Fatal gunfire near Gaza perimeter fence garbage dump:

[Jefferson23]

Soldiers shoot ‘Odeh Hamad who was scrap-collecting; 4 scrap-collecting civilians injured in last 18 months

February 3, 2014

On Friday, 20 December 2013, soldiers shot and killed ‘Odeh Hamad while he was collecting junk and scraps at Beit Hanoun garbage dump, which is adjacent to the Gaza perimeter fence. B’Tselem’s inquiries indicate that ‘Odeh Hamad and his brother and Radad arrived at the Beit Hanoun garbage dump around midday to collect plastic and metal scraps that they sell to make a living. At approximately 3:20 P.M., as ‘Odeh Hamad was cutting part of the barbed wire near the perimeter fence, he was struck in the head by a live bullet. His brother, Radad, told B’Tselem that they had heard neither warnings nor shots fired in the air prior to the shooting. Shots were then fired from the military tower located approx. 400 meters away, and Radad Hamad suffered a gunshot wound to his arm.

Having no phone on his person, Radad ran to get help. Subsequent to coordinating the matter with the military, a Red Crescent ambulance drove up to the spot permitted by the military permitted. The paramedics then got out and, on foot, began searching for ‘Odeh Hamad. Only half an hour later did they find him. He was lying critically wounded a few meters away from the fence. Throughout the search, two Israeli military jeeps were parked on the other side of the perimeter fence. ‘Odeh Hamad was taken to hospital in Beit Hanoun and died shortly after arrival.

Radad Hamad, 23, related the incident to B’Tselem field researcher Muhammad Sabah:


For the past two months, my brother ‘Odeh and I have been collecting scraps at the garbage dump northeast of Beit Hanoun, near the perimeter fence in the northern Gaza Strip. We collect plastic and metal scraps: pipes, packaging, lids, boxes, cans and poles. We have no other job and we have to provide for our families.

It’s exhausting work and we hate the smell, but there’s no choice. We go to the dump every day around noon, after the municipality workers dump the garbage. We collect the stuff and sell it to plastic and metal traders. We usually make about 20-30 shekels [approx. 6-9 USD] a day.

On Friday, 20 December 2013, at around 12:00 noon, my brother and I bicycled to the garbage dump. We started gathering scraps a few meters away from the fence, across from the military towers. Suddenly, at around 3:20, I heard gunfire, and then heard my brother shout and fall down. I ran over and found him lying on his back. His head was bleeding. Then a few more shots were fired in our direction, and I got hit in the arm. I didn’t have a phone on me, so I ran to get help. About an hour later, my brother was taken to hospital. He died about ten minutes after getting there.

remainder: http://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20140203_killing_of_odeh_hamad

[azurnoir]

1. so Palestinians in Gaza collecting garbage is a 'danger' to Israel's security

more from the article

B’Tselem’s inquiries indicate that ‘Odeh Hamad did, indeed, cut some of the barbed wire close to the military perimeter fence, apparently in order to sell the metal. However, B’Tselem’s inquiries have found that, contrary to the Military Spokesperson’s claim, a ‘suspect arrest procedure’ was not carried out. The fact that Hamad was hit in the head rather than in his legs indicates that the shooting did not follow this procedure, which prohibits shooting at the head at any stage. Moreover, according to Radad Hamad’s testimony, no attempt was made prior to the shooting to warn the brothers or to get them to move away from the fence.

‘Odeh Hamad was shot in the head despite posing no danger to anyone. While he was lying wounded, close to the soldiers on the other side of the fence, Red Crescent paramedics wasted precious time trying to find him. The soldiers offered Hamad no medical assistance, nor did they help the paramedics locate him. B’Tselem has written to the MAG Corps demanding that a criminal investigation be launched to examine the circumstances of the shooting, including the fact that the injured Hamad was not given any medical assistance. Although the incident took place over a month ago, the MAG Corps has yet to notify B’Tselem of its decision.

B’Tselem has documented previous cases in which soldiers shot at scrap collectors at the Beit Hanoun garbage dump, yet in most cases there were no injuries. B’Tselem knows of four other cases in the past year and a half in which civilians – including Odeh and Radad Hamad’s brother Khaled and an employee of Beit Hanoun Municipality – were injured under similar circumstances by military gunfire in the garbage dump.

[Jefferson23]

2. The shooting in the head is part of the most moral army thingie..you did not know that?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

3. They could have run him over with a bulldozer instead.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rachel_Corrie

Look on the bright side... well there is no bright side.

[Jefferson23]

4. My remarks to azurnoir were flippant and disrepectful to the dead..I should not

have gone there...my apologies.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. I'm not taking you to task.

BTW: I mentioned Rachel Corrie to one of the hasbarista knob-heads once and they claimed they never heard of her before.

Playing dumb is one of their most important gifts to humanity.

What a joke.