A report in the Palestinian Authority-based media said that the two PA Arabs who were killed by a Jewish trucker during a robbery attempt on Sunday were “martyrs”.

The Arabic report in the PA-based WAFA news agency said, “A funeral of thousands of people in the town of Yatta south of Hebron, took place on Sunday afternoon with the bodies of martyrs Naim Mohammed Najjar (32 years) and Anwar Khalil Abed Rabbo (35 years).

The report added, “Speakers denounced the crimes of the settlers under the continued support and protection of the Israeli occupation army, demanding the international community to intervene to end the occupation and an end to crimes against our people and land and property. They stressed the importance of national unity and closing ranks and activating the popular resistance against the occupation and the settlers to leave our land, and establish an independent Palestinian state with its capital in Jerusalem.”

The English translation was provided by IMRA, the Independent Media Review and Analysis.

The 52-year-old trucker killed the two Arabs as they attempted to kidnap him and steal his vehicle. A third Arab who was involved in the attempted robbery and kidnapping was wounded.

The 52-year-old trucker, a resident of the coastal city of Ashkelon, was also injured in the incident.

The three Arabs hurled a blunt object at him, according to Army Radio. He shot back in self-defense, according to the report, and then drove to the nearest checkpoint to contact IDF soldiers.

A medic who treated the trucker told an interviewer on Channel 10 television news the would-be victim had sustained bruises to his back and hands, and appeared to have been struck in the chest with a blunt object.

Former Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Avi Dichter, now a Kadima Knesset member, labeled the incident a terror attack.

"Carjacking can easily lead to kidnapping,” he told Army Radio. “We must use our intelligence apparatus to identify these car thieves and bring them to justice.” (IsraelNationalNews © 2012 06/18/12)