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href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israeli-sniper-deliberately-killed-medic-razan-al-najjar-investigation-finds">https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israeli-sniper-deliberately-killed-medic-razan-al-najjar-investigation-finds</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Israeli sniper deliberately killed
medic Razan al-Najjar, investigation finds</h1>
<p class="node__submitted">
<span class="field field-author"><a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/people/ali-abunimah">Ali
Abunimah</a></span> <span class="field field-blog">-</span>
<span class="field field-publication-date"><span
class="date-display-single"
content="2018-07-17T21:48:48+00:00">17 July 2018</span></span>
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<figure id="file-66541"><source media="(min-width:
72rem)"><figcaption><small><span></span></small></figcaption></figure>
<p>An Israeli sniper deliberately targeted Palestinian
medic Razan al-Najjar, an <a
href="https://www.btselem.org/gaza_strip/20180718_paramedic_rozan_a_najar_killed_by_deliberate_fire">investigation</a>
by the human rights group <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/btselem">B’Tselem</a>
has found.</p>
<p>Al-Najjar, 21, was <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/gaza-medic-killed-israel-she-rescued-injured">killed
on 1 June</a>, as she and her colleagues treated
Palestinians taking part in <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/great-march-return">Great
March of Return</a> protests in Gaza, near the
boundary fence with Israel, east of Khan Younis.</p>
<p>According to B’Tselem, al-Najjar “was fatally shot by
a member of the security forces who was aiming
directly at her as she was standing about 25 meters
away from the fence, despite the fact that she posed
no danger to him or anyone else and was wearing a
medical uniform.”</p>
<p>Shortly before she was killed, al-Najjar was with
several other paramedics, including Rami Abu Jazar,
Rasha Qudaih, Rida al-Najjar and Mahmoud Abd al-Ati.</p>
<p>All were wearing clearly marked medical vests.</p>
<p>They were approaching the area of the fence with
their hands in the air in order to rescue two young
men who had passed out due to the heavy amounts of
teargas the Israelis were firing.</p>
<p>“We got to the two young men, and when we started
evacuating them, the soldiers started firing a heavy
barrage of teargas canisters at us,” Abu Jazar told
B’Tselem.</p>
<p>Razan al-Najjar and Qudaih began choking, and they
withdrew from the area in order to receive treatment
from their colleagues Abu Jazar and Abd al-Ati.</p>
<p>Abd al-Ati’s told B’Tselem how he had given Razan
al-Najjar first aid to treat the tear gas inhalation
and that shortly after, “We went back and stood
northwest of the protesters, about 10 to 20 meters
away from the concertina fence.”</p>
<p>Other colleagues managed to bring the two young men
to safety.</p>
<p>“After we had moved away, we started feeling better
and decided to go closer to the protesters,” Abu Jazar
stated. “We stood about 10 meters away from them,
which was about 25 meters away from the fence. There
were no protesters near us.”</p>
<p>That is when an Israeli sniper deliberately targeted
Razan al-Najjar.</p>
<h2>“Sniper stance”</h2>
<p>“At around a quarter to six, we saw two soldiers get
out of a military jeep, kneel and aim their guns at
us, taking up a sniper stance,” Abu Jazar said. “Razan
was standing to my right and Rasha was behind me. We
were talking. Suddenly, they fired two live bullets at
us. I looked at Razan and saw her point to her back
and then fall down.”</p>
<p>Abu Jazar was also shot in the leg and Abd al-Ati was
hit by shrapnel in the right hand and pelvis.</p>
<p>Then, according to Abd al-Ati, “two soldiers got out
of a military jeep and pointed their guns at us. They
fired two bullets at us.”</p>
<p>One hit Razan al-Najjar in the left side of the chest
and exited from her back, while Abd al-Ati was hit by
fragments from a live round.</p>
<p>Razan al-Najjar was taken to the European Hospital
near Khan Younis and after 30 minutes of resuscitation
efforts was pronounced dead.</p>
