This is a few days late, but the first fatality since the Gaza-Israeli truce took hold occurred on the 10th of July. Shockingly, he was a Palestinian, killed by Israeli soldiers near the border area.
Salim Jumaa Hamidi, 18, was shot by Israeli soldiers near the Kissufim crossing on Thursday, July 10, 2008. He was unarmed, wearing a t-shirt and jeans. The soldiers say they warned him to turn back before shooting him in the stomach and shoulder. The wounds would not have been fatal had he received medical assistance. He was shot at around 4:00 am, but the Israeli military did not provide him with any medical assistance. Understandable, since they’re trained to go into Gaza only to kill, and we wouldn’t want them to get confused and not know what to do, the poor souls.
What they could have done, however, was notify the Palestinian medical services that there was a man with serious injuries in need of urgent assistance. Instead, even after checking that Salim was unarmed, the soldiers let him bleed alone. 3 hours after they shot him, at 7:30, they finally notified the medical services.
Salim had already bled to death.
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- Shoah Watch: Black Saturday
- This Ceasefire Business
This is unfortunate, and the Israelis certainly could have behaved better, but the guy should have obeyed the border crossing guards’ instructions – they’re authorized to use lethal force for a reason. It’s not like we’re talking about a guy just milling around Gaza here — he was trying to enter Israel, and when you’re entering a heavily militarized country at 4AM you’d better follow all instructions to a T.
As to why it’s not been reported, it’s because it’s not a clash between Israel and Hamas, which is what we’d normally think of as a violation of the ceasefire.
Posted by Joe | July 15, 2008, 8:27 pmYou see, in Joe’s incredibly fucked up world, you can actually kill someone for not obeying an order…
10kmh over the speed limit? Instant beheading.
Failure to file a correct tax return? Hung at dawn.
Walking near a fence while being Arab? Assassination.
I look forward to seeing you tick the box next to Stalin’s name in November, Joe….
Posted by Lowfields | July 15, 2008, 10:50 pmMurder is justifiable, as long as you can have gay pride parades. Those soldiers were probably way too busy to help a dying animal.
Posted by safiyyah | July 16, 2008, 5:36 amAllah yer7amo.
I just have to say thanks and give you credit Mohammad. I don’t know how you do it.
I can’t handle reading about these murders over and over. It’s like I’m always reading the same story. I get bitter and defeatist.
And yet you have the time and the mental energy to give the facts when no one else can be bothered.
Thanks.
Posted by AM | July 16, 2008, 6:24 am“”You see, in Joe’s incredibly fucked up world, you can actually kill someone for not obeying an order…”"
Depends what kind of order — and again, it’s far from ideal, but it’s not an atrocity. If we shot people trying to cross the American border illegally, for instance, that’d be far from ideal, but it’d be understandable — and I say that as a big supporter of immigration, both legal and illegal. Borders matter, and when you’re trying to enter a country with a siege mentality illegally through its most perilous border in the middle of the night, you’re putting your life in danger.
Posted by Joe | July 16, 2008, 5:30 pmOf course, Joe, trying apprehend him and ask what he was doing never occured to you as a likely way to ascertain just what he was doing by the border, no….?
As a policy, “when in doubt, shoot” is one of the reasons why Israel is reviled in progressive circles as a serial human rights abuser and, on many occcasions, war criminal.
Posted by Lowfields | July 16, 2008, 11:11 pmI have friends serving near Gaza. The media does not even report what happens there anymore. It is like Iraq. They get shot at day and night. Every patrol is deflecting sniper bullets. This is called peace and stability and the israeli media wants peace to work so they do not report it to upset the country. We had a bomb go off under the tank, like in Iraq an IED. Two soldiers injured. They are ready to fight back. Every time a rocket goes over their heads they curse the government. Everyone is waiting for Barack or Netanyahu to take over. Anyone but Olmert. Then they are ready to invade and kill the fuckers that are shooting at them. It is only luck that no one has gotten killed yet with all the Arab bullets expended. Soldiers are injured all the time. Just wait. Gaza is heaven now compared to what will be when a real Israeli leader is elected. You can thank Hamas for the memories.
Posted by Anonymous | July 17, 2008, 7:53 am“Gaza is heaven now compared to what will be when a real Israeli leader is elected.”
How original. An Israeli threatening to cause more misery and suffering.
Posted by Corie | July 17, 2008, 3:03 pmCan anybody justify why the Israeli soldiers, after shooting Salim, determining he was not a threat, checking that he was completely unarmed and seeing him unable to get assistance let him bleed to death for 3 hours before alerting the medical services?
