Israeli military says it likely killed US-Turkish activist unintentionally

Update Israeli military says it likely killed US-Turkish activist unintentionally
Palestinians pray during a procession honoring Turkish-American activist Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in Nablus, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Sept. 9, 2024. (Reuters)
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Updated 10 September 2024
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Israeli military says it likely killed US-Turkish activist unintentionally

Israeli military says it likely killed US-Turkish activist unintentionally
  • The military said its inquiry “found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by (Israeli army) fire which was not aimed at her”
  • The White House had earlier said it was “deeply disturbed” by the killing of Eygi

RAMALLAH, West Bank: The Israeli military said Tuesday an American activist killed in the West Bank last week was likely shot “indirectly and unintentionally” by its soldiers, drawing a strong rebuke from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the activist’s family.
Israel said a criminal investigation has been launched into the killing of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a 26-year-old activist from Seattle who was taking part in a demonstration against settlements. Doctors who treated Eygi, who also held Turkish citizenship, said she was shot in the head.
Blinken condemned the “unprovoked and unjustified” killing when asked about the Israeli inquiry at a news conference in London. “No one should be shot while attending a protest,” he said. “The Israeli security forces need to make some fundamental changes in the way they operate in the West Bank.”
Eygi’s family in the US released a statement saying “we are deeply offended by the suggestion that her killing by a trained sniper was in any way unintentional. The disregard shown for human life in the inquiry is appalling.”
During Friday’s demonstration, clashes broke out between Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli troops firing tear gas and ammunition, according to Jonathan Pollak, an Israeli protester who witnessed the shooting of Eygi.
Pollak said the violence had subsided about a half hour before Eygi was shot, after protesters and activists had withdrawn several hundred meters (yards) away from the site of the demonstration. Pollak said he saw two Israeli soldiers mount the roof of a nearby home, train a gun in the group’s direction and fire, with one bullet hitting Eygi.
Israel said its inquiry into Eygi’s killing “found that it is highly likely that she was hit indirectly and unintentionally by (Israeli army) fire which was not aimed at her, but aimed at the key instigator of the riot.” It expressed its “deepest regret” at her death.
International Solidarity Movement, the activist group Egyi was volunteering with, said it “entirely rejects” the Israeli statement and that the “shot was aimed directly at her.”
The killing came amid a surge of violence in the West Bank since the Israel-Hamas war began in October, with increasing Israeli raids, attacks by Palestinian militants on Israelis, attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians and heavier military crackdowns on Palestinian protests.
Israel says it thoroughly investigates allegations of its forces killing civilians and holds them accountable. It says soldiers often have to make split-second decisions while operating in areas where militants hide among civilians. But human rights groups say soldiers are very rarely prosecuted, and even in the most shocking cases — and those captured on video — they often get relatively light sentences.
The Palestinian Authority held a funeral procession for Eygi in the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday. Turkish authorities said they are working on repatriating her body to Turkiye for burial in the Aegean coastal town of Didim, as per her family’s wishes.
Eygi’s uncle said in an interview with the Turkish TV channel HaberTurk that she kept her visit to the West Bank secret from at least some of her family members. She said she was traveling to Jordan to help Palestinians there, he said.
“She hid the fact that she was going to Palestine. She blocked us from her social media posts so that we would not see them,” Yilmaz Eygi said.
The deaths of American citizens in the West Bank have drawn international attention, such as the fatal shooting of a prominent Palestinian-American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, in 2022 in the Jenin refugee camp.
Several independent investigations and reporting by The Associated Press determined that Abu Akleh was likely killed by Israeli fire. Months later, the military said there was a “high probability” one of its soldiers had mistakenly killed her but that no one would be punished.
In January 2022, Omar Assad, a 78-year-old Palestinian-American, died of a heart attack after Israeli troops at a checkpoint dragged him from his car and made him lie facedown, bound, temporarily gagged and blindfolded. The military ruled out criminal charges and said it was reprimanding one commander and removing two others from leadership roles for two years.
The US had planned to sanction a military unit linked to abuses of Palestinians in the West Bank but ended up dropping the plan.
The deaths of Palestinians who do not have dual nationality rarely receive the same scrutiny.
Human rights groups say Israel military investigations into Palestinians’ deaths reflect a pattern of impunity. B’Tselem, a leading Israeli watchdog, became so frustrated that in 2016 it halted its decades-long practice of assisting investigations and called them a “whitewash.”
Last year, an Israeli court acquitted a member of the paramilitary Border Police charged with reckless manslaughter in the deadly shooting of 32-year-old Eyad Hallaq, an autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City in 2020. The case had drawn comparisons to the police killing of George Floyd in the United States.
In 2017, Israeli soldier Elor Azaria was convicted for manslaughter and served nine months after he killed a wounded, incapacitated Palestinian attacker in the West Bank city of Hebron. The combat medic was caught on video fatally shooting Abdel Fattah Al-Sharif, who was lying motionless on the ground.
That case deeply divided Israelis, with the military saying Azaria had clearly violated its code of ethics, while many Israelis — particularly on the nationalist right — defended his actions and accused military brass of second-guessing a soldier operating in dangerous conditions.


