Israeli army killed elderly Palestinian after taking propaganda photo: Report

By Awad al-Rujoub

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Palestinian official media outlets on Wednesday accused the Israeli army of killing an elderly Palestinian man shortly after taking a propaganda photo showing an Israeli soldier helping him.

The Palestine TV published a photo, taken apparently by Israeli soldiers, showing an Israeli soldier helping 79-year-old Bashir Hajji walk in the Israeli-declared “safe corridor” for Palestinians to flee from the north of Gaza toward the south.

It also published another photo of the body of the elderly man with traces of blood below the left shoulder.

Euro-Med Monitor, a rights group, said that the incident took place on Nov. 10 while Hajji was on his way to the south of Gaza.

His granddaughter Hala told Euro-Med that he was executed while crossing the “safe corridor” shortly after the photo was taken.

The Israeli army didn't comment on Hajji's death.

Local authorities in Gaza, which is run by Hamas, have described the Israeli-declared “safe corridors” as "death corridors" and urged people not to use them as it said many Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army while using them and many others were arrested.

Since Oct. 7, at least 11,500 Palestinians have been killed, including over 7,800 women and children, and more than 29,200 others have been injured, according to the latest figures from Palestinian authorities.

Thousands of buildings, including hospitals, mosques, and churches, have also been damaged or destroyed in Israel's relentless air and ground attacks on the besieged enclave since last month.

The Israeli death toll, meanwhile, is around 1,200, according to official figures.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar