IDF to Probe Death of Disabled Palestinian in Gaza

The Israeli military said on Thursday it would further investigate the death of a wheechair-bound Palestinian during rioting over U.S. President Donald Trump’s recognition of Yerushalayim as Israel’s capital.

The IDF said its own operational investigation, carried out shortly after the incident, had found that it was not possible to say what had killed Abu Thurayeh. It said no live fire had been directed at him during the dispersal of the demonstration, in which protesters hurled explosive devices and rocks and set fire to tires.

The Dec. 15 death of Ibrahim Abu Thurayeh was denounced by the Palestinians and decried by U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, who alleged that a 29-year-old amputee was shot by Israeli troops close to the Gaza-Israel border fence.

“In order to further examine the case, including information received from organizations operating in the Gaza Strip, it was decided that the circumstances of Thurayeh’s death will also be examined by a Military Police investigation,” the army said in a statement.

Maj.-Gen Yoav Mordechai, Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, denied the allegations and called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to release its findings on his death.