Ramallah: A senior Palestinian official died on Wednesday after being beaten by Israeli forces during a protest march in the occupied West Bank, medical and security sources said.
Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the killing as 'barbaric' and vowed measures in response.
Ziad Abu Ain, who was in charge of the issue of Israeli colonies for the Palestinian National Authority, 'was martyred after being beaten in the chest,' said Ahmad Bitawi, the director of the Ramallah hospital.
The incident began with a march by several dozen Palestinians who headed to agricultural land near the village of Turmus Aya to plant olive tree saplings, said one of the participants, Mahmoud Aloul, a senior member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah movement.
The land belongs to Turmus Aya, but is close to an Israeli colony and mostly off- limits to the village's farmers, Aloul said.
As the marchers walked toward the land, Israeli regime soldiers fired tear gas at the Palestinians, Aloul said. He said Abu Ain was hit by a tear gas canister, an account not immediately confirmed by other participants who only said the group was engulfed by tear gas.
Another marcher, Salah Hawajeh, said Abu Ain marched toward the soldiers ahead of everyone else, until he was stopped by a soldier.
He said the soldier headbutted Abu Ain and then hit him in the chest with his rifle butt. Hawajeh said Abu Ain then dropped to the ground, and was evacuated by ambulance.
Footage aired on pan Gulf-based satellite news channel Hadath showed Abu Ain, pale- faced, crumple to the ground after the clash, holding his chest.
Abu Ain headed a Palestinian National Authority department dealing with Israeli colonies and the Israeli separation barrier, and had the rank of Cabinet member.
The regime's army had no immediate comment.
Abbas condemned 'the brutal assault that led to the martyrdom' of Abu Ain, calling it 'a barbaric act that cannot be tolerated or accepted,' official Palestinian news agency Wafa said.
'We will take the necessary measures after the results of the investigation into the incident,' Abbas said, declaring three days of mourning.
Previously, he served as deputy minister for prisoner affairs.
Osama Najar, a spokesman for the Palestinian Health Ministry, said an autopsy would be performed to determine the cause of death.
Posted by Unknown on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - Rating: 4.5
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