Senior Israeli police officers have acknowledged that police in Jerusalem used extreme drive towards Palestinians this week, warning that persevering with to take action might end in a nationwide response by Palestinians within the month of Ramadan.
As 1000’s of Palestinians gathered in Jerusalem’s Previous Metropolis on Monday afternoon to have a good time the evening of Al-Israa wa Al-Mi’raj – the Prophet Muhammad’s evening journey from Makkah to Jerusalem after which to the heavens – Israeli police confronted them, resulting in clashes.
Watch: An Israeli soldier knees on the neck of a Palestinian younger man whereas detaining him within the streets of #Jerusalem.#FreePalestine pic.twitter.com/y7vLOIMLL5
— Wafa Information Company – English (@WAFANewsEnglish) February 28, 2022
Round 20 Palestinians have been arrested, whereas the Palestinian Pink Crescent put the variety of these injured at 36. Two youngsters have been additionally injured by a stun grenade thrown on them by Israeli police, with certainly one of them being an 11-year-old lady who needed to be taken to the hospital.
Following the incident, police mentioned it was being investigated by the Justice Ministry unit that investigates police misconduct. The Israeli information outlet, Haaretz, nonetheless, has revealed that senior police officers have admitted using extreme drive and deem it to be an unwise motion.
Chatting with the paper, one of many senior sources mentioned that “Shortly earlier than Ramadan, within the midst of vacation preparations, issues want to stay quiet at Damascus Gate. What was achieved, with the whole world watching a disabled lady injured by a stun grenade, with photographs of water cannons spraying girls and youngsters?” The officers warned that “If there is not an instantaneous change in strategy, these incidents will solely be a promo forward of Ramadan.”
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Clashes within the holy month of Ramadan are a typical prevalence within the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly in Jerusalem, with Israeli forces typically implementing measures which restrict Muslim Palestinians’ capacity to worship within the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and the areas surrounding it.
Final yr, these measures – which included erecting barricades on the Damascus Gate to impede worshippers – led to weeks of clashes within the metropolis and past it, with intense battle going down between Hamas within the Gaza Strip and Israeli forces. That resulted within the deaths of over 200 Palestinians and round a dozen Israelis.
Israeli authorities reportedly are not looking for a repeat of that incident. “There are sufficient individuals who want to stoke tensions within the space, however we can’t give East Jerusalem residents any purpose to take action,” the senior officer mentioned. “We must always allow them to have a good time Ramadan with minimal friction, and take management of incidents as they occur”.
One other supply informed the paper that “The narrative we want to ship is that issues will be carried out otherwise” this yr. Israel’s strikes to restrict the potential for battle this Ramadan have been additionally seen final month, when it was reported that Israeli police have determined to not erect obstacles at Damascus Gate.
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