Thousands mourn as Palestinian double amputee killed by Israel

Al Jazeera
December 17, 2017

GAZA, dec 17: Two days before he was killed, Ibrahim Abu Thurayyah filmed a message to the Israeli army.

"I am passing a message to the Zionist occupation army," the 29-year-old double amputee, who lost both of his legs and a kidney in a 2008 Israeli air raid, said.

"This land is our land. We are not going to give up. America has to withdraw the declaration it made."

Before his death, the wheelchair-bound Abu Thurayyah had become a staple figure at protests along the Gaza Strip's border with Israel. 

Since December 6, he and his fellow demonstrators decried US President Donald Trump's decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. In photos, Abu Thurayyah can be seen climbing an electricity pole and sticking a Palestinian flag on it.

On December 15, Abu Thurayyah was fatally shot in the head by an Israeli sniper.

Another Palestinian, Yaser Sukkar, was killed the same day while protesting at Gaza's border. Two others were killed by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank, bringing the death toll since Trump's decision in the first week of December to eight Palestinians.

On Saturday, funerals were held for Abu Thurayyah and the three other Palestinians killed a day earlier.

Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher, reporting from Abu Thurayyah's funeral procession in Gaza, said thousands of people had taken to the streets to pay their respects for "unlikely figure of Palestinian resistance and defiance".

"He would often leave his wheelchair at home and attend rallies in protests around Gaza City just carrying his Palestinian flag," said Fisher.

"He was carrying that flag when he was shot by the Israelis."

Ashraf al-Qidra, the spokesman for Gaza's health ministry, said in a statement on Saturday that the Israeli army has been using snipers armed with explosive bullets and indiscriminately firing tear gas canisters.

"The army also uses gas bombs of unknown quality, which has led to the injury of dozens in the form of convulsions, vomiting, coughing and rapid heartbeat," he said.

Qidra also noted that Israeli forces have been using excessive violence against civilians and deliberately targeting paramedics, ambulances and news crews.

In April 2008, Abu Thurayyah was sitting with several friends in al-Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza when he was hit by the Israeli air raid that cost him his legs and kidney.Seven people were killed in the attack.

As the sole breadwinner for his 11-member family, which consisted of his two, sick parents, six sisters and three brothers, Abu Thurayyah, who was a fisherman before the Israeli air raid, was forced to find new work to pay the bills for their home in the camp.

He found work washing cars, earning 50-70 shekels ($14-20) a day. Sometimes he also sold vegetables in the market to make ends meet.

In an interview with Shehab News Agency a few years ago, Abu Thurayyah outlined his hopes and dreams for the future.

"I hope one day to own a house," he said.

"I wish that people in European and Arab countries will help me after listening to my story to get treatment abroad and prosthetic legs."

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News Network
November 7,2024

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Mangaluru, Nov 7: In the quiet village of Tippunagar, Loretto Padavu, a heartbreaking accident claimed the life of three-year-old Aashika on Wednesday, leaving a family and community shattered.

Aashika, the beloved daughter of Unais from Pattanabailu near Farangipet, was simply enjoying a carefree moment, playing outside her grandmother’s house. It was then that an unimaginable tragedy struck: a parked goods tempo, owned by her uncle, unexpectedly rolled backward, trapping the innocent child beneath its wheels.

Despite her family’s desperate rush to get her to the hospital, little Aashika’s injuries proved too severe, and she was declared dead upon arrival. Her passing has cast a deep shadow over the close-knit community, who grieve alongside her family for the life taken too soon.

The Bantwal traffic police have registered a case and are investigating the incident, while the community mourns the loss of a precious young soul who had only just begun to experience life’s wonder.
 

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News Network
November 7,2024

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The Israeli regime has killed at least 40 people during new airstrikes against eastern Lebanese areas, besides targeting the country’s capital Beirut with fresh acts of aggression.

Lebanon’s health ministry announced the fatalities on Wednesday, saying 53 other people had also been wounded during the aerial attacks that targeted the country’s Bekaa Valley, including the city of Baalbek.

In early Thursday, the regime was also reported to have attacked Beirut’s southern suburbs, including a site adjacent to Rafiq Hariri International Airport.

The attacks came after the regime issued short-notice evacuation orders apparently directed at the residents of the areas, claiming that the areas contained facilities belonging to Lebanon’s Hezbollah resistance movement.

Tel Aviv has been using similar claims on countless occasions since last October, when it markedly intensified its deadly acts of aggression against Lebanon, in order to try to justify the escalation. Hezbollah has, however, invariably refuted the claims.

Also on Wednesday, the United Nations warned in its most recent flash report on the humanitarian crisis caused by the Israeli atrocities targeting Lebanon that the aggression had “reached a critical point.”

The attacks have claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people, which was “58 percent more than the 1,900 fatalities” that were caused by the regime’s 2006 war against Lebanon, the report said.

“Additionally, an estimated 1.3 million people have been displaced, both within Lebanon and into neighboring countries, 33 percent more than the number of people displaced in 2006,” it added.

Women comprised the majority of those who had been rendered homeless within Lebanon as a result of the Israeli attacks, the report noted.

It also regretted that the Israeli attacks had featured 78 assaults on healthcare facilities across the country that had claimed the lives of 130 health workers and injured 111 others.

In response to the aggression, Hezbollah has been staging hundreds of retaliatory strikes against the occupied Palestinian territories and the Israeli forces trying to advance on southern Lebanese areas.

The movement has vowed to sustain its strikes until the regime ends the escalation.

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News Network
November 4,2024

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Shah Rukh Khan, the Bollywood superstar once known for being a chain smoker, has revealed that he has finally kicked the habit. The revelation came during an event organized by his fan clubs in Bandra to celebrate his 59th birthday on Saturday. 

In a video shared by fans on X, Shah Rukh mentioned, "There’s a good thing – I’m not smoking anymore, guys. I thought I wouldn’t feel so breathless after quitting, but I still do. Inshallah, that will also improve."

The actor has faced criticism for his smoking in the past, most notably in 2012 when he was seen smoking during an IPL match between his team, Kolkata Knight Riders, and Rajasthan Royals. Shah Rukh was fined a modest Rs 100 after pleading guilty in court in Jaipur for smoking in public.

During the same event, Shah Rukh held an Ask SRK session where fans asked questions. One fan inquired about what he has learned from his children. In his signature witty style, Shah Rukh recounted his birthday morning with charming anecdotes: "I woke up late after a dinner last night, spent time with my little one whose iPad wasn’t working, then my daughter had issues with her outfits... and then my elder son." The actor’s relatable details entertained the crowd, as always.

Shah Rukh went on to say, "I learn a lot from my family. The more children you have, the more patient you become! That’s what I carry with me to work – patience, love, and care. Whether at home, on set, or in the office, I’m there to fix things for everyone. Patience is the biggest lesson my family has taught me."

Shah Rukh Khan’s career continues to soar after an impressive comeback, with blockbuster hits like Pathaan and Jawan. His recent film Dunki received a more mixed response from the audience.

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