What Really Happened to 21-year-old Paramedic Razan al-Najjar: A New York Times/Haaretz Exclusive

Razan al-Najjar, the young paramedic allegedly killed by an Israeli sniper, has been elevated to sainthood among the people of Gaza. Hers is an unusual status in a normally conservative Muslim society that represses women and LGBTQ people.

However, like most tragedies in the mysterious Orient, what happened is not as obvious as it might appear.  According to the Palestinian narrative, al-Najjar was a dedicated and courageous first responder who approached a wounded Palestinian in her medical uniform and with hands raised in the air when shots rang out and she fell to the ground.

But an Israeli military spokesperson reports that just before al-Najjar reached the border fence, a cell of Hamas terrorists launched a coordinated attack on IDF soldiers with grenades, mortars, IEDs, and Iranian Fajr-5 rockets.  (There were no Israeli deaths or injuries.) According to Haaretz military analyst Amos Goebbels, “it is reasonable to assume that the young medic was actually a Hamas decoy who arrived belatedly on the battle scene or that she was killed by an Iranian Fajr-5 rocket.”  This theory is supported by Isabel Borscht, the New York Times journalist who holds a certificate from Tel Aviv University’s “Journalism for Yentas” program.  Borscht reports that, according to IDF sources, the seemingly innocent paramedic was actually concealing an anti-tank rocket in her headscarf that might have imploded.  “It’s also possible she was carrying a photon torpedo in her left pocket.”

Meanwhile, Ilie Abuheweila, a Times stringer in Gaza who gets a joint byline with Borscht whenever she needs local cover for her whoppers, reports that the seemingly virtuous medic lived a double life.  According to four witnesses, Abuheweila says, Razan belonged to a drug gang that sold hashish.  “I know this might sound implausible, but I myself used to smoke hashish with her.”  Abuheweila added that even if it’s not true: “I want a job. I want money. I want to start my life.”(https://wapo.st/2sxHfrQ)

An IDF spokesperson announced that it was investigating the incident.  “We take seriously the accidental killing of every terrorist.”