Israelis clash with Palestinians in Bethlehem

Israeli forces have clashed with Palestinian protesters in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem following the funeral of a Palestinian killed by Tel Aviv regime forces.

The clashes broke out in Bethlehem after thousands of people attended the funeral of Mutaz Zawahra, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes in the same city a day before.

Israeli forces fired tear gas to disperse the protesters, who were angry about the killing of the Palestinian at a security checkpoint in the city.

The funeral procession for Zawahra set off from the Duheisha refugee camp toward the al-Shuhada cemetery in the southern part of Bethlehem and those attending carried Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against Israel.

Meanwhile, a general strike was called in Bethlehem on Thursday to protest against the rising Israeli violence against Palestinians.

Israelis kill another Palestinian teen

The development comes as another Palestinian teenager was shot dead at the Damascus Gate at the entrance of the Old City in occupied East al-Quds (Jerusalem) after an alleged attack on Israelis, Israeli police and media said.

The killing of the Palestinian teenager brings to 31 the total number of Palestinians killed in clashes with Israelis from October 1. It is said that at least 7 Israeli have been killed in the same period.

Elsewhere, the Israeli forces shot and injured a Palestinian boy in the town of Surif, northeast of al-Khalil (Hebron), medical sources said.

It was said the Palestinian was shot near his eye with a rubber-coated steel bullet and was transferred to hospital for treatment.

The recent deadly tension between the Tel Aviv regime and Palestinians was triggered by Israel’s imposition of sweeping restrictions on entries into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds on August 26 and Israeli settlers’ repeated attacks on the mosque.

Palestinians are furious at the settler violence and a plan by Israelis to change the status quo of the mosque that is Islam’s third holiest site after Masjid al-Haram in Mecca and Masjid al-Nabawi in Medina. The site is also highly respected by Jews and Christians.

International condemnations have poured in over the Israeli crackdown, with senior Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh calling the recent spate of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces in West Bank and East al-Quds an “Intifada" (uprising) against the Tel Aviv regime. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has also warned Israel of an Intifada over Tel Aviv’s provocations in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

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