Palestinians launched a sniper attack Friday as Israel's Public Security Minister, Avi Dichter, was briefing a 15-member delegation of Canadian Jews at an observation point near the Gaza border. A senior aide to Dichter was wounded in the attack.
Photos taken at the time give a sense of the fear that was inflicted on the delegation. At 10:30, just before the shots are fired, Public Security Minister Avi Dicter begins speaking to the group. You see him in the picture below, wearing the white shirt. Dichter's bodyguard is the tall man in the rear, wearing sunglasses. They are a few hundred meters from the border with Gaza.
Moments later, shots are fired. Everyone ducks. In the picture below you see Dichter's bodyguard moving to cover him.
Below, you see Dichter's aide, Mati Gil, lying wounded near the bus. Two security personnel are over him. In the foreground to the left is Dichter. Wearing the green shirt on the right is one of the Canadians.
In the final photo below you see Mati Gil calling for assistance, as he lies wounded on the ground.
Gil received gunshots wounds to the lower abdomen and pelvis. He was taken to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. He is listed in light to moderate condition. Dichter was not hurt in the attack.
The Jerusalem Post has great coverage of the attack, including the dramatic photos posted here. I blogged about the attack earlier today here.
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According to the New York Times, several Palestinian organizations claimed responsibility for the shooting. The groups claiming responsibility include the military wing of Hamas, the Islamic group that controls Gaza, and the Army of the Nation, a small group inspired by Al Qaeda. If any Palestinian groups have condemned the attack, I can't find it in news accounts.
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(Photo credit: David M. Weinberg via Jerusalem Post)
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