Moayed Al-Alami, a week after the death his eldest son died, sat on Moayed’s ground floor patio sofa, hugging and kissing his two remaining children.
The Israeli military opened an investigation into the shooting death of Mohammed al-Alami, 12, who was riding in his family car when he was attacked by Israeli soldiers. His father is still grieving the loss of his son and is not comforted by this. He has no faith in justice.
He said, “I don’t have confidence in the investigation until the soldiers are in court.” Moayed’s rear is crammed with bullet holes, and his back seat remains covered in bloodstains.
Mohammed, his father and two brothers were on their way to Beit Ummar, an Israeli-occupied West Bank neighborhood. They were shot and killed by Israeli forces. Two days of violence between Israeli troops and Palestinian protesters erupted after his death, leading to the death of one person.
Al-Alami recalled the events of last week and said that he had just bought snacks for the children using his car when Mohammed asked him to return to the shop.
“Mohammed said to me, father, you have forgotten something.'” I asked him if it was important and he replied that it was. Al-Alami said that I told him we would go back to buy it.
Al-Alami claimed that he had turned the car around. His white Renault was then struck by gunfire from its rear. He claimed that at least three bullets had hit Mohammed. He was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for four hours until he died.
According to the Israeli military, soldiers in the area called for the van’s stop and they fired warning shots that were only directed at the tires of the vehicle. Al-Alami claimed that he had never heard of any warnings. The vehicle was crammed with more than 10 bullet holes.
According to the army, al-Alami’s car looked like a vehicle driven and driven by a group who had been seen earlier in the day burying a baby that was not their own.
Al-Alami’s brother, who was on the balcony and witnessed the whole event, said that the events were not related. He also stated that an earlier family had been burying a stillborn child in a cemetery.
Ashraf Al al-Alami stated that the three previous arrivals had come to bury a baby who had died in the womb.
He said that he started to worry after the three men left. He was afraid they would treat the burial site like a crime scene, and he became suspicious. His brother was driving by.
B’Tselem, an Israel human rights organization, released this week what it claimed was security-camera footage of the shooting. The video shows al-Alami’s van approaching a dip in a road with a group Israeli soldiers further down on a hill.
Al-Alami can be seen making a U-turn, then being chased by soldiers up the street. They are heard shouting at Al-Alami to stop and before opening fire. Although the actual shooting cannot be seen, at least 12 shots can be heard. B’Tselem stated that the video proves the family did not pose a threat to the troops.
According to the army, senior commanders and members of the military police are being questioned about any wrongdoing committed by troops.
Moayed stated that he didn’t expect the investigation would lead to anything. Moayed claimed that the military assisted in transferring the boy to the hospital following the shooting but has not heard back from investigators.
B’Tselem, an important human rights group, became so fed up with the military justice system, it stopped its long-standing practice of helping in investigations in 2016. It claims that the army is whitewashing wrongdoing, and that soldiers are seldom punished.
According to Defense for Children Palestine, 11 Palestinian children were killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank in the first seven months. This is more than the total number of child deaths in 2020.
In order to protect traffic from the Israeli settlement of Karmei Zur, soldiers in Israel maintain a watchtower near Beit Ummar.
The funeral of Mohammed the next day was marred by large clashes, in which a Palestinian 20-year old man was shot to death by Israeli army fire. On Friday, his funeral was followed by more clashes.
Beit Ummar’s mayor, who is also a member the extended al-Alami clan, stated that the funeral was attended by most of Beit Ummar’s 17,000 residents.
Habis Al-Alami said, “The soldiers didn’t allow us to bury my child in dignity.” “To kill a boy with only bread in his hands. It’s a crime. We just want to be treated like human beings.
