On Saturday dawn, a young Palestinian man from Houra Bedouin village in the Negev died from serious wounds suffered Friday evening after Israeli soldiers shot him with live fire at the Bab Al-Silsila (Chain Gate) leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, after alleging he attempted to snatch a weapon from a soldier, an allegation that witnesses denied.
The Israeli army claimed that the soldiers shot the young man when he reportedly tried to snatch a weapon from an officer and that he also “was able to fire the weapon a few times before he was killed.”
Eyewitnesses said the soldiers shot Mohammad Al-Asibi, 26, while trying to stop the soldiers who were beating up a young woman and dragging her out of the Al-Aqsa Mosque through the Chain Gate in preparation for abducting her.
They added that the slain man never tried to assault the soldiers or snatch their weapons and was only focused on trying to stop them from attacking and abducting the young woman.
The soldiers were also clubbing and assaulting dozens of Palestinians trying to enter the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its courtyards to pray on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Arab Member of Knesset Ayman Odeh and former Member of Knesset Talab Al-Sane’, denounced the Israeli crime and the attempts to justify the young man’s murder who graduated from med school and completed his medical practice exam just two weeks earlier.
Odeh added that Mohammad went to pray in Al-Aqsa Mosque and could not tolerate the sight of Israeli soldiers and police officers assaulting the young woman and tried to stop them before they shot him and said that the Palestinian did not carry any weapons and did not attempt to attack soldiers or snatch their weapons.
“Everybody needs to understand that the Israeli occupation is the ongoing and biggest crime,” Odeh said, “The suffering, the crimes will continue as long as this illegal occupation is ongoing.”
MK Sane’ also denounced the Israeli crime and said the young man was shot point blank, adding that the Israeli allegations are mere lies and fabrications to justify another crime against the Palestinian people.
“The army and the police have surveillance cameras all over the place, in every corner, alley and street, let’s see them release those videos…” he stated.
He added that the crime was also encouraged by racist and fundamentalist right-wing coalition members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s governorate, especially the fanatic Itamar Ben-Gvir.
A general strike and mourning were declared in Houra and Rahat and many Arab villages and towns in the Negev.
Updated From:
Israeli Troops Shoot Palestinian Man at Entrance to Al-Aqsa Mosque
Apr 1, 2023 at 08:46
On Friday, as Palestinians gathered for evening prayers to break the Ramadan fast at sunset, Israeli soldiers stationed in the Old City of Jerusalem shot a Palestinian man with multiple live rounds, then closed off access to the mosque for all worshipers.
Following the Israeli shooting of the young man, the troops then forcibly closed all the doors of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque, despite protests from the worshipers inside. The troops also closed the gates to the Old City in occupied Jerusalem – but only for Palestinians. Israelis were allowed to pass.
A correspondent with Wafa news agency stated that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, claiming that their forces had apprehended someone attempting to steal a weapon from a soldier. Palestinians at the scene stated the young man did not attempt to steal a weapon, and that the Israelis were attempting to cover up their shooting of the young man.
The victim’s identity and condition are not yet known.
The troops closed Bab Al-Silsa, one of the gates of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and also closed Al-Zahira Gate. and Damascus Gate, and prevented Palestinians from entering the Old City.
