Amid increasing calls for a ‘Day of Rage’ Israeli Arabs in Jerusalem’s Old City and at the Kalandia Checkpoint were out in the streets during the night in protest. Kalandia is the northern Jerusalem checkpoint, bordering PA (Palestinian Authority) controlled el-Bireh, with the latter bordering Ramallah.
Thousands of PA residents were out in the streets during the night, with police reporting the official number of participants exceeding 10,000. They began marching towards Yerushalayim, halted by IDF troops and border police at Kalandia. It turned violent and security forces were attacked with rocks and firebombs. Killed in the violence were two PA residents, males ages 19 and 27. B’chasdei Hashem there were no reports of injuries among security forces.
Israeli officials report at one point security forces at Kalandia were attacked by live gunfire, compelling them to return fire. PA health officials the two deaths were the result of the live gunfire. The al-Aqsa Brigade of PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’ (Abu Mazen) moderate faction claims responsibility for the event.
In Jerusalem’s Old City, 39 Israeli Arab rioters were taken into custody by police. There was violence in the area of Har Habayis too, where at least five policemen sustained non-serious injuries in confrontations with Israeli Arabs.
In the Silwan area of the capital Arab youths pelted police with rocks and threw stones at Jewish homes. Police used riot control gear to disperse them. There were no injuries. Similar incidents were reported in Abu Tor, and Armon HaNatziv, neighborhoods.
Large numbers of police reinforcements were sent to the capital with troops taking up position in the Maale Zeitim and Shimon HaTzaddik areas, predominately Arab occupied neighborhoods of the eastern capital. In those areas too police were compelled to use riot control gear to disperse the violent protests.
Hamas officials announced the violence is connected to Gaza and the battle is moving to Yehuda and Shomron too. Police remain on high alert on Friday 27 Tammuz, the last Friday of Ramadan. Restrictions are in place for Islamic worshippers on Har Habayis. Only men 50 and over with Israeli identity cards will be permitted on the holy site. PA residents are barred. There are no restrictions for women.
In yet another front, over 150 Israeli Arabs protests in the Yaffa area of Tel Aviv against the IDF military operation in Gaza. See the photo essay.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
What people are not aware of is that the Arabs within Israel are also armed. Not only do they have weapons, but they have a stockpile of fireworks that they are using as weapons. If there is an uprising in the PA, the danger will be unprecedented.
This is looking like France!
any PAl that riots is pro Hamas and gets locked up then thrown out of the country permanently. They know they have it better then to be under Hamas rule.