Palestinian man killed on way back from West Jerusalem

Hundreds of Palestinians poured to the house of Qanawati family in Bethlehem to express condolences for the death of their son, Jimmy, who was fatally wounded by Israel soldiers near the northern entrance of the city last Saturday.

Jimmy and a friend of his were driving back to Bethlehem Saturday morning at around 2:00 am after they had dinner in a West Jerusalem restaurant. An Israeli army statement claimed Jimmy did not obey orders to stop his car and was shot at by a soldier who felt the car was going to run him over.

Jimmy's friend, Johnny Lama, denied the Israeli version and said they never were ordered to stop. "We crossed the Israeli army roadblock and none of the soldiers said anything to us. All of a sudden, I heard gunshots and then felt the car was swaying right and left. I looked at Jimmy, who was driving and saw blood coming out from the back of his neck. I jumped out of the car and told the soldiers to stop firing and that we had a wounded person in the car."