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Photo: Hashem Abu Maria
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Annie Robbins for Mondoweiss

More terrible news. Three cherished members the community of Beit Ummar have been killed by Israeli forces while demonstrating in support of Gaza today. This little village, home of activists from the Palestine Solidarity Project, has been hit so hard by settlers and Israeli military forces over the years, they gang up on that town time and again, so much anguish it is hard to comprehend. It brings me great sorrow reporting these deaths today.

Palestine Solidarity Project press release:

Today, a demonstration was held in Beit Ummar, a village of 17,000 people in Hebron District, against the ongoing assault in Gaza by Israeli Military Forces. Almost immediately, the Israeli military forces that confronted the demonstration shot live ammunition into the crowd of approximately 900 people, a clear escalation from the regular response to Beit Ummar demonstrations, which have been ongoing since the Gaza assault began.

THREE HAVE BEEN KILLED

Hasham Abu Maria, 47, worked with Defense of Children International-Palestine and was shot in the chest with live ammunition approximately 30 minutes into the demonstration.

Sultan Shuqdam and Abd Alhamid Al Brigheith were also shot and were pronounced dead at approximately 4:30 this afternoon in Al Ahli hospital in Hebron.

The three will be buried today in the cemetery in Beit Ummar, which is also by the Israeli military watchtower.
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via Twitter

Defence for Children @DCIPalestine
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Today, @DCIPalestine mourns the loss of staff member Hashem Abu Maria, killed by Israeli forces during a march in solidarity with #Gaza.
8:42 AM - 25 Jul 2014