News / Palestine

Egypt slammed for 'cold-blooded execution' of mentally-ill Gazan

Saturday, 26 December 2015 5:41 PM [ Last Update: Saturday, 26 December 2015 6:14 PM ]

The photo shows a Palestinian man walking next to an Egyptian watch tower standing on the beach by the Mediterranean Sea on the border between Egypt and the besieged Gaza Strip, September 21, 2015. (AFP)

The Palestinian Interior Ministry in Gaza has slammed Egyptian forces for an incident where a mentally-ill Palestinian was shot and killed on the border.

The Palestinian ministry said on Saturday that the Palestinian had waded through the sea into Egypt’s territory the day before.

“It is clearly a cold-blooded execution, committed in broad day light.”

Video footage of the shooting broadcast by Al Jazeera network showed the mentally-challenged man entering the Mediterranean Sea and crossing through a border wire fence after which Egyptians opened fire on him while still in the water.

Another person on the beach then signaled the security forces at a watchtower to stop shooting. The dead body was seen floating and then washed up.

The ministry has called for the Egyptian government to investigate the deadly incident.

The Egyptian Interior Ministry has made no comment yet.

Gaza has been blockaded by the Israeli regime since June 2007, a situation that has caused a decline in the standards of living, unprecedented levels of unemployment, and unrelenting poverty. Egypt has also imposed a siege of its own on Gaza.

Israel denies about 1.8 million people in Gaza their basic rights, such as freedom of movement, jobs that pay proper wages, and adequate healthcare and education.

The Egyptian border shooting comes amid attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinians in the occupied territories.

On Saturday, Israeli regime forces shot and killed a Palestinian as he allegedly tried to stab an officer in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Elsewhere in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military claimed on Saturday that a Palestinian motorist had rammed his car into a checkpoint and lightly wounded a soldier stationed there. Troops on the scene opened fire on the attacker and seriously wounded him, the military said. The Palestinian later died of his injuries.

Also on Saturday in al-Quds (Jerusalem), Israeli security forces fired tear gas to disperse several dozen protesters who were demanding that Israel hand over the bodies of Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks.

Tel Aviv has been holding the bodies of several dozens of killed Palestinians for fear of funeral processions turning into rallies against Israel.

Nearly 140 Palestinians have been killed by Israelis in attacks over the past few weeks.

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