Police officer killed and two wounded in West Bank shooting
Gunmen ambush police vehicle on road 60 carrying officers to duty stations in Hebron.
By Amos Harel, Chaim Levinson, Anshel Pfeffer and News Agencies Tags: Israel news West Bank
A police officer was killed and two others wounded in a shooting attack on their vehicle outside the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday morning, police said.
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A wounded Israeli police police officer arrives at a Jerusalem hospital after a West Bank shooting, June 14, 2010 |
| Photo by: Olivier Fitussi |
All three were evacuated by helicopter to Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem, emergency services said, as the army began scouring the area for the attackers.
A doctor at Hadassa said the most severely wounded officer, Command Sergeant Major Yehoshua (Shuki) Sofer, was in critical condition when he arrived at the hospital after being shot in the stomach. He later died of his wounds.
Army Radio reported that a fourth officer received treatment - possibly for shock.
Gunmen opened fire on the police vehicle as it traveled on road 60, north of Hebron, carrying officers to duty stations in the city.
Initial investigations suggest the shooting was a planned ambush.
"This was definitely a terrorist attack. It was carried out on an ordinary police vehicle and forces are now combing the scene," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
Settler anger
Following the shooting, the head of the Civil Administration, the Israeli military authority that governs the West Bank, accused Palestinian Authority leaders of not enough to prevent violence. Brig-Gen. Yoav Mordechai said the attack was a "serious incident" that could not be overlooked.
Settler leaders turned on the government, saying the attack was a result of government moves to lift restrictions on Palestinians in the West Bank.
Michael Ben-Ari, a Knesset member for the right-wing National Union party, said: "The writing was on the wall. Opening roadblocks encourages terror and gives a free hand to terrorists."
A spokesman for the Yesha Council, which represents the settler movement, said: "Sharing security responsibilities with the Palestinians, as the IDF has done across Judea and Samaria [the West Bank] and in Hebron in particular, cannot bring security and Israel's soldiers and citizens are paying the price in blood."
According to B'Tselem, a human rights group, the number of manned checkpoints inside the West Bank, went down from 63 to 44 in the past year. Eighteen of the checkpoints are in Hebron.
Second shooting in weeks
Last month two Israelis were hurt by broken glass when bullets hit their car on a different stretch of the same road.
The Imad Mughniyeh Group of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claimed responsibility for that attack, which it said was in response to Israel's deadly raid on an aid flotilla bound for the Gaza Strip on May 31.
In March 2009, two policemen were killed when gunmen opened fire on their car on road 90, also in the West Bank.
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Amos Harel
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This is occupied territories and the so called 'terrorists' merely attacked the occupiers
Set up more roadblocks...construct more colonies in and around Hebron..Seal off The Cave of The Patriachs ....allow only Jews to have access to the site...
This month almost 30 Turkish officers,sergeants and soldiers have killed by terrorists. (one of them is wife of an officer and she was shot at her balcony with rocket launching ) If you are againist terrorism , you have to make news these deaths Or are you support separatists ???
Whatever Israel do , the whole world understands the nature and reason for the present conflict and it is time that Israelis accept that the occupied land must be returned so that both people suffering ends
While I personally deny the killing of people from both sides I think the continued occupation is what causes such deaths. This occupation is carried out and enforce by IDF and therefore being shot would be understood in different ways as we see here in the comments. The dichotomy between the two different concepts "terror" amd "freedom fighters" is well established. I would argue that fighting for freedom is in no way terror but the occurances that lead to killing could be one form of terror even though its for freedom. I think, therefore, looking at the causes rather than the events would help us think deeper about such cases. That is because occupation continues we will remain stuck in this dichotomy and the eventual outcome would be more killing, damage, and arrests. Israel must stop its occupation to preserve people's lives and being an occupier they must refrain from this chain of killings.
Why Israeli police should be patroling West Bank road n. 60 if it wasn't to protect illegal settlers looking for trouble and others' properties to steal or damage? Kick settlers out of West Bank (and hopefully out of Israel) and troubles will end.
