19th September 2016 | International Solidarity Movement, al-Khalil team | Hebron / Jerusalem, occupied Palestine
On Monday, 19th September 2016, two Palestinians have been gunned down by Israeli forces in occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), and one in illegally annexed East Jerusalem in less than 12 hours.
Early in the morning, in the Old City of occupied Jerusalem, Israeli forces emptied several rounds of live ammunition shooting a Palestinian that according to Israeli reports injured two Israeli police officers with a knife, one of them in critical condition. The Palestinian is identified as Ayman Al-Kurd from the Ras Al-Amoud neighborhood of occupied East Jerusalem. A video from a local bystander shows how the Israeli police forces receive medical care from several Israeli medics, while the Palestinian severely hurt by bullet wounds is completely neglected. This form of medical neglect for Palestinians accused of attacking Israeli forces is a common occurence.
Israeli forces took this as an excuse to close entries and exits into the Old City, leaving groups of school-children stranded with their right to education denied to them by the Israeli forces.
In occupied al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces shot two Palestinians that allegedly attacked soldiers at a checkpoint near the Ibrahimi Mosque with knives. After the two were gunned down by Israeli forces, no medical assistance was given to them, instead they were stripped of their clothes to their underwear. The 17- and 20-year old Amir and Muhannad Jabari died as a result of the excessive force of the highly-armed Israeli forces gunning them down and denying any medical assistance. A Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance was denied access to the Palestinian that at this point was still alive. He allegedly later died shortly after arriving at an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem. Palestinians accused of attacking Israeli forces are not only regularly denied medical assistance, but are also kidnapped to Israeli hospitals in Jerusalem – more than 30 kilometeres from occupied al-Khalil – instead of allowing treatment by Palestinian ambulances that can guarantee a much faster treatment in nearby hospitals in the city of al-Khalil. Similarly to Jerusalem, Israeli forces in Hebron, after the incident closed all checkpoints in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque and closed the Muslim entrance to the mosque. Additionally to the at least three major checkpoints that are somewhat near the incident, Shuhada checkpoint leading into the Tel Rumeida neighborhood and the tiny part of ethnically cleansed Shuhada Street where Palestinians are still allowed to walk (but not drive).
Israeli forces later fired stun grenades and tear gas at Palestinians demonstrating the shooting of the two Palestinians in the Bab al-Zawwiya area near Shuhada checkpoint. The tear gas reached Palestinian family homes on Shuhada Street, suffocating civilians, including women and children, in their own homes. As to this moment, one elderly woman was shot at by Israeli forces with a tear gas canisters in her chest, and three young men have been injured with rubber coated steel bullets. At the moment of publishing, Israeli forces have started firing live ammunition from sniper positions.
On Friday, Israeli forces shot two Palestinians near the illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, killing 18-year old Moussa Mohammed Khaddour and critically injuring Raghad Abdullah Abdullah Khaddour, whos fate is unknown. Earlier that day, Israeli forces gunned down and killed a Jordanian national in illegally annexed East Jerusalem. Later the same day, 16-year old Mohammad al-Rajabi was shot to death by Israeli forces in Tel Rumeida in occupied Hebron, resulting in 3 Palestinians killed and one critically injured in less than 48 hours. Saturday morning, Israeli forces gunned down 26-year old Hatem Abed Hafez Shalludi in Tel Rumeida in occupied Hebron.