Thursday, January 7, 2016

Thursday: Israelis kill four Palestinians from the same town, three of them cousins of each other

Updated . Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians on Thursday night. Three were killed after an alleged stabbing attempt at the Gush Etzion Junction in the southern occupied West Bank, Israeli and Palestinian sources said. 
A forth boy of 16 was later killed at another junction. The first thre were cousisns of auch other, all gfour were from the town of Sair.
An Israeli army spokesperson alleged that all three Palestinians were"armed with knives" and had attempted to "attack Israeli soldiers guarding the Gush Etzion Junction."She said Israeli forces "thwarted" the attack and "responded to the imminent danger" by opening fire on the Palestinians.
Two of the Palestinians were immediately confirmed dead, the third was being treated on site, but an army spokesperson later confirmed he had succumbed to his wounds. A spokesperson for Magen David Adom confirmed that no Israelis were injured in the attack. A spokesperson for the Palestinian Red Crescent said that their ambulance crews "were not allowed to get close to the scene."
The three Palestinians were later identified as cousins Ahmad Salim Abd al-Majid Kawazba, Alaa Abed Muhammad Kawazba, and Muhannad Ziyad Kawazba, all from the town of Sair northeast of Hebron.
Shortly after the incident, another Palestinian from the same town, identified as 16-year-old Khalil Muhammad al-Shalaldah, was shot dead by Israeli forces after he allegedly attempted to carry out a stabbing attack at the Beit Einun junction northeast of Hebron.Thursday's deaths came just two days after another Palestinian was shot dead at the site.Ahmad Younis Kawazba, an 18-year-old from the same  town of Sair, was shot dead after he reportedly stabbed and lightly wounded an Israeli soldier guarding the junction, which is the main entrance point to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc.
Since October, about 150 Palestinians have been shot dead by Israelis. While Israel alleges many of those were attempting to attack Israelis when they were shot, Palestinians and rights groups have disputed Israel's version of events in a number of cases.The attacks that have taken place -- claiming the lives of more than 20 Israelis -- have been accompanied by a wave of popular unrest.

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