The Pentagon: We stopped the flights of marches over Gaza during the truce

Three college students of Palestinian origin who were out on a hike in the US state of Vermont were seriously injured over the weekend when a man shot them at close range in a street, an attack that is being investigated as a possible “hate crime,” authorities said. Yesterday (Monday), according to the Associated Press.

Jason J. Eaton, 48, made his first court appearance via video from jail on 3 counts of attempted murder, and a not guilty plea was entered on his behalf yesterday. It was decided to place him in custody without bail.

Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the US Department of Justice, along with Vermont state authorities, are investigating whether Saturday’s shooting was a “hate crime,” amid increasing threats against Jewish and Arab communities across the United States since the start of the war between Israel and “the United States.” agitation”. “There is understandable fear in communities across the country,” he said.

Police said the three men, all in their 20s, were spending the Thanksgiving holiday in Burlington and were out for a walk while visiting a relative of the victims when they were confronted by a white man carrying a gun.

Burlington Police Chief John Murad explained to reporters: “They stated that the person did not make any comments to them, and only approached them while they were walking down the street, while they were minding their own business.”

Murad said that two of the young men were injured in their torsos, while the third was injured in the lower extremities. A relative of the victims confirmed that the three are being treated at the University of Vermont Medical Center, and one of them faces a long treatment period due to a spinal injury.

“I’ve been with them almost continuously since Saturday evening,” said Rich Price, a relative of one of the students. “I was listening to them talking to each other and trying to process the events, and I was amazed by their resilience and sense of humor in the face of these difficult times.”

The Middle East Institute for Understanding, in a statement issued by the families of the victims on the X website (formerly Twitter), identified the men as Hisham Awartani, Kenan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ali Ahmed.

“We are deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of our children,” the statement read. “We call on law enforcement authorities to conduct a comprehensive investigation, including treating the matter as a hate crime.” “We will not rest until the shooter is brought to justice.”

Rania Maayah, a school principal in the West Bank, said that the three shooting victims had been friends since the first grade at school, and were all “wonderful and distinguished students.”

Price explained that the gunman “shot them without saying a word,” and that the family suspected they were the targets of a “hate crime.”

He continued: “We fear that the motive behind this is hatred, and that these young people were targeted because they are Arabs.”

For his part, Murad indicated that the victims were speaking a mixture of English and Arabic, and two of them were wearing the black and white Palestinian keffiyeh when they were shot.

Speaking at a news conference, Sarah George, a state prosecutor, said law enforcement officials do not yet have evidence to support a hate crime charge, which under Vermont law must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. But she said: “I want to make clear that there is no doubt that this was an abhorrent act.”

In turn, US President Joe Biden commented that he and his wife were terrified by the shooting, and that they were praying for the students to fully recover.

He added: “While we await more facts, we know this: ‘There is absolutely no place for violence or hatred in America… No one should have to worry about being shot in the course of their daily lives.’”