Hundreds attend funeral of unarmed Palestinian killed in error by Israeli troops

Hundreds of mourners descended on the village of Al-Lubban in the northern West Bank on Wednesday for the funeral of a Palestinian intelligence officer who was shot by Israeli soldiers who claimed they had "neutralised" an armed terrorist.

Ahmed Daraghmeh, an officer in the Palestinian Authority’s security service, died on Tuesday after Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers mistook him for an armed militant and opened fire on the car he was in, killing him and critically injuring another Palestinian.

The IDF said on Twitter that “two terrorists were neutralised” during an attempted attack on Israeli troops guarding the Tapuah Junction.

But the IDF’s Army Radio later reported the soldiers had opened fire after mistaking an object being held by one of the men for a weapon.

“The soldiers at the checkpoint at Tapuah Junction were a little too alert, a week after the attack on the spot –they thought they saw a gun – and fired,” the IDF told Army Radio.

No weapons were found in the vehicle, it said, adding the incident was under investigation.

Mr Daraghmeh's funeral was held as tensions between Israel and the Palestinians continued to climb after a night of rocket attacks and air strikes.

Israel’s security forces are bracing for continued unrest.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a state of emergency in the city of Lod, home to both Arabs and Jews, where police reported widespread rioting.

Meanwhile, protesters clashed with Israeli police and attacked Jewish motorists in several Jewish-Arab towns.

The bloodshed was triggered by clashes at the weekend at Jerusalem's Al Aqsa mosque, sacred to both Muslims and Jews.

Israeli police stormed the compound and used tear gas and stun grenades on worshippers as they gathered for Friday prayers.

In the ensuing escalation, which was also fuelled by Israeli threats to evict Palestinian families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in East Jerusalem, militant groups fired more than 1,000 rockets at Israeli towns, causing six deaths.

At least 56 Palestinians, including 14 children, have been killed in retaliatory air strikes targeting Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Country-size land deals

US interest in purchasing territory is not as outlandish as it sounds. Here's a look at some big land transactions between nations:

Louisiana Purchase

If Donald Trump is one who aims to broker "a deal of the century", then this was the "deal of the 19th Century". In 1803, the US nearly doubled in size when it bought 2,140,000 square kilometres from France for $15 million.

Florida Purchase Treaty

The US courted Spain for Florida for years. Spain eventually realised its burden in holding on to the territory and in 1819 effectively ceded it to America in a wider border treaty.

Alaska purchase

America's spending spree continued in 1867 when it acquired 1,518,800 km² of Alaskan land from Russia for $7.2m. Critics panned the government for buying "useless land".

The Philippines

At the end of the Spanish-American War, a provision in the 1898 Treaty of Paris saw Spain surrender the Philippines for a payment of $20 million.

US Virgin Islands

It's not like a US president has never reached a deal with Denmark before. In 1917 the US purchased the Danish West Indies for $25m and renamed them the US Virgin Islands.

Gwadar

The most recent sovereign land purchase was in 1958 when Pakistan bought the southwestern port of Gwadar from Oman for 5.5bn Pakistan rupees.

The biog

Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia

Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins

Favourite dish: Grilled fish

Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.

Hundreds attend funeral of unarmed Palestinian killed in error by Israeli troops

IDF troops opened fire on two unarmed Palestinian security officers they believed had weapons

Country-size land deals

The biog