IDF soldiers shoot Palestinian in Hebron who reportedly attempted firebombing
Man in serious condition at local hospital, a day after Border Police shot and killed teen in city
Ilan Ben Zion is an AFP reporter and a former news editor at The Times of Israel.
A Palestinian was seriously injured by IDF fire Thursday night after trying to throw a molotov cocktail at a border police checkpoint in Hebron.
Palestinian sources were quoted by Israel Radio reporting that the man suffered serious injuries and was taken to a local hospital.
The incident came a day after a Border Police officer shot and killed a Palestinian teen who approached a Border Police guard post near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. Seventeen-year-old Mohammed Suleima drew a fake pistol and pressed it against the head of an officer, and another Israeli soldier shot the suspect three times.
Hundreds of Palestinians threw rocks at the Israeli guard post where Suleima was shot on Thursday amid riots that accompanied the youth’s funeral.
The protests in Hebron escalated after the midday funeral of the youth. Some 5,000 people the funeral procession, praising God and vowing revenge. “Our blood will redeem the martyr,” the crowd chanted, and many stayed in the streets after the body was buried, waving green Hamas flags and chanting anti-Israel slogans in the streets.
Suleima’s body was wrapped in a green Hamas shroud as it was carried on a stretcher through the streets. Dozens of people held green Hamas flags aloft during the procession. Suleima’s family is known to support Hamas, and his brother was released last year in a prisoner swap between Hamas and Israel that freed an Israeli soldier held for five years in Gaza.
Some 40 protesters were reported injured, many from inhaling teargas. Next to the Cave of the Patriarchs, rioters hurled a firebomb at Israeli soldiers. There were no injuries. Palestinian police were attempting to prevent the protesters from attacking IDF troops.
Three other molotov cocktails were thrown at Israeli cars on Thursday near the village of al-Hader, west of Hebron, causing no damage or injuries.
Military sources have said there has been an uptick in Palestinian violence across the West Bank in the last month. Earlier in the day shots were reportedly fired at a hitchhiker outside the settlement on Halamish near the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh, a frequent flashpoint.
Aaron Kalman contributed to this report.