Yesterday, the IDF discontinued protecting two Jewish towns near chevron, it is measure for measure that we would receive such a punishment.
I think they forgot in the past few years, it's time they're reminded once more. Abbas is two faced, tells the world he wants peace, while turning a blind eye to what his own people do. How can you sign a peace treaty with someone who can't control his own people? Like I said, time to remind them what they've forgotten. The price of Israeli blood is very expensive...
Yes that's a great job, resistance men get the damn pigs of of West Bank
Hi man what do you expect saying that bullshit? That you are building a new and better world by killing people? If it is that I thing that you 'll never end your great fucking paranoïa and you 'll never find the peace. As we say in pirke abotth "be like the sons of Aaron pursue and love the peace" your mohammed doesn't say that I guess.
This is a key issue with the lack of Pal statehood. Israelis are policing non-citizens without the rights of citizens, and when those non-citizens fight back against alleged abuses, people with Israeli citizenship cry foul. Well, perhaps that is the problem with occupying another territory?
Whether it's terror is debatable, but what's not is that the loss of life is always a tragedy. And wheter it is wise to do it at a time when Israel is already as on edge as it is is another matter.
they're not all that fond of the police...and they can stick it to the Pals at the same time. And after all, zealots and extremists have no problem sacrificing others for their cause.
This is a terrorist attack. The police are a civilian (ie, non-military) force, meant to keep the peace. These officers operate in Area C, which, according to the Oslo accords, Israel is in charge of security. That is, both Israel and the PA agree that Israel is in charge of security in this area. They stopped to help the local Arab driver, who seemed to be having car trouble (see other reports). He was faking it, and the attack ensued. This attack is an indirect result of easing restrictions on the movement of Yesha Arabs.
The settlers should abide by the same laws as every one else.
Oslo agreement had expired long time ago, it was ment to lead for the end of the occupation NOT to legitimize the occupation.....
i agree that in armed conflict, the official "enforcers" of government policy (police/army) are legitimate target. Therefore, i have a hard time understand why anyone would call the perpetrators terrorists. On the other hand, its just one more obstacle to peace as it will put pressure on the Israeli side to increase road blocks etc. I hope Abbas make a strong statement against this...
If it is, then the Pals are doing their bit to treat it as such. But why are the Israelis facilitating their enemy towards nation-building? Why are they not blockading the West Bank if they are at war, instead of just policing it?
"Government policy (police/army) are legitimate target." You cannot have it both ways hiding by the clever words. If the gunmen get assistance or hiding place from another "civilians" than the government can legitimately target those "civilians."
All the arabs OUT!
Pls post the name and address of your employer here!
These discriminating statements would only be confronted with resistance and because of such very statements resistance against the occupation will continue now and forever.
All the settlers out!!
nothing like a deeply racist, xenophobic, irrational, provocative, bloodthirsty response to make you feel better. You're not part of the solution, ergo...
would they still be called terrorists ???
Israelis don't go out and shoot police officers on their way to work? what a stupid comment!
stupid comment ? i thought i asked a question
The Israelis have always treated Palestinian cops and Palestinian police statsions as legitimate targets when they are attacking the Palestinians. if that's how you treat others, you should expect the same treatment in retrn.
yes, Israelis don't shoot officers because there are no officers on the other side except Dayton's officers who protect Israelis and settlers and the Israelis let their terrorist army to do the job!!!
It is deeply regrettable that these policemen have been attacked. The immediate assumption seems to be that the attackers were Palestinians - are we sure of this? In my experience the settlers around Hebron are as vicious and out of control as anyone in the area. Are we sure they did not carry out this attack?
How Swinish some people can be !
They have the means, motive and opportunity. This reasonably makes them suspects. I hope the investigators will look at the case from this angle, too.
