Two Israeli soldiers were said to be using the app when they mistakenly drove into the Qalandiya refugee camp overnight, sparking clashes as security forces deployed to rescue them that killed one Palestinian and wounded 15 people. But that setting was disabled, said Waze, which didn’t explain how it had determined that.
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An Israeli police spokeswoman said five paramilitary border policemen deployed to help extract the two soldiers were also injured. The Israeli soldiers were using a Google-owned application called “Waze”, which is created to help users find predetermined locations, before being directed to the Qalandiya refugee camp near Jerusalem Monday.
In any event, “the driver deviated from the suggested route and as a result, entered the prohibited area”, Waze said.
The two soldiers were later rescued unharmed. They were pelted with stones and Molotov cocktails….We will investigate the incident and look into the errors that led to this complication. The second soldier was found an hour later in the vicinity of an Israeli settlement. But the search and rescue operation had disintegrated, a fierce battle now raged as Palestinians armed with automatic weapons had joined the fray. This measure has been criticized because it allows excessive military measures to stop soldiers from being abducted by the enemy.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said the two were both 17, from the adjacent village of Qaryout.
The AP added that the “Palestinian Red Crescent identified the killed Palestinian man as university student Eyad Sajadiyeh, saying he was shot in the head during the fighting. There are incidents of shooting nearly every evening in Qalandiya, certainly when the [Israeli military] enters”, he said.
Talks with the Israelis are expected to include defence aid, Israeli-Palestinian violence and the conflict in neighbouring Syria.
The Times of Israel reported that the policy has been discussed in Cabinet meetings in relation to five months of violence that has killed 31 Israelis or foreigners and 189 Palestinians, many of whom were shot dead during alleged attacks.
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Palestinian leaders say many Palestinian attackers have acted out of desperation in the absence of movement towards creation of an independent state.