<h2>“Sham” investigation</h2>
<p>B’Tselem notes how the Israeli military tried to
clear itself of responsibility for al-Najjar’s death
by offering varying accounts.</p>
<p>At first, the army <a
href="https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/gaza-medic-killed-on-border-wasn-t-intentionally-shot-by-israeli-soldiers-army-finds-1.6153182">claimed</a>
that soldiers did not fire directly at al-Najjar.</p>
<p>Then the army claimed the medic might have been
killed by a <a
href="https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5281069,00.html">ricocheting
bullet</a>, and finally it resorted to a smear
campaign, <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/tamara-nassar/child-among-four-killed-israeli-forces-gaza">accusing</a>
al-Najjar of offering herself up as a “human shield”
for Hamas.</p>
<p>Al-Najjar’s killing, the human rights group states,
“is a direct result of the open-fire policy Israel has
been implementing since the protests began.”</p>
<p>Since the Great March of Return was launched on 30
March, Israeli forces have killed some 150
Palestinians in Gaza, the vast majority unarmed
civilians killed during protests.</p>
<p>More than 4,000 others have been injured by live
fire.</p>
<p>Al-Najjar was the second paramedic to be killed, two
weeks after <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/tags/mousa-jaber-abu-hassanein">Mousa
Jaber Abu Hassanein</a> was fatally shot in another
incident of Israeli soldiers opening fire on <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/nora-barrows-friedman/listen-clearly-marked-gaza-medics-shot-israeli-snipers">clearly
marked</a> rescue personnel.</p>
<p>In total, more than 350 medical staff have been
injured since the protests began, including 26 hit
with live fire, 12 hurt by shrapnel and nearly 40
directly hit by tear gas canisters, according to World
Health Organization figures cited by B’Tselem.</p>
<p>Dozens of ambulances have been damaged.</p>
<p>Israelis snipers are <a
href="https://www.btselem.org/publications/summaries/201804_if_the_heart_be_not_callous">under
orders</a> to shoot directly at unarmed protesters,
<a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/snipers-ordered-shoot-children-israeli-general-confirms">including
children</a>, a policy that the International
Criminal Court prosecutor has <a
href="https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/icc-warns-israeli-leaders-over-gaza-killings">warned</a>
could land Israeli leaders and commanders on trial.</p>
<p>The Palestinian human rights group Al-Haq had already
<a
href="http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/topics/gaza/1271-sham-investigation-by-israels-military-advocate-general-into-iof-killing-of-razan-al-najjar">dismissed</a>
the Israeli army’s self-investigation into al-Najjar’s
killing as a “sham” that is “neither transparent or
credible.”</p>
<h2>Dreamed of being a nurse</h2>
<p>On the day she was killed, Razan al-Najjar was doing
what she had always wanted to do – give medical care
to people in need.</p>
<p>“She loved life and was always smiling. She dreamed
of studying nursing at the university, but our
finances wouldn’t allow it so she made do with first
aid courses,” Razan’s mother Sabrin al-Najjar told
B’Tselem.</p>
<p>But the courses at a local hospital were rigorous and
al-Najjar worked hard, earning the respect of doctors
and other colleagues.</p>
<p>“Razan was driven to prove herself in the nursing
field and make up for not being able to go to
university,” her mother added.</p>
<p>Her killing has left behind a devastated family
unable to come to terms with losing her.</p>
<p>“Sometimes I call her when it’s time to eat, because
I feel that she’s with us and she hasn’t died. The
whole family is having a really hard time,” Sabrin
said.</p>
<p>Razan’s younger siblings are struggling and can’t
understand why she’s never coming home.</p>
<p>“My husband is broken,” Sabrin said. “He cries all
the time and misses her badly.”</p>
<p>“I keep praying for her to receive the grace of God
and go to heaven. Losing her is terrible,” Sabrin
said. “What wrong did Razan commit that she had to be
killed?”</p>
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