Those police officers were only doing their job. It's sad to see that their families have to pay the price for the illegal settlements in the Palestinian territory. But, sry, once again this raises the question for the boundary between terrorism and righteous resistance. The police represents the occupying power and safeguards illegal settlements. And they were travelling on a road that is disciminatingly reserved for Israeli citizen only. Doesn't that make them a legal target? It's yet another tragedy that is sparked by the disastrous, illegal settlement policy of the Israeli government. When will the Israeli citizen finally revolt against these politics, which can never lead to peace, but only to more violence and sadness?
Is it discrimination or maybe just a preference not to have one's citizens murdered., hmmm
you haven't the faintest idea what you are talking about? you can keep your uniformed comments to yourself! What stupidity!
Israeli police are particularly brutal to Palestinians (to teach them a lesson). Is it surprising they retaliate?
Don't baawwww murder when we find and kill the terrorists, their helpers, and members of the organization they belong to.
i have nothing against israel but i strongly condemn the occupation of the west bank by israel. i cant understand why israel dont withdrew from west bank.can any israeli explain to my why israel dont withdrew from the west bank? regards from switzerland
I am assuming your question really is innocent. So, in a nutshell: (1) What the world calls the "West Bank" is historical Judea and Samaria, which, besides being part of Biblical Israel was also the heart of Judea during the 600-700 year period of Jewish sovreignty prior to the Roman expulsion; (2) this land was conquered by Israel after being attacked by Jordan in several wars, including 1967; (3) there has NEVER been a sovreign Palestenian presence on this land; (4) some Israeli maintain that it needs a significant presence on this land for the security of the pre-1967 Israel. The majority of Israelis, while believing that Israel's stake in Judea and Samaria is entirely legitmate, would be willing (and happy) to relinquish this stake (except for Gush Etzion, which was part of 1948 Israel but from which the Jews were slaughtered and expelled in that war)in exchange for a full, just and open peace. This is even true for most of us with respect to Hebron, despite the fact that Orthodox Jews believe the Torah described Abraham's purchase of the Cave specifically to validate the Jewish claim thereto. For real peace (think of Switzerland and Italy), we Israelis are ready for painful concessions.
Quite simple. The Temple was located there, and a great deal of the history of the Jewish people from Abraham to Isaac to Jacob and down to Joshua, David, Solomon and more, took place in Judea and Samaria. If Israel does not belong there, then it does not belong anywhere. If Israel has no claim on Hebron, then it has no claim on Haifa.
Is a phrase used by those who consider Judea and Samaria to be a part of Jordan which, as Transjordan, occupied Judea and Samaria for a few years prior to losing it in a war of aggression against Israel. Jordan lays no claim to it now, knowing that the situation is too complex for them to want to be involved. It is land which has been Jewish for time immemorial, but under the Ottoman empire, many of these Jews converted to Islam and Islamic economic migrants arrived there from other Arab lands. As such, the population there are neither Israeli Jews nor Jordanian Arabs. That's why Arafat chose the Roman name for the area to give these people a name which sounds like they have been tied to the land for thousands of years when actually the average is just a few generations. Nonetheless, Israelis would vote for withdrawal from much of their ancestral land in J&S, if only the leadership of these people would renounce all violence against Israel and accept that Jews also have a right to self-determination.
Might only add that Hebron has the oldest continually settled Jewish community in the world, from a thousand years before the Arabian conquest into present times. True they were deeply oppressed before and after that conquest, but they hung on throughout. Most Jews have Mideast origin., most Israeli Jews directly so. Those saying Jews are racist against Arabs, or not indigenous to Israel, are truly blind or hateful.
.....would be another question. If the current negotiations should fail because of Israeli unwillingess to accept compromise on the 3 major issues of the conflict (land, refugees, East-Jerusalem), and the US + EU will not recognize a unilaterally declared Palestinian state in the WB, I will definitely refrain from criticizing those kind of attacks. But for now, the WB Palestinians should better stick to civil disobedience and boycott of settler products.....
