Israel army shoots dead elderly Palestinian in bed

[mudplanet]

By Samih Chahine
January 8, 2011, 3:15am

HEBRON, Palestinian Territories (AFP) – Israeli troops in Hebron shot dead an elderly Palestinian civilian on Friday in a case of mistaken identity as they searched for a Hamas prisoner freed a day earlier.

The Israeli army expressed regret over the killing, with a spokesman admitting the 67-year-old man was an innocent civilian who lived in the same house as the wanted Hamas operative.

The shooting took place inside an apartment building in the heart of the southern West Bank city as troops were searching for one of five prisoners released from a Palestinian jail in Hebron on Thursday.

The dead man was identified as Omar Kawasme, with relatives saying he was an uncle of Wael al-Bitar, one of the Hamas prisoners being sought by Israel.

Speaking to AFP, the dead man's son, Rajaeh Kawasme, said troops had entered the house while his mother was praying and his father was asleep. They had locked her in another room, then opened fire on his father in his bed.

"They murdered him in cold blood with 13 bullets in the head without even checking his identity," he told AFP. "After they killed him, they asked for his identity card.

http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/297256/israel-army-shoots-dead-elderly-palestinian-bed

[azurnoir]

1. the Hamas member (s) IDF was looking for were arrested

in connection with the drive by killings of 4 settlers last summer, which IMO calls into question whether just how much of a mistake this was

[parkia00]

2. Does this qualify as murder?

Sounds more like a hit squad rather than an arrest attempt. Either way it's just another dead less than important creature that only looks human. Some people will approve of this, others will justify this while others will be ready to scream in unison "antisemitism!" at anyone who sees a problem with what just happened.

[oberliner]

3. There is no one who would shout "antisemitism" at someone who sees a problem with what happened

Just about everyone in Israel - up to and including the very right-wing Likud-led coalition government and the IDF leadership has a problem with what just happened.

[azurnoir]

4. yes the Israeli government does say that don't they n/t