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41 Palestinians Killed as Protesters Mark 70th Anniversary of Nakba

May 15th, 2018 - by admin

Chloe Benoist / Middle East Eye – 2018-05-15 02:43:33

http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/palestinians-mark-70th-anniversary-nakba-wide-scale-protests-1203666700

41 Palestinians Killed as Protesters Mark 70th Anniversary of Nakba
Chloe Benoist / Middle East Eye

Palestinians denounce seven decades
since their expulsion as well as the
US embassy inauguration in Jerusalem

(May 14, 2018) — At least 41 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Monday as thousands of Palestinians took to the streets across the occupied territory to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, with tensions running high in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.

While the anniversary of Palestinians being driven from their land is typically commemorated on 15 May, large demonstrations are taking place the day before to accommodate the imminent start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan and protest at the inauguration of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

High Security in Jerusalem
US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the embassy last December has deeply angered Palestinians, who regard it as official US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and open support for the Israeli government, to the detriment of any peace negotiations.

The status of Jerusalem has long been a point of contention in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: the Palestinian Authority (PA) wants East Jerusalem to be its capital as part of a two-state solution, but Israel wants the whole city as its capital.

The Nakba — or catastrophe — saw 750,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

Their descendants now number five million refugees, including more than two million in the occupied Palestinian territory alone, who have been calling for an end to the Israeli occupation and the right to return to their homeland.

According to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, thousands of police officers were deployed in Jerusalem on Monday in anticipation of the embassy inauguration ceremony, which started at 4pm local time (1pm GMT).

Nonetheless, Palestinian residents of the city demonstrated ahead of the ceremony. In Baten al-Hawa in the neighbourhood of Silwan — located just outside of the Old City — Palestinian protesters were met with force by the Israeli police.

Israeli forces also prevented buses of demonstrators from leaving the Old City to head to the US embassy — located in the building that formerly hosted the US’ consulate.

Deadly Day in Gaza
Demonstrators in Gaza, who have been gathering for the past six weeks as part of the “Great March of Return”, once again returned across the buffer zone near the fence separating the blockaded coastal territory from Israel.

The Gaza Ministry of Health identified 15 of those killed as Anas Hamdan Qudeih, 12, Musab Youssef Abu Laila, 29, Ubeidah Salem Farhan, 30, Mohammed Ashraf Abu Sitta, 26, Izz al-Din Moussa al-Samak, 14, Izz al-Din Nahid al-Uweiti, 23, and Bilal Ahmad Abu Daqqa, 26, Jihad Mufid al-Farra, 30, Fadi Hassan Abu Salmi, 30, Ahmad Awadallah, 24, Mutasim Fawzi Abu Lowli 20, Mohammad Mahmoud Abdel Aal, Ahmad Fawzi al-Tatar, Ahmad Adek Moussa al-Shaar, 16, and Mohammed Abdel Rahman Alaa Meqdad.

The other dead Palestinians were not immediately identified.

The Israeli army meanwhile reported that it had killed at least three Palestinians in an airstrike near Rafah, claiming that they attempted to place an explosive device near the fence.

At least 1,703 people have been wounded by Israeli forces across the territory by 3pm local time, according to the ministry.

MEE correspondents on the ground in Gaza reported that Israeli forces stationed behind the fence have been heavily firing live bullets into crowds since the morning, in addition to small drones dropping tear gas canisters above the demonstrators.

According to the ministry, Israeli forces have killed at least 90 Palestinians and wounded more than 11,000 since the beginning of the march on 30 March. The international community has denounced the army’s excessive use of force.

Palestinians leaders, whether in the occupied territory or from the community of Palestinian citizens of Israel, accused the Israeli army of carrying out a “massacre” in Gaza.

“A massacre is taking place against unarmed civilians in Gaza. What were [US Ambassador David] Friedman and [Jason] Greenblatt thinking about by choosing #Nakba70 for their shameful celebration of hate? Israeli government must be held accountable. Stop the massacre,” tweeted Ahmad Tibi, a Palestinian lawmaker in Israel’s parliament.

Ayman Odeh, the leader of the Joint List, which mainly represents Palestinian citizens of Israel, condemned a “bloodbath” while Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum said Israel was threatening Palestinian protesters with “killing and terrorism”.

Amnesty International denounced the Israeli army’s violent repression of the Gaza protests as “an abhorrent violation of international law”.

“This is another horrific example of the Israeli military using excessive force and live ammunition in a totally deplorable way,” the organisation said in a statement. “This is a violation of international standards, in some instances committing what appear to be wilful killings constituting war crimes.”

West Bank Protests: ‘Jerusalem Is
More than Just a City to Us’
Meanwhile, Palestinians demonstrated across the occupied West Bank on Monday, as at least 1,200 Israeli soldiers were reportedly deployed to counter the protests, using tear gas and sound grenades against protesters.

Many Palestinians were arrested early on Monday morning ahead of demonstrations, according to local media, while several roads and village entrances were closed by Israeli forces to prevent Palestinians from joining demonstrations.

In Ramallah, north of Jerusalem, protesters tried to cross the Qalandia military checkpoint but were met with force. A young man was shot in the village of Deir Nidham northwest of Ramallah.

In the city of Hebron, violent confrontations broke out with the Israeli army forces in the area of Bab al-Zawiya. And in Bethlehem, hundreds marched from Nissan Square towards an Israeli military base located just north of the city, only to be met with tear gas and sound bombs.

“We were marching peacefully — men, women, children, young people,” Sajida Allan, a 24-year-old demonstrator living in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp, told MEE.