Not a Swiss Dino - a Swiss Swine. A human being has been killed, - ah, yes, a much hated Israeli - but still a human being. Mat by you will stop spilling your hatred here? For us, it only shows how much blind anti-Semitism is there all over the place.
......not everybody can love me. I have no problem with that whatsoever, this is a free world (with a few exceptions of course!:)......
I guess this is when Israeli extremists play the drums and call for yet more sieges on Palestinian cities, more closures and more blatant Apartheid policies, to 'protect Israeli settlers and their protectors'. The bottom line is that this is occupied land under forced illegal settlement and as such, resistance in all its forms are to be expected. The ONLY solution is withdrawal to the 1967 line and establishment of a Palestinian state. If this is not acceptable ONE democratic state solution is already knocking on the door.
"The ONLY solution is withdrawal to the 1967 line " What do Egypt and Jordan have to do with this?
If it is occupied, who does it legally belong to? Why won;t the Palestinians accept a State in the West Bank? Is it because they would then get slaughtered by the Jihadists within who can't countenance any Jews being self-determined in lands they have been in since thousands of years before Mohammed existed? Why does your "ONLY" solution happen to be one which rewards the aggressors of the 1967 conflict? Do you think that will be acceptable? One democratic state is the dream of the naiive expressed by the mouth of the duplicitious. Name an Arab State with a truly democratic system...? Yeah, I thought not. If you mean "Arabs deserve 58 States and Jews none" then just say it and reveal your motivations, which are hardly hidden in your post. Apartheid relates to the people of particular state. It has nothing to do with controlling hostile, external populations.
"Arabs deserve 58 States and Jews none" i thought they were 22 countries and the others not Arab only Muslims with many known civilizations and for your information many of the Palestinians do not have Arabic origins and yeah the one state solution way too dreamy but think of it like that its not between (Muslims)&(Jews) its between Palestinians and Israelis so think again and 1967 solution bounce back again
Apparently, my first post was not acceptable. But it did contain a question or two. Was this in an area of PA security control? or IDF control? Attacks on civilian police by foreign forces is an act of terror, even if the IDF does it, even if settlers do it. Would the IDF have allowed PA Security to operate in the area of the attack? Or are there too many settlers around? Settler statements imply that PA security was responsible for the area, but that could just be the reporter's slant.
all the police cadets at the beginning of the Gaza attack.
Which is *not* under the control of the PA. Israeli police are not allowed in Area A. This is according to the Oslo agreements.
Problem solved.
very well said. justice for everyone!
I hope these injured police get well soon and Hashem wathes over them and thier families. Where is the world's outrage over this terrorist act? The world is silent when it comes to the Pals commtting actgs of war and terrorism. SHAME ON THE WORLD!!!! And SHAME on all the negative anti semites who post on this site.
This has nothing to do in terrorism. They were not attacked in Israel, but in occupied Palestinian territories, and they were not civilians but armed policemen. As for the world, I think it has been repeating over and over to Israel it should stop occupying the West Bank.
David your logic (or lack of) is hilarious and makes me laugh, rother out loud. the attackers whom, allegedly, are Palestinians did this heroic attack under the auspices of the International law, Geneva conventions, and Warsaw Ghotto's own logic and rationale of resisting the occupation forces
since it is Palesdtinian land , so what the hell those police are doing there, unless they are going to kill Palestinians? as usual.Leave the Palesitinain alone. pLAESTINIAN WILL NEVER LIKE U UNTIL YOU LEAVE THEIR ONLY HOME UNDERSTAND THIS FOR THE gOD SAKE
How do you know this was an attack by Palestinians?