Iran says it will hit back against any Israeli strike

Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
Updated 07 October 2024
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Iran says it will hit back against any Israeli strike

Billboard shows slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, late Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the IRGC’s Abbas Nilforushan.
  • After US said it was discussing a joint response with Israel, Iran’s chief of staff warned that Tehran would hit Israeli infrastructure if its territory is attacked

TEHRAN: Iran said on Monday it would respond firmly to any Israeli attack on its soil, stressing that it did not want a wider war in the region.
On Tuesday Iran launched around 200 missiles in its second direct attack on Israel, in what it said was retaliation for the killing of Tehran-aligned militant leaders in the region and a general in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Israel has vowed to respond to the attack.
Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, said the Islamic republic was “not afraid of war and will give a firm and appropriate response to any new action by the Zionist regime.”
The foreign minister made the remarks in a telephone conversation with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdelatty.
Israel’s army chief Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi said Iran had fired about 200 missiles at Israel last week.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran had made a “big mistake” with its missile barrage, which follows Israel killing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on September 27.
After the United States said it was discussing a joint response with Israel, Iran’s chief of staff warned that Tehran would hit Israeli infrastructure if its territory is attacked.


Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations

Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations
Updated 07 October 2024
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Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations

Yemeni official among 13 abducted by Houthis in Ibb over revolution celebrations
  • The militia has targeted hundreds of people who celebrate the anniversary of the Sept. 26, 1962, revolution or encourage others to do so
  • Meanwhile, relatives of detained Yemeni humanitarian workers renew appeal to the Houthis to release them or at least allow visitors

AL-MUKALLA: A local government official was among 13 Yemenis abducted by the Houthis in Ibb province over the past two days, local media reported on Monday, as the militia continues to crack down on people who commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the 1962 revolution in the country.

Al-Masdar Online said Khaled Al-Kerizi, the deputy head of the provincial office of the Ministry of Culture, was taken from his home in Al-Mashannah District.

The Houthis also reportedly snatched eight people in Yarim District and four in Al-Udayn District and the countryside, increasing the number of people abducted in province in the past week to 48.

The Houthi crackdown in areas of northern Yemen under their control has targeted hundreds of people who celebrated the anniversary of the revolution or encouraged others to do so. The revolution, which began on Sept. 26, 1962, toppled the Zaidi imamates that had controlled northern Yemen for centuries and limited the right to rule to Hashemites. Much of their ideology is shared by the Houthis.

In an attempt to suppress pro-revolution celebrations in Sanaa, the Houthis have deployed military forces and vehicles, as well as undercover operatives in civilian clothing armed with batons, who have abducted people from the streets and their homes.

Some of those taken were pictured in videos dancing to a nationalist song commemorating the revolution. Others posted messages on social media platforms praising the revolution or encouraging others to celebrate it.

HuMENA, a human rights organization based in Brussels, strongly condemned the arbitrary Houthi raids on homes and abductions. It said members of the militia have detained about 500 people since Sept. 20, including about 40 journalists and writers, as well as teachers, university professors and students, lawyers, and members of the former ruling party, the General People’s Congress.

“We call on the international community and humanitarian organizations to take a firm stance against these violations, pressuring the Houthi group to end this repressive campaign and immediately release all detainees, ensuring the protection of citizens’ rights and freedom of expression,” HuMENA said.

Meanwhile, relatives of abducted Yemeni employees of international aid and human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions, renewed their appeals to the Houthis to release the detainees or at least allow visitors.

“Today marks four months since my father Ahmed’s detention in Yemen, without hearing from him or checking on his condition; months of anxiety, fear and sadness that consumes our hearts at all times,” Khaled Al-Yemeni, the son of an aid worker abducted by the Houthis on June 6, wrote in a message posted on Facebook on Sunday.

“We appeal to Ansar Allah’s leadership and all concerned parties to take action on my father’s case and release him as soon as possible. Our family is in constant pain, and we hope for relief soon.”

Ansar Allah is the official name of the Houthis. Since May, militia members have abducted dozens of Yemenis working for UN agencies, international aid and human rights organizations, and diplomatic missions in Sanaa and other parts of Yemen under their control, accusing them of using humanitarian work as a cover to spy for the US and Israel.

The UN and other organizations have strongly condemned the Houthis for their actions. They deny the allegations against their employees and demand the militia release the detainees and stop harassing humanitarian workers.

The Houthis said they buried 126 “unidentified” bodies in Hodeidah and Saada provinces in the past few days. The Houthi Yemeni Security Media reported on Sunday that in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the militia buried 66 bodies that had been stored at Al-Thawra Hospital in Hodeidah province.

