Israeli militants kill boy in Hebron

from International Solidarity Movement

An Israeli militant assassinated 14 year old Izz Al-Din Al-Jamal in the Abu Sneineh neighborhood near the Ibrahim Mosque on 13 February 2009. Around half past two on Friday, a few stones were thrown at the Abu Al-Rish checkpoint and Israeli forces responded by shooting teargas. A soldier and border police then occupied a rooftop next to the checkpoint and the soldier from a sniper position began shooting live ammunition at an empty house across the street where a few young boys were standing. Izz Al-Din Al-Jamal was shot in the heart and died instantly. He was brought to the hospital and brought back to the Abu Sneineh neighborhood for a burial at the graveyard before sunset.

Izz Al-Din Al-Jamal is the second boy to be murdered in the Abu Sneineh neighborhood this year. The H2 area of Hebron is under full Israeli control and residents have to pass through checkpoints to enter the neighborhood: which leads to daily harassment and very limited freedom of movement. The 17 year old Mus’ab Da’na was killed one month ago during a 

demonstration against the war on Gaza in the Abu Sneineh neighborhood. About 170 Palestinians who were arrested during this time are still in prison. Two other Palesitinians have been killed in the Hebron region in 2009. A 35 year old man from Idhna bled to death after being shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition in the stomach while he was handcuffed on the 13th of January. Also, a 25 year old man from Bani Nu’eim was murdered on the 3rd of February, when soldiers patrolling the area near the southern border to ‘Israel proper’ ordered him to stop his car and fired several bullets.

The assassination of the 14 year old boy on Friday is a continuation of the disproportional use of violence by Israeli forces. The use of live ammunition in circumstances like the killing of Izz Al-Din Al-Jamal is illegal according to the standards set by the occupying army.