’Israeli’ Police Murders Palestinian Revolutionary in al-Quds

Local Editor

A Palestinian from the al-Quds [Jerusalem] neighborhood of Silwan was murdered Saturday after reportedly attempting to stab an "Israeli" police officer in al-Quds, "Israeli" regime police said.

"Israeli" police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said in a statement that a 26-year-old Palestinian man pulled a knife on the officer in Allenby Square, located around a mile east from al-Quds's Old City.

The Palestinian was reportedly sitting in a park by the New Gate in the Old City when he followed an "Israeli" couple towards Allenby Square, al-Samri said. The man's movement "aroused suspicion" from "Israeli" police officers who approached him, mounted on horses.

A "hand fight" then broke out between the Palestinian and an officer who asked him for identification before the man pulled a knife on the officer, the spokesperson said. The Palestinian fell to the ground after officers opened fire, and was shot dead after getting up a second time, al-Samri added.

An eyewitness told Ma'an that the man had been sitting on a bench when mounted "Israeli" officers arrived, asked him to stand, and opened fire when he raised his hands in the air.

According to the witness, the man had fallen to the ground before the officers fired "several rounds at his chest killing him immediately."

Locals identified the Palestinian as Mus'ab Mahmoud al-Ghazali from the occupied East al-Quds neighborhood of Silwan.

The incident follows a string of deadly days the occupied Palestinian territories, with nine Palestinians martyred since Wednesday.

Two Palestinians were shot dead after stabbing and killing one "Israeli" and wounding another outside of the Bab el-Khalil in al-Quds's Old City on Wednesday. A third "Israeli" was killed when "Israeli" border guards opened fire on the attackers.

In the occupied West Bank on Thursday, three attacks were carried out on Israeli military and security personnel, injuring three. All three Palestinians were killed during the attacks.

A fourth Palestinian was also martyred when clashes erupted in the Qalandiya refugee camp after "Israeli" regime forces entered to arrest residents suspected of involvement in the days' operations.

Twenty-two-year-old Hani Rafiq Wahdan was shot in the head and martyred during weekly Friday demonstrations in the Gaza Strip, shortly before Mahdia Hammad was shot after "Israeli" officers alleged she attempted to run her vehicle into a group of soldiers in Silwad, near Ramallah.

"Israeli" aggression on Palestinians that increased in October continued full force through December, despite a visit by UN officials and the Middle East Quartet to the area last week.

The international bodies failed to make any concrete moves towards quelling the violence that has left over 130 Palestinians martyred since Oct. 1.

The majority of Palestinians had been martyred while carrying out or attempting to carry operations on "Israeli" military and settlers. Investigations into the circumstances of several deaths by rights groups had concluded that "Israeli" forces martyred a number of Palestinians who didn't pose any threat at the time of their death.

"Israeli" apartheid authorities meanwhile had launched an ongoing crackdown in response to the escalation, promoting a "shoot-to-kill" policy against Palestinians as well as a series of harsh measures throughout the occupied territory that rights groups had termed collective punishment.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team