On Thursday, the same media office said the Houthi Public Prosecution buried 60 unidentified bodies, some of which were those of African migrants, that had been stored at Al-Jamhuri Hospital in Saada province.


Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen

Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen
Updated 07 October 2024
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Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen

Israeli military says it intercepts missile fired from Yemen
  • The missile set off air raid sirens across large swaths of central Israel, sending residents running for shelter

JERUSALEM: A surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen at central Israel on Monday was intercepted, the Israeli military said.
The missile set off air raid sirens across large swaths of central Israel, sending residents running for shelter.
“Following the sirens that sounded in a number of areas in central Israel, the surface-to-surface missile fired from Yemen was successfully intercepted” by the Israeli Air Force, the military said in a statement.
The statement did not say who fired the missile. The Iran-backed Houthi movement which controls northern Yemen has frequently attacked Israel over the past year in what it says is solidarity with the Palestinians. 


Force alone will not lead to Israel’s security, France says

An Israeli tank operates at a location given as Southern Lebanon in this image released on October 6, 2024. (Reuters)
An Israeli tank operates at a location given as Southern Lebanon in this image released on October 6, 2024. (Reuters)
Updated 07 October 2024
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Force alone will not lead to Israel’s security, France says

An Israeli tank operates at a location given as Southern Lebanon in this image released on October 6, 2024. (Reuters)
  • “Force alone cannot guarantee the security of Israel, your security. Military success cannot be a substitute for a political perspective,” Barrot said

JERUSALEM: Israel’s security cannot be guaranteed with military force alone and will require a diplomatic solution, France’s foreign minister said on Monday, and Paris would continue efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Speaking at the end of a four-day tour of the Middle East, Jean-Noel Barrot was in Israel on Monday to mark a year since Hamas militants crossed into Israel killing around 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage back to Gaza.
The assault triggered an Israeli military campaign in Gaza that has killed nearly 42,000 Palestinians, according to the enclave’s health ministry. The war has spread conflict across the region with Israel stepping up military operations over its northern border in Lebanon against Hezbollah, a Hamas ally.
“Force alone cannot guarantee the security of Israel, your security. Military success cannot be a substitute for a political perspective,” Barrot told a news conference in Jerusalem.
“To bring the hostages home to their loved ones, to allow the displaced to return home in the north (of Israel), after a year of war, the time for diplomacy has come.”
Barrot’s arrival in Israel, where about 180,000 French citizens live, came at a tricky time in Franco-Israeli relations after President Emmanuel Macron was firmly rebuffed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the weekend.
Macron had called for a de facto arms embargo on Israel and, in a veiled attack on the US, said countries that both supplied weapons and called for a ceasefire where they were being used in conflict were being incoherent. French arms supplies to Israel are minimal.
Barrot reiterated that it was odd to call for a ceasefire while giving offensive weapons. He said that France, as a staunch defender of Israel’s security, felt it was vital to be frank about the ongoing suffering of civilians in Gaza, but also the military operation now in southern Lebanon.
France worked with the United States in trying to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon at the end of September. Diplomatic sources had at the time believed this had secured a temporary truce, a day before Israel heavily bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs, killing longtime Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
“We have a responsibility to act today to avoid Lebanon finding itself in a short horizon in a dramatic situation like Syria found itself a few years ago,” Barrot said.
Ceasefire proposals put forward together with Washington remain on the table, he said.


Israel can’t confirm death of Hezbollah’s Safieddine, spokesperson says

Hezbollah source said contact with Hashem Safieddine had been lost following Israeli strikes this week. (AFP)
Hezbollah source said contact with Hashem Safieddine had been lost following Israeli strikes this week. (AFP)
Updated 07 October 2024
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Israel can’t confirm death of Hezbollah’s Safieddine, spokesperson says

Hezbollah source said contact with Hashem Safieddine had been lost following Israeli strikes this week. (AFP)
  • Asked if Israel could confirm the death of Hashem Safieddine, spokesperson David Mencer said: “We don’t have that confirmation yet”

JERUSALEM: Israel cannot confirm whether the potential successor to the slain Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has been killed, a government spokesperson said on Monday, following reports that he was targeted in an Israeli air strike last week.
Asked if Israel could confirm the death of Hashem Safieddine, spokesperson David Mencer told an online briefing: “We don’t have that confirmation yet. When it is confirmed, as and when, it will be on the IDF (Israeli military) website.”
A Hezbollah official told Reuters on Sunday that Israel was obstructing search and rescue efforts in an area where Safieddine is thought to have been when Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs on Thursday.
Israel has killed much of Hezbollah’s military command and senior leadership in nearly a year of fighting that began when Hezbollah opened a front in solidarity with Palestinians the day after Hamas’ deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack on southern Israel.