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News Middle East
Clashes at funeral of West Bank boy

Mussa was killed on Tuesday during a protest against the separation wall [AFP]

Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have broken out at the funeral of a 10-year-old Palestinian boy shot dead by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank.

Thousands of people in the West Bank gathered on Wednesday for the funeral of  
Ahmed Mussa who was killed on Tuesday during a protest against the separation wall in the village of Ni'lin.

The mourners marched from the city of Ramallah to Ni'lin on Wednesday, chanting slogans condemning Mussa's killing.

Clashes broke out when the procession reached the village, with Palestinians hurling stones and Israeli soldiers firing tear gas grenades and rubber-coated bullets.

Five Palestinians were injured and a 16-year-old was in serious condition after being shot in the eye and the head with rubber-coated bullets, doctors at a nearby hospital said.

At the funeral, Rafik Husseini, an aide to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president,  said Tuesday's shooting was "truly a crime against a child".

"The Israeli army, with its actions in Ni'lin and the rest of the West Bank, is trying to destroy any chance of peace and of a solution with two states living side-by-side," he said.

Salah Khawaja, a member of Ni'lin's Committee Against the Wall, said that Mussa died when soldiers fired live rounds towards a group of protesters running into Ni'lin village after being dispersed from the protest site by rubber-coated bullets.

Live fire

According to Palestinian officials, an autopsy conducted by forensic doctors found that Mussa was shot by a live round.

Said Abu Ali, the governor of Ramallah, said that the autopsy indicated that Mussa was struck by a single bullet from an M16 assault rifle that entered his forehead and exited the back of his head.

Ali said Israel wanted to do a joint autopsy with the Palestinians either in Israel or in the West Bank, but Palestinian officials refused.

The Israeli military said it was investigating the boy's death.

The  military also said in a statement that an initial inquiry indicated that youths were hurling "rocks in very large quantities".

Ahmed Saadat, a 10-year-old boy who saw the shooting, said he was with a group of children near a section of the barbed-wire fence on the edge of the village that had been cut by older boys earlier in the day.
  
Saadat said they threw rocks at soldiers who arrived in a military vehicle.

"A military Jeep came, and a soldier wearing a uniform got out and fired at us. He hit Ahmed directly in the head," he said.

Riot control

Israeli border police said they would deploy forces better trained in riot control to deal with the protests in the future.

Protests against the separation wall occur regularly around Ni'lin [AFP]
"This type of incident will not repeat itself," Superintendent Sharon Manor, a company commander in Israel's border police, said.

Manor also said that troops did not have permission to use live fire, but did not say whether the military thought that that was what killed the boy.

Al Jazeera's David Chater, reporting from Ni'lin, said that the use of live rounds is a controversial issue.

"Human rights groups have condemned its use, and say it is a breach of international law," he said.

"The growing anger against this wall, and the sheer number of protesters that continuously gather here has overwhelmed the police and the military, to an extent where they are losing control."
  
Fifteen people were also lightly injured by rubber-coated bullets during the demonstration in Ni'lin, which has in recent months become the site of regular demonstrations against the barrier.

Earlier this month, demonstrators in Ni'lin and other locations marked four years since the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding resolution calling for parts of the barrier inside the West Bank to be torn down and for a halt to construction there.
  
Israel has largely ignored the ruling.
 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 19
 
rusty
United States 		30/07/2008
it is sad to see young children killed. this child should not be participating in rock throwing or demonstrations. if adults want to perform jihad so be it, but don't force children, this child probably had a brave hamas fighter hiding behind him at the time he was shot.

David Doub
Afghanistan 		30/07/2008
West Bank Mourns Boy Shot at Wall
Where are the articles about Israelis killed by Palestinians?

yussef laslami
United States 		30/07/2008
you have repeated the same paragraph twice in the article.

Jia
United States 		30/07/2008
A shamefull act by cowardly solders
There is no reason or excuse that will suffice for this. How can any person think this is exceptable? high powered guns versus children with stones..... that is pathetic and every person of Jewish origian should be reminded that Israel is traeating the Palistenians like the nazi's did to them in the late 30's early 40's. the only thing they do not do is slave, experiment, or rape them. And even then I wouldn't be suprised if they did.

Stephen
United States 		31/07/2008
Boy Shot by Israeli Army
There's a world of difference between throwing a stone, and using a sling: as depicted in the article. The former can hurt, the latter can kill: David nailed Goliath in this way, but the Palestinian people will only further frustrate their aims in mistaking violence for resistance.

