Did guards kill stone-thrower?
Palestinians say West Bank security fence guards shot and killed 17-year-old boy. Police questions guard in connection with incident
BEIT LIKIYA – Palestinian sources say 17-year-old Nimar A’asi was shot and killed Friday afternoon by guards securing construction work on the West Bank security fence in the village of Beit Likiya.
A group of boys apparently hurled stones at guards in the area, who then fired back. Meanwhile, police arrested one of the guards in connection with the shooting and confiscated his weapon, an Uzi submachine gun.
According to the Palestinians, the boys involved in the incident fled the scene after being fired at. However, once they reached the center of the village, they realized one of their friends was missing, the sources said.
The youngsters then returned to the scene of the incident, accompanied by villagers, and spotted the boy’s body. However, villagers say security guards prevented them from accessing the body and instead said they would inform security authorities of the incident.
Notably, the shooting victim is the cousin of two other Palestinian boys who were killed in the village about a month and a half ago. In that incident, IDF soldiers and Border Guard police officers opened fire at a group of children near the security fence.
The Palestinians said the boys were playing soccer at the time, but the IDF said the children took part in a protest where stones were hurled at security forces.
Relative slams guards
A relative of Nimar A’asi charged that security guards shot to kill, and said the bullet struck the victim directly in the heart.
“The fence’s security guards have no authority to act like that and they always provoke the village’s children,” he said.
Local police, meanwhile, said they received a report about a 17-year-old boy killed during disturbances in the Beit Likiya area.
“Palestinians hurled stones at fence security guards, and as a result the guards fired back,” the police said. “(The boy) was evacuated in very serious condition…and a report was received that he died from his wounds. Police forces are investigating the circumstances of the incident.”
Palestinian stone-throwers (Archive photo)
צילום: רויטרס
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