Israel has to make up its mind! The right wingers claim they are at constant war with the Palestinians. If this is the case, then war has casualties. Why is it war when Palestinians die, and terrorism when Israelis die or get injured?! It's either peace, with acts of terrorism from either side, or war with casualties on either side. As for those who say policemen are considered civilians, let's remember Cast Lead and that initial strike on Gaza police forces that killed around 200 of them. If those policemen were legitimate targets for Israel, these ones here are definitely legitimate targets for Palestinians. All that said, no one likes to see any human being die at the hand of another. From both sides. The two states solution should solve all this nonsense! If Israel ever agrees to it.
I doubt Israeli society wants a Palestinian state next to them. If they voted religious fanatics into office then I presume
of course they were terrorists
These policemen were armed, and circulating not in Israel but in occupied territories.
exactly my point
This is the way. Palestinian resistance should limit their actions only to attacks on occupation forces.
Thank you to Barak Hussein Obama for insisting on Israel's removal of checkpoints. And, thank you Ehud Barak for doing so. The two of you are to blame for this outrage!!!
Erect more roadblocks, humiliate the civilians, deny them accessible education, health care and ability to visit their loved ones in nearby cities? Is this truly your long term solution? Israel is simply running forward with its expansionist non-starter policies.
the Israeli police are part of that illegal occupation and therefore make themselves targets of attack. Calling any armed or unarmed response to Israeli occupation efforts terrorist is a losing proposition that undermines any credibility. This is similar to putting enemy soldiers in Gauntanamo who used weapons against US soldiers and attempting to try them for murder. This is "victors" justice and is part of the American and Israeli exceptionalism
Oh, well - we'd better give most of Europe back to Germany and a large part of The Orient to Japan then. Someone recreate the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires too, if victor's justice is so out of order. Thing is, if you try to claim stuff that is yours through violence, and you lose the war you start, these are natural consequences. Except in Israel of course, where the majoity of the population would be happy to let a newly-invented people self-determine on significant areas of Jewish land just in return for peace and not killing Israelis. But it seems too much to ask.
IDF forces arrest seven wanted Palestinians in West Bank overnight (Ch. 10)
Whatever one thinks of the whole situation, shooting armed representatives of an occupying power is NOT 'terror.' Your usage is a simple abuse of language.
Israel started off Cast Lead by killing new Gaza poilce recruits on parade. It did it, in order to creat terror and provide a 'big kill' to start Cast Lead. So why isn't that terrorism too?
Hitting an Al Quaeda training camp also cause you problems, Michael?
quite awesome to start the operation by killing so many hamas terrorists
It would be nice if nobody got killed on either side, but Israel is the regional military superpower and consistently kills more people than all other players in the immediate area combined. If Israel changes its 'shoot first, think later' approach, that would help.
Why Israel is forced to close roads to Palestinians after, in order to protect lives.
Some people wonder why Israel is occupying the Palestinian West Bank in violation of International Law.
Israel really has to close road for the pal population because it has to protect settlers and occupational forces which shouldn't be there in the first place? obviously they have to...or they could just get the hell out of there like the whole world demands.occupation means casualties.This fact was accepted by the Israeli population in the case of the Gaza flotilla without any questions asked, let alone a public outcry.This is the other side of the medal.Does Israel also quietly accept that or is it crying 'terrorism!', 'revenge'?
these roads are in the w bank... where israel has occupied land by force. close roads to the palestinians...?... in their own land? israelis have no business being there in the first place. stay in israel.
You protect lives at both sides by ending the occupation, not by more roadblocks and more land confiscications. It is the same old story: you can't have land and peace. Never!
israel calls the shooters terrorists.... other may call them freedom fighters fighting occupaying forces.
May Hashem bless, strengthen and heal, all in His beloved IDF, and in Israel who place themselves in harms way to protect His people who choose to obey His commandment to live in His Land.
... keeping them safe and sound rather than from healing them when they are already harmed. May He helpTzina draw conclusions if that doesn't happen. May Hashem show Tzina some sign that to realize His plans on this planet he needs not single bullet of IDF, settlers or Hamas militants. May he make Tzina realize that the settlers and Hamas militants need Hashem's alibi more than He needs their mediation between Him and the world.