Hamas sniper kills kibbutz volunteer near Gaza fence

[bemildred]

An Ecuadorian volunteer working in the fields of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha near the Gaza Strip was killed on Tuesday when he was shot by a sniper belonging to Hamas' armed wing.

The shooting came hours after an Israel Defense Forces operation killed at least 19 Palestinians in ground and air raids on Gaza City.

Also on Tuesday, four residents of Sderot were lightly injured after eight Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev town by Gaza militants. At least three were confirmed to have landed in Sderot. A woman and her seven-year-old daughter were among those injured after their home sustained a direct hit by one of the rockets.

Earlier, two Qassams hit the western Negev, one striking an open field in southern Ashkelon. No injuries or damages were reported.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/944957.html

[LeftishBrit]

1. Good lord

Why should he want to kill an Ecuadorian volunteer - or was he just shooting at random at the kibbutz? Probably the latter.

Disgusting and tragic.

[bemildred]

2. Thanks. Glad someone read it. nt

[bemildred]

3. Ecuadorian volunteer, 19, shot dead by Hamas sniper

A 19-year-old Ecuadorian volunteer was killed when a Hamas sniper shot him in the back yesterday morning as he was working in the potato fields of Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha, near the Gaza Strip. The shooting of Carlos Chavez came hours after an Israel Defense Forces operation killed at least 19 Palestinians in ground and air raids on Gaza City.

"We were running to the car, in order to escape, and then, just when we got to the car, he was shot in the back," said David Lanos, 19, another volunteer from Ecuador. "I held him in my hands and I told him: 'Don't fall asleep, don't fall asleep,' but it didn't help, and I lost him."

Yochi Kofler, who oversees the work in the fields, said shooting from Gaza was routine, even if the results were tragic this time. "Today we weren't lucky, as we have been on other days," he said.

The nine surviving foreign volunteers - including two others from Ecuador - gathered at the kibbutz health clinic yesterday to see Chavez's body, the sight of which made Annie Rothman collapse and break into tears.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/945065.html