Palestinian man said killed in clashes with IDF at funeral

One man dead, two injured near Hebron, as mourners throw rocks, molotov cocktails at security forces in the West Bank

Illustrative photo of the IDF in the West Bank. June 19, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Majdi Mohammed)
Illustrative photo of the IDF in the West Bank. June 19, 2014. (photo credit: AP/Majdi Mohammed)

A Palestinian man was killed and two others were injured following clashes with security forces during a funeral in the West Bank, Palestinian medical sources said Friday.

The 30-year-old victim was identified by medics as Ziad Awad.

The IDF said violent clashes erupted during the funeral procession and troops responded with riot-dispersal means.

The funeral, which took place in the village of Beit Ummar, just north of Hebron, was for a Palestinian man recently released from Israeli prison.

Medics said two other Palestinians were wounded when Israeli troops opened fire to quell protests that erupted after the burial of the man, who reportedly died shortly after leaving prison. Mourners accused Israel of being responsible for his death.

The Palestinian medics identified the man who was buried as a relative, Jaafar Awad, who fell ill before he was released from jail.

The IDF spokesperson’s office told the Times of Israel that the funeral, attended by some 700 Palestinians “deteriorated into violent confrontations with IDF troops, which are illegal.”

The IDF said protesters threw stones, Molotov cocktails, set tires alight and blocked roads. The military added that troops responded with riot dispersal means, including the use of rubber bullets.

“We identified four hits are are looking into reports that a Palestinian man was killed,” said the IDF.

#صورة قوات الاحتلال تقمع مسيرة تشييع جثمان الشهيد زياد عوض في بلدة بيت أمر شمال الخليل(ناشطون)

Posted by ‎شهاب‎ on Friday, April 10, 2015

The head of a Palestinian Authority body in charge of prisoner affairs, Issa Qaraqe, issued a statement alleging Jaafar Awad had died of “medical negligence” at the hands of Israeli prison authorities.

“Israel alone is responsible for his death,” Qaraqe said in the statement, and called for an international probe.

Jaafar’s father, Ibrahim Awad, told AFP before his son’s death that Israeli prison authorities had given the 23-year-old man “an injection that made him ill and totally weakened him.”

Israel jailed Jaafar Ibrahim over “terrorist activity” and “membership in the Islamic Jihad” Palestinian terror group — accusations denied by his family.

In a separate incident unrelated to Ibrahim’s funeral, one man was injured by gunfire after demonstrators near the southern Gazan city of Khan Younis clashed with IDF troops along the border fence separating Israel from the Palestinian coastal enclave.

According to the IDF, security forces to break up a riot featuring dozens of demonstrators burning tires and throwing rocks. After repeatedly shooting in the air to ward off demonstrators moving towards the security fence, a decision was made for a sharpshooter to take a targeted shot towards one of the men’s lower extremities, lightly injuring him.

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