And anonymous Zionut with friends serving at the Gaza border, starving a population and enforcing an illegal occupation, you can’t expect sympathy for your soldiers when those they oppress fight back with the limited means they have.
Posted by Mohammad | July 17, 2008, 4:20 pm“” Of course, Joe, trying apprehend him and ask what he was doing never occured to you as a likely way to ascertain just what he was doing by the border, no….?”"
Yeah, that’d definitely be better. We agree, Israel’s action wasn’t that great. But it’s also understandable, when you’re dealing with a heavily militarized border.
“”As a policy, “when in doubt, shoot” is one of the reasons why Israel is reviled in progressive circles as a serial human rights abuser and, on many occcasions, war criminal.”"
Dunno what ‘progressive circles’ you run in, but in all the ones I’ve ever seen the Israel/Palestine issue is hotly disputed, with no consensus. Almost like they’re highly imperfect, yet hold far greater promise than any other nation in the region…
“” Can anybody justify why the Israeli soldiers, after shooting Salim, determining he was not a threat, checking that he was completely unarmed and seeing him unable to get assistance let him bleed to death for 3 hours before alerting the medical services?”"
Nope. It’s unjustifiable.
Posted by Joe | July 17, 2008, 5:44 pmTo anon: you’re full of it. A Palestinian can’t fart in the general direction of Israel without it being reported on the news. Your assertion that Israeli soldiers are being shot at and hit on a daily basis while the media ignores it is laughable on its face. Where’s the evidence? You claim a tank was taken out by an IED. Where? Did Hamas cross the border and plant an IED or did this tank maybe get a little too close (like 20 miles past) that little border fence you seem to think is the “dead line” between Israel and Gaza. If the latterthat is more an act of aggression than some kid in a T-shirt.
It is sad there are Zionists who can defend the murder of a harmless individual on the basis of “orders.” Thought that one went out with Nuremberg but Israel seems determined to become the very thing it claims (endlessly) to hate the most.
Regardless of what orders those soldiers were under, they had the discretion to make or not make the decision to shoot an unarmed individual who was no threat to them, and then leave him to bleed to death afterwards. You’ll forgive me if I can’t view anyone who can commit an act like that or defend it afterwards as anything but a barbarian.
Posted by Sean | July 17, 2008, 6:06 pmSOrry, you are confused. I was not trying to explain something to people who support jihad. Why argue with you? My friends are getting shot at by your cousins. Obviously you support your cousins. Americans don’t understand how it is over there, but I grew up with Arabs, most good, some not.
Not that you care, but when hamas fires rockets and mortars, half of them come down inside Gaza. I did a quick check of your site and i don’t see you mentioning how many Palestinians are dead because Hamas misfired.
I only stopped here to point out that when we get our house in order, we are going to kill all your cousins that shoot at us.
When it is dark the fuckers shoot, and in the morning they take their sick grandmother to the checkpoint to send her to an Israeli hospital for treatment. Sometimes we ask them, you know who was shooting at us last night? They can’t even look us in the eyes.
In front of their boys they are big dicks but when their grandmother needs help they kiss our hands.
The Druze really hates your cousin, you know that. They say they have no honor. They track them like animals in the desert.
I would say something nice, but what’s the point. Israel is a difficult land and we are all difficult people. Maybe except you soft handed writers.
Layla Tov
Posted by Anonymous | July 17, 2008, 8:11 pmAnonymous, you have already been taken apart by everyone else on here, and the more you write the stupider you sound. We all support Jihad because we find it outrageous that your army would shoot an innocent teenager then let him bleed to death? Who taught you how to debate, Joel Pollack?
Again, you can’t expect any sympathy from those you oppress and occupy. If your friends don’t like being shot at, they can refuse to enforce an illegal occupation.
Posted by Mohammad | July 18, 2008, 4:20 amwho ask for sympathy? only you
your cousins fight like women, abnaa il khmara
the only thing i ask is from G-d, to steady the sights on my M16 and for my brothers, when your jihadi cousin is within ballistic range
you are a very smart, strong, clever boy here. over there you throw a molotov or launch rocket and then wet your pants when we shoot back
Posted by Anonymous | July 18, 2008, 12:15 pm“We all support Jihad”
Mohammad, can you please post your home’s precise GPS coordinates? I am sure there is a Shabbak officer who wants to have a coffee with you.
Maybe you can join your compatriots.
Posted by Sara | July 18, 2008, 12:23 pmWow, unbelievable paraphrasing Sara.
Lucky readers only have to scroll up a little to read what I actually wrote.
You’re pathetic.
Posted by Mohammad | July 18, 2008, 4:28 pm