Al-Aqsa under siege…arresting 17 Jerusalemites…and injuries with live ammunition
Violent clashes broke out on Sunday night in the villages and neighborhood of Jerusalem in support of Al-Aqsa Mosque and in response to the Martyrdom of Fadi Alloun and Mohammad Halabi. Silwan, Esawyeh, Al-Tur, Al-Sowaneh, Wadi Al-Joz, Shu’fat, Beit Hanina, Abu Dis and Ezaryeh witnesses clashes between the angry young men and occupation forces that used live ammunition, rubber bullets, sound grenades and tea-gas while young men responded with stones, Molotov Cocktails and firecrackers. Al-Aqsa Mosque The occupation authorities continues the siege imposed on Al-Aqsa Mosque for the eighth consecutive day and young men performed all five Prayer at Al-Aqsa gates and in the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem. The forces also assaulted the worshippers near Lions and Hutta gates and tried to keep them away from the gates of Al-Aqsa Mosque. At night, the forces broke the cabinet locks of Al-Aqsa guards and searched them. They turned the city of Jerusalem into a military camp and established iron barriers in the streets and prevented young men under the age of 50 from outside the Old City of Jerusalem from entering the Old City and imposed a strict siege on Al-Wad Street where the stabbing incident occurred two days ago. The city of Jerusalem was on a complete strike on Sunday and all stores were closed in response to the calls of national parties and forces because of what’s happening at Al-Aqsa Mosque and to mourn the souls of the two Martyrs, Fadi Alloun and Mohammad Halabi. Injuries During clashes in the city of Jerusalem, four young men were injured with live bullets in Esawyeh and Shu’fat and dozens others suffocated and were injured with rubber bullets and shrapnel of sound grenades; the most critical injury was in Silwan. In Silwan, Burqan family explained to Wadi Hilweh Information Center that the 17-year old Mohammad Yousef Burqan was injured with a bullet directly in the eye and was left bleeding on the ground during clashes that broke out in the neighborhood of Al-Thori in Silwan; he was transferred to the hospital for treatment while under arrest. Dr. Amin Abu Ghazaleh, head of paramedics and emergency in the Palestinian Red Crescent, explained that more than 150 people were injured with shrapnel of sound grenades, rubber bullets and tear-gas during clashes in the city of Jerusalem and its suburbs (Abu Dis and Ezaryeh). Dr. Abu Ghazaleh added that two young men from the village of Esawyeh and two others in the neighborhood of Shu’fat north of Jerusalem were injured on Sunday night with live bullets. He also explained that 30 young men were injured with rubber bullets and tear-gas in Shu’fat. The center was informed that 4 members of Siam family suffocated after a tear-gas grenade was fired inside their house; note that three of the injured are children between 2-5 years and the youngest baby was transferred to the hospital for treatment. In Silwan, one young man was injured with a rubber bullet in his hand. Clashes Wadi Hilweh Information Center explained that the clashes in Silwan were stationed in the neighborhoods of Ein Al-Lozeh, Bi’er Ayoub, Al-Thori and Silwan. The forces went on top of the roofs of Abbasi family house in Ein Al-Lozeh and the house of Khader Abu Naji in Wadi Hilweh. The center added that the forces used live ammunition in Silwan during the clashes in Ein Al-Lozeh after young men threw Molotov Cocktails towards the settlement outpost “Bet Yonatan” in Batn Al-Hawa. They also threw Molotov Cocktails at a settlement outpost in Wadi Hilweh in addition to firecrackers towards the occupation’s patrols stationed at the intersection of Wadi Al-Rababa. The center was informed that the occupation forces were stationed in the building of “Jamal Sarhan” and fired rubber bullets towards the residents and young men in the neighborhood of Bi’er Ayoub. The forces also sprayed wastewater in Ein Al-Lozeh and fired light bombs. Fire broke out in Al-Abasyeh Mountain due to heavy firing of sound grenades. Witnesses added to the center that the forces prevented an ambulance from entering Silwan. In the village of Al-Tur, young men threw Molotov Cocktails towards the settlement outpost of Al-Khilweh and the settlement of Bet Aort in Al-Sowaneh. In Beit Hanina, the forces fired sound grenades towards a group of young men while heading to the funeral home of the Martyr Fadi Alloun. In Beit Safafa, settlers attacked Arabs vehicles with stones. Also, settlers organized marches in the Old City of Jerusalem amid attempts to assault Jerusalemites. Arrests The forces arrested on Sunday night the 20-year old Mohammad Idkeidek and the 18-year old Hussein Sub Laban from the neighborhood of Wadi Al-Joz as explained by Amin Siam; a resident in the neighborhood. The forces also arrested the injured Mohammad Burqan and Farid Raed Tawil from Silwan. In Shu’fat, the occupation police said that they arrested two Jerusalemites during the clashes and also arrested Mohammad Naser Odat Allah. Mohammad Abu Rmeileh, Areen Haitham Za’aneen, Hakam Abu Khdeir, Khalil Jaber, Mohammad Zein and Waed Fateerji were also arrested according to Amjad Abu Asab, head of Jerusalemites detainees and prisoners families committee. The forces also arrested the child Ayman Abu Hadwan after assaulting and beating him, and arrested the 16-year old Anas Abu Hadwan from Silwan on Sunday early morning. The occupation forces also arrested a child from Jerusalem and a woman from the area of Lions Gate.
