By Ali Sawafta
JILJILYA, West Financial institution (Reuters) – Omar Assad’s 81-year-old widow nonetheless hopes to see justice served towards the Israeli troopers she blames for his dying two years in the past within the occupied West Financial institution, however is not pinning hope on any motion the US may take towards their battalion.
Assad, a twin Palestinian-U.S. citizen, died from a coronary heart assault after being detained by members of the Israeli military’s Netzah Yehuda unit. His widow, Nazmiya Assad, stated he had been coming dwelling from a recreation of playing cards when the troopers held him.
He was 78 on the time of his dying, and nonetheless had a plastic zip-tie round one wrist when he was discovered useless within the early morning at a building website in his village of Jiljilya, some 20 km (12 miles) north of Ramallah.
A Palestinian post-mortem discovered he died from a stress-induced coronary heart assault introduced on by being manhandled.
His dying drew consideration in the US, which in 2022 referred to as for a prison investigation and is now reported by Israeli media to be planning sanctions towards the Netzah Yehuda unit over its therapy of Palestinians within the West Financial institution – an unprecedented step by Israel’s closest ally.
Information of the potential sanctions drew an outraged response from Israeli leaders, together with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who stated he would combat the choice “with all my power.”
Nazmiya Assad, chatting with Reuters in an interview at her dwelling in Jiljilya, stated it might be good if sanctions have been imposed and the perpetrators delivered to justice, saying this may serve to discourage such violence sooner or later.
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However she additionally expressed doubt Washington would take significant steps towards Israel.
“I do not suppose they are going to do something, as a result of they provide them the liberty to do no matter they need. They kill many individuals with out compassion – the aged, girls, or youngsters,” she stated, referring to Israeli violence in Gaza and the West Financial institution.
Whilst Washington approves extra army support to Israel, the prospect of U.S. sanctions has added to strains in ties already frayed by variations over how Israel has waged its Gaza assault and by U.S. sanctions on violent Israeli settlers.
The Israeli army has stated troopers quickly gagged Assad – who had a historical past of coronary heart issues – with a strip of fabric and cuffed his arms with a zipper tie due to his refusal to cooperate. The troopers left him supine and unresponsive, saying they assumed he had fallen asleep.
Netzah Yehuda’s battalion commander was reprimanded and two officers have been dismissed, however Israeli army prosecutors determined towards pursuing prison costs as a result of they stated there was no hyperlink between the errors made by troopers and Assad’s dying.
The Navy Advocate Normal stated a army medical official discovered it unimaginable to find out that his dying was prompted particularly by the troopers’ conduct, and that the troopers couldn’t have been conscious of his medical situation.
Nazmiya Assad famous there was a medical centre a number of hundred metres (yards) from the place he was being held. “Not one in every of them had compassion to assist the person,” she stated.
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The Assads had lived in the US for 45 years, returning to Jiljiya 10 years earlier than his dying.
NO PULSE
Muraweh Abdel Rahman, 54, stated he had been detained by the identical group of solders and brought to the location the place Assad was already being held. After the troopers left, he stated he ran to Assad’s lifeless physique. “I felt his neck there was no pulse. I felt his hand, there was no pulse,” he stated.
Abdel Rahman, a fruit and vegetable dealer, stated the troopers had stopped his automotive as he was driving by means of the world with a good friend within the early hours whereas on his method to market.
The troopers certain their arms and compelled them to sit down on the bottom on the building website the place Assad was being held.
Abdel Rahman stated one of many troopers held a rifle at his head and threatened to shoot him, and a second soldier struck him within the leg.
Requested for touch upon the account, the Israeli army stated the Netzah Yehuda battalion operates with full dedication to worldwide legislation and the Israel Protection Forces acts to deal with incidents that deviate from orders and the anticipated values of its troopers.
“In instances the place suspicion of a prison offence arises that justifies opening an investigation, an investigation is opened by the Navy Police,” it stated. Any incident of inappropriate behaviour by troopers is “dealt with accordingly”, it stated.
The Netzah Yehuda battalion was arrange in 1999 to accommodate the spiritual beliefs of ultra-Orthodox Jews and different spiritual nationalist recruits within the Israeli military, which has occupied the West Financial institution since seizing it in a 1967 struggle.
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The Israeli military says the Netzah Yehuda battalion is an energetic fight unit that operates in accordance with the ideas of worldwide legislation. The battalion primarily operated within the West Financial institution earlier than being moved out of the territory in late 2022 after U.S. criticism.
Abdel Rahman didn’t suppose U.S. sanctions have any impression.
“Our drawback will not be with a soldier, or a battalion … our drawback is the occupation. Finish the occupation, and we shall be rid of all these issues,” he stated.
