Israel’s killing of Palestinian youth ‘heinous crime’

Palestinian authorities have condemned Israeli forces for murdering a young Palestinian man over an alleged stabbing attack in the Old City of occupied al-Quds.

Israeli forces shot a young man identified as Kareem Jamal Qawasmi and left him bleeding helplessly on the ground until he succumbed to his wounds on Sunday morning, according to eyewitnesses.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates denounced the move as a “heinous crime,” WAFA news agency reported. It said Israeli forces also imposed “collective punishment measures” against the Palestinians in the aftermath of the shooting.

According to eyewitnesses, after the shooting, Israeli soldiers cordoned off the Muslim Quarter of the Old City of al-Quds, set up checkpoints and closed all gates leading to the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Two Israeli officers injured, Palestinian youth shot dead in alleged stabbing incident in al-Quds

Israeli military forces shoot and kill a young Palestinian man over an alleged stabbing attack in the Old City of occupied al-Quds.

The ministry said the occupation forces have caused many casualties among defenseless Palestinian civilians, including children. It “deplored the insistence of the international community and countries that harp on human rights, day and night, to ignore Israel's crimes and the daily violations committed against the defenseless Palestinian citizens,” the news agency said.

The ministry also stated that the crimes being committed against the Palestinian people “rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity.” It called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to expedite the start of its investigation into the crimes of the occupation and its settlers against the Palestinian people.

Tensions heightened across the Palestinian territories on February 13, when Israeli forces and illegal settlers renewed their attacks against Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah. The neighborhood has been the scene of frequent crackdowns by Israeli regime forces on the Palestinians protesting against the threatened expulsion of dozens of families from their homes in favor of Israeli settler groups.

Israel occupied East al-Quds, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War in 1967. It later had to withdraw from Gaza.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank.

Last week, the secretary general of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance movement called upon all Palestinian fighters to defend the occupied city of al-Quds and the scared al-Aqsa Mosque against increasing attacks by extremist settlers and Israeli military forces.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk