Palestinians protest across the West Bank and Jerusalem after funerals of four killed by Israel

Palestinians protest across the West Bank and Jerusalem after funerals of four killed by Israel
The latest escalation in the West Bank was triggered by Israel's deadly raid on Nablus on Tuesday.
5 min read
West Bank
10 August, 2022
Protestesters confronted Israeli forces in several locations in the West Bank and Jerusalem, as general strike was observed in major West Bank cities [Qassam Muaddi/TNA]

Dozens of Palestinians were treated for rubber bullet wounds and tear gas exposure after attacks by Israeli forces on Palestinian protesters across the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem on Tuesday evening.

Protests broke out as Palestinians mourned the killing of four compatriots by Israeli forces in Nablus and Hebron.

A general strike was held in West Bank cities until Wednesday morning, with businesses closed and nightlife suspended.
 
In Nablus, thousands of Palestinians took part in the funeral of Ibrahim Nablulsi, Islam Suboh, and Jamal Taha, three young militants killed early on Tuesday by Israeli forces after heavy gunfight in occupied Nablus' old city.
 
The crowd raised Palestinian national and factional flags, fired shots in the air, and chanted slogans praising the three men as heroes.

 
Following the funeral, dozens of Palestinian protesters headed to the Huwara Israeli army checkpoint, at the southern entrance of the city and threw stones.
 
Confrontations erupted in Hebron as well, following the funeral of 17-year-old protester Momen Jaber. The teenager was fatally shot in the chest by Israeli forces while taking part in protests in Hebron’s old city.

 
"As we buried Momen, tens of young men gathered at the cemetery, and then began to chant slogans," Aref Jaber, the victim’s uncle told The New Arab.
 
"After the burial was over, the youth went out and began to challenge Israeli soldiers, stationed in the old city, very close to the cemetery," said Jaber. "Confrontations expanded to the rest of the old city and lasted until late in the night."

 
More confrontations between Palestinian protesters and Israeli forces were reported in various parts of Hebron. The Palestinian health ministry announced that a 15-year-old Palestinian boy was wounded by an Israeli rubber bullet in the left eye, in the village of Beit Ummar, north of the city.
 
Protests broke out in several neighbourhoods of occupied East Jerusalem, including the town of Silwan, at the foot of Al-Aqsa compound, just outside the old city.
 
"Around 3:30pm, tens of youth began to protest in Silwan against the killing of the three fighters in Nablus," Ameer Maragha, a lawyer and human rights activist based in Silwan, told The New Arab.

 
He said Israeli forces in occupied Silwan fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets at the protesters.

"One tear gas canister fell in a garden in the center of Silwan and caused a fire," he added.
 
"Around the same time, protests started in Issawiyah, in the northern part of Jerusalem, where at least ten Palestinians were treated for asphyxiation with tear gas."
 
On Tuesday afternoon, nine Palestinian protesters were wounded by Israeli forces during confrontations at the northern entrance of Ramallah.

 
Later in the night, two shooting attacks against Israeli forces were reported by Palestinian social media near Birzeit, north of Ramallah, and at the Qalandia checkpoint, separating Ramallah from Jerusalem.
 
"Late in the night, we heard gunfire, while some residents saw Israeli soldiers take cover at the checkpoint," Aseel Abed, resident of the Qalandia refugee camp, near an Israeli checkpoint, told The New Arab. "Moments after that, there was heavy gunfire by Israeli soldiers, apparently responding to the attack."

 
Although daily life resumed as usual in most parts of the West Bank on Wednesday, Palestinians continue to express anger in the streets and on social media. Chances of new violence remain high.
 
The escalation in the West Bank, triggered unilaterally by Israel with Tuesday's raid on Nablus, came less than two days after a truce was reached between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s armed wing in Gaza.
 
On Tuesday, the UN envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wennesland, called the truce "fragile" warning of new possible new violence at a special meeting held by the UN Security Council.

 
Speaking at the meeting, Palestine's permanent observer at the UN, Riyad Mansour, said: "Israel claims for itself a right to security that would seemingly justify the murdering, imprisoning and oppressing an entire nation."
 
Meanwhile, Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, insisted that "Israel defended itself".
 
Since the beginning of the year, Israel has killed 130 Palestinians. Out of them, 43 including 15 children were killed in air strikes on Gaza over last weekend.