Two Palestinians, one of them a minor, were shot and seriously injured by Israeli occupation forces in two separate incidents in occupied East Jerusalem last night, local sources reported.
The first incident took place in Silwan neighborhood, located just outside the Old City wall, where Israeli occupation forces shot and critically injured 15-year-old Abed Amer al-Zaghal while he was walking in the neighborhood. Witnesses said Zaghal was shot by a Jewish guard of an illegal Israeli settlement built in the heart of the Palestinian neighborhood.
Silwan is home to at least 60,000 Palestinians and has long been targeted by Israeli settler groups, such as Elad and Ateret Cohanim, which have forcibly displaced Palestinian families under the pretext of their homes being on land previously owned by Jewish individuals.
The boy was hit in the head and was rushed to hospital where he was reported in critical condition. Israeli occupation forces raided the neighborhood following the shooting, sparking clashes with local residents. No further injuries or arrests were reported.
The second incident occurred in Shufat refugee camp, northeast of Jerusalem, where Israeli forces opened fire at a car, seriously injuring one person and arresting another. The forces claimed the car refused orders to stop and therefore fire was opened at it.
Shufat refugee camp is the only Palestinian refugee camp located inside Jerusalem or any other Israeli-administered area. The camp was established by UNRWA in 1965 to provide improved housing for the refugees who were living in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The injured Palestinian, in his 20s, was taken to hospital, and the other was detained. The two were residents of nearby Hizma town.
The incidents came amid heightened tensions in Jerusalem, where Israeli authorities have been carrying out demolitions, evictions, and arrests of Palestinians, as well as restricting their access to holy sites. Palestinians have been protesting against these measures and demanding their rights to live in their ancestral city.
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