Israeli troops shoot deaf Palestinian woman

From: Al-Jazeera - Jan 19, 2004

Israeli occupation troops have shot and wounded a "mentally disturbed" woman as she worked on her family's farm in the town of Musha, near Qalqilya in the West Bank.

According to our correspondent, the troops opened fire on the woman, wounding her in the shoulder. The woman, who is deaf, was carrying farm implements at the time.

An Israeli newspaper said the troops said they mistook her for a "suicide bomber". The paper reported the woman was "apparently mentally disturbed".

This attack came as occupation forces set up barriers on roads leading to Tel Aviv after warnings of likely Palestinian attacks.

Home demolished

Meanwhile, the Israeli military demolished the family home of a suspected member of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, who was recently detained by Israeli troops.

The home of Baqir Najaar is in the village of Yatta, south west of Al-Khalil (Hebron).

The demolition is "a routine procedure, as a form of collective punishment for Palestinians suspected of taking part in activity against Israeli occupation", our correspondent said.

Late on Sunday, Israeli troops arrested a leader of the Islamic Jihad resistance group in Nablus.

Ahmad al-Basisi is accused of involvement in an attack in the Israeli quarters of Netanya in April 2002, which injured 30 people.

© 2003 Aljazeera.Net