Ali Akhbar
United Kingdom 		31/07/2008
This is a sad world of affairs. A child is killed by the Israeli's and the parents are blamed. How did you ever come to that conclusion. Those of you who have posted such comments really need to think through before making such statements, as many view them as untrue without any real meaning. An innocent child has the right to be a child. Cruelty in any way is a wrong doing. Biased views and untoughtful perceptions never win peace and harmony.

Andy
United Kingdom 		31/07/2008
David Doub: 'Where are the articles about Israelis killed by Palestinians?' the reports of israelis killed are out there, only when there are so few it is easy for them to get lost among the reports of all the Palestinians killed by the israelis

Fausie
United Kingdom 		31/07/2008
Clashes ar funeral of West Bank boy
Where is US, world powers and UN in this situation? This is a clear act of terrorism.... and a violation of the so called International Law!

Amal
Egypt 		31/07/2008
Ignorance
A survey conducted in the US showed that a significant proportion of Americans think that 'occupied Palestinian Territories' are occupied by Palestinians. Could that be why so many Americans fail to understand the reasons for Palestinian anger against Israel? One American reader asks 'Where are this kid's parents?'. Probably buried under the rubble of their home razed by Israeli bulldozers, sir.

Jennifer
Romania 		01/08/2008
Understanding...
It is hard to understand the tragedy that is occurring between the Palestinians and the Israeli's, especially if you haven't been there. How would you react if your freedom and land were taken by those more powerful than you, who ignore all laws and advice to pursue their own means? Even as a kid, how would your react? The kids skip school to go to the protests, while their parents are at work trying to make money to survive. It's a little hard to know where kids are 24/7.

Elizabeth
United States 		01/08/2008
Responses
Rusty, children are not FORCED to participate in stone throwing. Like all wronged children (i.e wronged people in general), some want to lash out. Not everyone believes in non-violent resistance, so your disagreement may lie there. But notice they are not using guns. And as to where the child's parents were, they were likely working. There are protests in this city constantly due to its smothering by the Wall. This is NOT the same lifestyle as most of us live in, please remember that.

reza santorini
United States 		01/08/2008
funeral of a west bank boy
As someone who grew up amid violence and now experiences it when visiting my parents, I can only tell you how our family in the past, and even now, when visiting have avoided such incidents. My family demands our the children off the streets and not near the dangerous areas. A child should not be throwing stones, holding a gun, nor near the violence. A child is precious and should be protected not encouraged to escalate this horror.

Michael Lucero
United States 		30/07/2008
West Bank mourns boy shot at wall
What a horrible incident. Makes me wonder where the boys parents were?

diogenes23
Australia 		31/07/2008
Where are the articles about Israelis killed by Palestinians?
someone asks? i suggest they let the numbers speak for themselves!

Ali Baba
United States 		31/07/2008
Death of a child
Israeli PM Rabin once said<"Freedom is a value which must be fought in every generation." What Israel expect from its occupations? It is time to close the books and have peace. No one is gaining from the choas in ME.

Andy
United Kingdom 		31/07/2008
David Doub: 'Where are the articles about Israelis killed by Palestinians?' UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: March 29, 2006 through November 3, 2006, 491 Palestinians were killed by Israelis while 19 Israelis killed by Palestinians, 25.8 Palestinians killed for every Israeli. Since July 1 that ratio has increased to 76.2 Palestinians killed per Israeli, with 381 Palestinians killed versus just five Israelis.

Linda
United States 		31/07/2008
rocka vs live ammo
There is a big difference between a little boy throwing a rock and a military man shooting an M16. How many people in Isreal military have been killed by a rock? How many Palistinians have been killed by their bullets? Where are the parents you say? lol how about searching for food that doesnt exsist due to the isrealies brutal treatment!

Tristan
Germany 		31/07/2008
Clashes at funeral of West Bank boy
It's always especially tragic when a child dies. But when parents, brothers and friends at home and on the street constantly preach about Israel being the enemy that must be destroyed, thereby encouraging children to go to demonstrations and throw stones at soldiers, this is what happens. It's just as much the palestinians sociey's fault as the soldier who fired the gun. And then, the poor child is twice abused, by turning his death into more anti-israelism, thereby encouraging even more youths.

Katerina Andreou
United States 		31/07/2008
West Bank Boy
Children throw stones, and the Israeli army fires grenades and bullets (many live rounds - not rubber-coated) into crowds. Israel says it wants peace, but builds walls, settlements on stolen property, imprisons Palestinians in camps, and then shoots when they protest. AFter their own experience under Hitler, one would think the Jews would be empathetic. They act like victims, but continue to abuse their won people.

 
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