Hani Barakat, meat factory worker

Last Thursday [14 February 2008], I went from work to 'Anabta, arriving at about 4:20 P.M. I had received my first wages from my job at a meat plant and wanted to exchange the shekels for Jordanian dinars. I went to the money changer Mustafa Dhawaba, who was standing by Abu Gharib’s shop, about fifteen meters from Town Hall. While speaking with him, a small army jeep passed by. It was heading from the direction of Tulkarm toward Einav Checkpoint. The jeep continued another 200-300 meters and stopped opposite the gas station in the center of town, apparently because stones were thrown at them from a side street.

Two soldiers got out and began to fire at the stone throwers, who were north of the road. Suddenly, one of the soldiers aimed his rifle at Mustafa and me. We tried to get into the shop, but the soldier fired two shots, from about 200 meters away before we made it inside. One shot hit Mustafa in the leg and the other hit me in the back of my left thigh.

We managed to get into the shop. Mustafa fell to the floor. After a couple of moments, I felt pain and bleeding in the area of the wound.

An ambulance passing by took Mustafa, who was bleeding heavily. My brother was in the area and saw what happened. He came and took me by car to the checkpoint next to the village of Bal’a. From there, a Red Crescent ambulance took me to the Thabet Thabet hospital in Tulkarm, where I was X-rayed and underwent tests. The X-ray showed that the bullet had penetrated the back of my left thigh and caused great injury. I was treated and at night was discharged. I am still on medication and go to the hospital for follow-up.

Hani Na’if Muhammad Barakat, 22, lives in 'Anabta, Tulkarm District. He gave the testimony to 'Abd al-Karim Sa’adi at his home on 17 February 2008.