In pictures: Dozens of Jerusalemites participate in e funeral of Mou’taz Hijazi…clashes and arrests
The Jerusalemites challenged the unjust Israeli decisions against the Martyr Mou’taz Hijazi and his family and dozens of young men participated in the funeral of the Martyr at Herod’s Gate Cemetery. Immediately after the Martyr’s body was handed to his family at the entrance of the cemetery, more than 400 young men came out from in between the tombs to participate in the funeral. They chanted for the Martyr, Al-Aqsa and the national unity. The young men were forced to carry out the funeral procedures (cleaning and praying) inside the cemetery after the Israeli authorities imposed restrictions and prevented transferring the body to his house in Al-Thori and ordered the family to conduct the funeral with the presence of only 45 people. The Israeli forces blocked all roads leading to the cemetery three hours before the arrival of the Martyr’s body. Jerusalem had witnessed another late-night funeral last week when they buried the 20-year old Marty Abdulrahman Shallodi. It is noteworthy that the forces released the Martyr’s brother, Oday, after detaining him for several hours for interrogation and also released his father in the afternoon hours. Clashes broke out in Silwan, Esawyeh, Shu’fat refugee camp, Al-Tur, Herod’s Gate and Wadi Al-Joz all day on Thursday between the Israeli forces and the young men in response to the Martyrdom of Hijazi and in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The forces fired rubber bullets towards one young man in the neighborhood of Wadi Al-Joz and then assaulted and arrested him. Clashes broke out in the neighborhood of Jabal Al-Mukabber in the afternoon hours and then renewed at night and the young men threw stones at an “Egged” bus and broke its windows. The members of the follow-up committee in the village of Esawyeh, Mohammad Abu Hummus, said that the Israeli forces closed the main entrance of the village of Thursday night with iron barricades and prevented all residents from leaving the village. A paramedic officer in the Arab Paramedics Union, Fouad Obeid, said that dozens of locals suffocated due to the firing of tear gas grenades towards them. Also, dozens of young men suffocated due to tear gas in Shu’fat refugee camp. Violent clashes broke out in the neighborhoods of Ein Al-Lozeh and Bi’er Ayoub and a pharmacist was injured in his face after a sound grenade directly the front window of his pharmacy (Silwan Pharmacy). Violent clashes also broke out in the neighborhood of Al-Thori and the Musta’ribeen arrested five children.
