Israeli forces kill Palestinian in clashes during a gathering to welcome released prisoners

On 21 November 2023, Hamas and Israel agreed on a deal in which Hamas would release women and minors abducted from Israel on 7 October 2023 in exchange for Palestinian women and minors jailed by Israel. The swap was carried out in several phases. In every phase, Israel transferred the Palestinians released from Ofer Prison to an ICRC (Red Cross) bus. The bus then drove through the town of Bitunya, with residents gathering along the main street to welcome the released prisoners. Every evening, Border Police officers entered the town to disperse the crowd, leading to clashes with local residents.

In two of these incidents, Border Police officers killed two Palestinians in the clashes. Yasin al-Asmar, 28, was killed on 27 November 2023 and Fadi Badran, 21, was killed on 29 November 2023. Below are the findings of B’Tselem’s investigation into the two incidents.

The killing of Yasin al-Asmar, 27 November 2023

On Monday, 27 November 2023, at around midnight, about 10 Border Police jeeps and a bulldozer drove into Bitunya to disperse residents gathering to welcome the released prisoners. Some youths threw stones at the force, which responded by firing tear gas canisters, stun grenades, rubber-coated metal bullets and live bullets. Two of the jeeps stopped at the al-Madares roundabout with the bulldozer. About 10 Border Police officers got out and took up positions around the roundabout. Some of the youths threw stones at them, while others tried to hide and go back to the main street to welcome the released prisoners. At around 1:30 A.M., one of the officers fired a live bullet at Yasin al-Asmar, 28, who went towards the roundabout and took part in the clashes, from about 100 meters away. For several minutes after al-Asmar fell, the officer fired at anyone who tried to get near him and help him. The officer then left the area with the rest of the force. Al-Asmar was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Below are two of the testimonies concerning the incident collected by Iyad Hadad on 29 November 2023:

M.S. said:

On Monday, 27 November 2023, around midnight, I was standing in my doorway watching a Border Police force that entered the town, probably to disperse the crowd of people who wanted to welcome the released prisoners. They came in through Yafa Street and drove up to the al-Madares roundabout, at the western edge of the street. There, the officers got out and spread out in the surrounding streets. Some young guys threw stones at them, and the officers fired live rounds and “rubber” bullets. The clashes started on the main street near the al-Madares roundabout.

That went on until 1:30 A.M., and then I saw two officers walk towards the roundabout, getting closer

to the guys, who ran towards my street. One of the officers took up a position near a pastry shop and the other was across from him, on the other side of the street. There were about 40 guys facing the officers. They scattered in my street and hid. Every time someone peeked out, the officers fired live shots at them. Some of the guys tried to get closer to throw stones, and then ran back.

Three young guys tried to get closer to the officers and passed me along the way. One of them tried to peek and see exactly where the police were. He was about 100 meters away from them, when one of the officers fired a single shot and hit him. He fell face down on the road, right then and there. The guys tried to go over and drag him away. At first, I saw one guy approaching. The officers fired a few shots at him to scare him off. Then the guys tried two more times, and shots were fired at them each time. I was afraid to stay on the street and went inside. I followed what was going on through social media and no TV. Around 2:00 A.M., the bus with the released prisoners drove along the street, and then the officers left.

Another witness, M.S., said:

On Monday, 27 November 2023, around midnight, I heard gunfire near the al-Madares roundabout, about 100 meters away from my house. I went outside and saw Border Police were in town to disperse the residents gathering to welcome the released prisoners. The police officers started firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters, as well as live shots and “rubber” bullets. They took up positions at the al-Madares roundabout by our house. There were two jeeps, one of them with an Israeli flag, and a military bulldozer. Some of the officers went down to the roundabout and fired at the people and the young guys spread out in the alleys.

At 1:30 A.M., while I was hiding behind a truck in front of our house, two police officers went down to the street leading to ours and fired live shots at anything they could see. There were about 30 or 40 young guys on our street at the time. They weren’t throwing stones at the police because they were too far away. Some of the guys started going towards the officers from quite far away. One of them, Yasin al-Asmar, 27, who lives in our area, went towards them cautiously, running from corner to corner to take cover behind the buildings. When he got to the corner of the Salamah supermarket, he was exposed and one of the officers fired a single bullet at him from about 100 meters away. The bullet hit al-Asmar, who doubled over and fell down. He started calling =for help. There was another young guy behind him. 

Every time someone tried to get close to Yasin, the officers shot him. One officer stood next to a pastry shop about 30 meters away from Yasin, and anyone who tried to get to Yasin was within his firing range. Every time someone tried to get close, he fired three shots. That happened about three times within a few minutes.

Then the officer walked away, towards the roundabout. Some young guys went over to Yasin, picked him up and took him about 50 meters deeper into the street. He was taken away in a car. I don’t know if he was still alive. 

I kept watching what was going on from a hiding spot, until the released prisoners’ bus passed by at 2:00 A.M and then the Israeli forces left the area. At 2:30 A.M., I went to the Palestine Medical Complex to check how Yasin was doing. When I got there, I found out he passed away.

The killing of Fadi Badran, 21, 29 November 2023

On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, around 10:00 P.M., residents again gathered along Yafa Street in Bitunya to welcome the released prisoners. A little after midnight, about 11 Border Police jeeps entered the town with a bulldozer and a drone flying overhead. Footage received by B’Tselem shows the bulldozer turning over a parked car on one of the streets. The officers fired tear gas canisters, stun grenades, rubber-coated metal bullets and live rounds at residents. The jeeps then advanced deeper into town, and at around 1:00 A.M. arrived at the al-Madares roundabout on the western edge of Yafa Street. Some of the officers got out of the jeeps and chased after young men who threw stones at them and after others who threw Molotov cocktails at the bulldozer, which removed roadblocks placed earlier by residents. Some of the jeeps remained at the al-Madares roundabout, while others drove 500 meters ahead towards the “fruit roundabout” at the eastern end of Yafa Street.

