah, an 18-year-old Palestinian was wounded when IOF soldiers opened fire at him in al-Brazil neighborhood, east of the town.

Elsewhere in the Gaza Strip, IOF shot and wounded a 40-year-old woman at Salah Al-Dein Street, which links the northern and southern Gaza Strip together.

Meanwhile, IOF troops continued imposing curfew on the southern West Bank city of Hebron for the second day, witnesses said, adding that the city was also completely sealed off.

© Scoop Media