Forget Ambiguous Explosion, Mysterious Explosion and Vague Blast. Here’s the latest in palestinian work accident euphemisms.
The militant group Hamas said early Sunday morning that one of its members had been killed in an explosion along Gaza’s fence with Israel.
The Islamic group’s military wing said a man was killed, and another injured, during a holy mission. Such language is used when explosives meant for an attack on Israel explode prematurely.
The dead Hamas man was named as Osama al-Aftal.
The Israel Defense Forces issued a statement clarifying troops were not operating in the area at the time of the explosion early Sunday.
Call me religious, but here’s hoping to many more “holy missions.”
Meanwhile, despite the fact you’d think palestinian news agencies would be beaming with pride about such missions, blaming Israel seems to be an even holier mission, as evidenced by this Ma’an News account of the same incident.
Undercover Israeli forces killed a Palestinian fighter in the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning, witnesses and medical sources said.
The dead body of 23-year-old Usama Al-Astal, a fighter with Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, was taken to a hospital in the city of Khan Younis.
Eyewitnesses told Ma’an’s reporter that Al-Astal was on lookout duty east of the town of Al-Qarara, when he noticed Israeli special forces entering the area. He immediately hurled a grenade towards the Israelis, who fired back, killing him and wounding three other fighters.
Update: Elder points out that the Hamas website uses an even better euphemism.
As Al Aqsa Intifada against the occupation assault on the Gaza Strip continues, Ezzedeen Al-Qassam Brigades has its best men to be in the playground of death to defend their people from any attack by the enemy.