About seven officers got out of jeeps and stood at the end of one of the streets leading to the “fruit roundabout”. Some young guys who were taking part in the clashes, including Fadi Badran, 21, were rolling a large metal sculpture shaped like a half-sphere towards them, to block their way. At some point, Badran kept rolling the sculpture towards the officers alone. When he was about 50 meters from them, one of them fired one bullet at him, which did not hit him. Badran drew back for a moment and then went back to rolling the sculpture. At the same time, two more shots were fired at him, and at least one of them hit him. He managed to run away a little towards the sidewalk, where the young guys were, and fell down.

Some guys picked Badran up and put him in a car that took him to the Palestine Medical Complex, where he was pronounced dead a short time later. The clashes, in which residents hurled Molotov cocktails, continued until 2:00 A.M., when the Red Cross bus passed by and the Border Police left the area.

An employee in a shop located near the “fruit roundabout” said:

On Wednesday evening, 29 November 2023, I was at work in a shop near the 
“fruit roundabout” in Bitunya. At around 10:00 P.M., I saw people gathering near the roundabout to wait for the Red Cross bus that transports the released prisoners.

A little after midnight, I heard from the young men that a force of 11 military jeeps and a bulldozer was heading our way from Ofer Prison. Some of the young guys at the roundabout started blocking the force’s way. There was a small drone flying ahead of the jeeps. The distance between Ofer Prison and the “fruit roundabout” is about 2.5 kilometers. After 10 to 15 minutes, I heard the force reached the al-Madares roundabout, which is about 500 meters south of the “fruit roundabout”. We started hearing live fire, tear gas canisters and clashes.

At 1:00 A.M., two military jeeps and a bulldozer driving in the opposite lane stopped 50 meters from the roundabout and 80 meters from me. They stood under the palm tree at the roundabout. There were dozens of young guys in front of them, trying to hold them up. Some of the guys threw Molotov cocktails at the bulldozer and three hit it, but the fire went out quickly and didn’t cause any damage. About seven Border Police officers spread out on foot in the street. They fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades, and live shots now and then.

At around 1:17 A.M., I saw a young guy near the “fruit roundabout”. I later found out it was Fadi Badran. He was rolling along a large metal structure shaped like the dome of the al-Aqsa Mosque – a kind of Bitunya municipality symbol that was just lying in a grove before. Ten or 15 other young guys were walking behind him into the middle of the road, to delay the force’s advancement. When the guy continued ahead with the ball, one of the officers fired two shots at him. He ran back a little and crossed the street, and when he was in the middle of the street, the officers fired at him again. I think this time they fired from a shorter range than before, from maybe 40 meters away. The bullet hit him. He hobbled along a few steps and fell down in front of the tile factory gate.

I saw some young guys come right away, pick him up and carry him towards the road to Ramallah, and from there he was taken in a civilian car. Ten minutes later, I saw on social media that his name was Fadi Badran and that he was pronounced dead at the Palestine Medical Complex.

An employee at a shop near the al-Madares roundabout said:

On Wednesday, 29 November 2023, around 10:00 P.M., dozens, maybe hundreds, of people started arriving to welcome the released prisoners. They spread out by the roadside for more than two kilometers, from the “fruit roundabout” to Ofer Prison south of it. Like the previous times the Red Cross buses carrying the released prisoners were about to pass through town, a Border Police force came into town with a bulldozer to disperse the crowd welcoming them. A little after midnight, we heard that a force of 11 jeeps had entered. I was on the street at the time, about 300 meters from my workplace, at the al-Madares roundabout.

The force approached the roundabout I was at within about 10 or 15 minutes. Dozens of people were gathered there, throwing stones at the jeeps and clashing with the police, who responded with heavy fire of tear gas canisters, stun grenades, “rubber” bullets and sometimes live shots. Young guys also threw Molotov cocktails, but they didn’t cause any damage. The bulldozer cleared the obstacles the young guys had put in the way. I ran away towards the “fruit roundabout”.

At 1:00 A.M., I saw a bulldozer with two jeeps behind it driving against the traffic towards the “fruit roundabout”. About seven officers got out of them and started dispersing the protesters with stun grenades and sometimes live shots. The clashes concentrated mainly in the southern part of the “fruit roundabout”, near a palm tree by the roadside.

At around 1:20 A.M., I saw a young guy, who I later realized was Fadi Badran, with about 10 guys behind him. He was pushing a metal ball shaped like the Dome of the Rock, which he and other young guys had brought from a nearby grove, towards the roundabout in the middle of the street in order to slow the jeeps down. The officers fired at him and he went back a little. After a few shots, he came back and crossed the street. One of the officers fired at him again, and this time he was hit. I think more than one bullet hit him. I think he was hit in the thigh or foot, because he started shouting and hobbling, hopping on one leg. After he took a few steps, he fell on the pavement. The young guys picked him up right away and took him towards the road to Ramallah. From there they took him by car to the Palestine Medical Complex. Soon after, at around 1:40 A.M., I saw on social media that he passed away. After the incident, the clashes continued until 2:00 A.M., until after the released prisoners’ bus passed through. Then the force left, heading towards Ofer Prison.