“No one was even throwing stones. But just two minutes after we arrived outside the Israeli military base, the soldiers threw sound bombs and tear gas, forcing people to run away.”

“We tried to avoid the gas because it was burning our eyes and hurting our chests,” she said. “They fired at us, but we were just trying to express ourselves and our frustrations with the 70 years of exile we have been living and the opening of the American embassy in Jerusalem.”

Allan expressed hope that more Palestinians would take to the streets on 15 May. “Jerusalem is more than just a city to us, it is a symbol of Palestine. We grew up hearing stories of Jerusalem as an Arab city, a Palestinian city, and as the future of our Palestinian state. And we protest so that it will remain this way.”

The Israeli army also used tear gas near schools in Hebron city, as well as in the Bethlehem-area village of Tuqu, where students who were passing end-of-year exams sufffered from excessive tear gas inhalation.

‘Burn Them, Shoot Them, Kill Them’:
Israelis Cheer in Jerusalem as Palestinians Shot in Gaza
Hind Khoudary, Lubna Masarwa and Chloe Benoist / Middle East Eye

(May 14, 2018) — The contrast could not have been more jarring on Monday between Jerusalem and Gaza, even as a mere 75 kilometres separated the two.

As American and Israeli officials inaugurated the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem — an Israeli victory over the international community’s rejection of its claim to Jerusalem as its capital — Israeli forces gunned down Palestinian protesters in Gaza, the death toll rising inexorably throughout the day.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu exuberantly hailed the embassy move as a “historic” moment.

“Friends, what a glorious day, remember this day,” the Israeli leader said in a triumphant address on Monday. “This is history. Mr Trump, by recognising history, you made history.

“All of us are deeply moved and grateful. The embassy of the most powerful nation on earth, the United States of America, opened here.”

Trump’s son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner also gave a speech at the ceremony, during which he hailed US support for Israel, seemingly casting aside concerns about the Israeli army’s actions in Gaza occurring at the same time as his speech.

“We stand with Israel because we both believe in human rights, democracy worth defending, and believe that we know that it is the right thing to do,” Kushner said.

Meanwhile, just outside the new embassy, Palestinian demonstrators in Jerusalem were brutally repressed by Israeli forces.

MEE witnessed dozens of unarmed Palestinians beaten and arrested by Israeli security forces outside the embassy, eliciting cheers from Israeli demonstrators who came out to support the embassy’s opening.

“Burn them”, “shoot them”, “kill them”, the Israelis chanted.

Meanwhile, former Israeli army spokesman Peter Lerner complained on social media, implying Palestinian deaths in Gaza were an attempt to rain on Israel’s parade.

But in Gaza, Palestinians expressed their deep anger and disbelief at the celebration occuring in Jerusalem as hundreds were indiscriminately shot by Israeli forces.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, fifty-eight Palestinians had been killed and 2,410 had been wounded by Israeli forces in the bloody culmination of the six-week “Great March of Return” in Gaza which had already claimed 49 lives before Monday. In total, 101 Palestinians have been killed during demonstrations in Gaza since 30 March.

The scenes in Gaza in the zone close to the fence separating the small Palestinian enclave from Israel were ones of chaos and blood since the morning, with numerous demonstrators shot in the head, neck or chest. A number of bodies were trapped close to the fence, army fire too heavy for ambulances to reach them.

“A lot of Palestinians died today for the sake of Palestinians peacefully protesting, and we won’t give up on the blood they shed,” Wadee Masri, 52, told Middle East Eye. “I came here to participate in the march, to prove that I am a person that has a right to return to my land.

“Celebrations today in Jerusalem make me feel sad for what the US did against Palestinians,” he added. “There is no peace without Jerusalem. We will live and die fighting for Jerusalem.”

International groups decried the situation in Gaza as a “bloodbath”.

“The policy of Israeli authorities to fire irrespective of whether there is an immediate threat to life on Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza, caged in for a decade and under occupation for half a century, has resulted in a bloodbath that anyone could have foreseen,” Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

Jamal Zahalka, a political leader for Palestinian citizens of Israel, told MEE that Israel and the US bore responsibility for the violence in Gaza.

“This is a violation of international law. Trump and the US are responsible for all the blood that has been shed since the US decision,” Zahalka said. “Those who are celebrating today [the US embassy inaguration] have blood on their hands.”

But despite the trauma of the deadliest day in Gaza since the 2014 war, Samira Mohsen, a 27-year-old protester east of Gaza City, remained defiant despite the heavy toll of the day’s demonstrations.

“One day we will be celebrating in Jerusalem, we will pray there, no one will ban us,” she told MEE. “My dream is to see Jerusalem. Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine, and Trump and the USA cannot decide to give our land to Zionists.”

Israeli Army Kills 58 People and
Injures over 2,400 at Gaza Border
Middle East Eye Staff

(May 14, 2018) — After months of global outcry, the United States officially moved its embassy to Jerusalem on Monday with an inauguration ceremony. Monday also marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of Israel, followed on Tuesday by what Palestinians call the “Nakba” — or the catastrophe.

Seven journalists injured by Israeli fire
Seven Palestinian journalists have been injured by Israeli forces at the Gaza border on Monday, according to the group Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS). The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement, condemning the violence and cited the PJS’s work.

“The number of Palestinian journalists injured by gunfire in Gaza has grown by the week,” said Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator. “The fact that Israeli authorities have ignored demands that they halt the use of live fire against journalists reinforces the perception that they do not want the world to see what is happening in Gaza.”

According to the CPJ statement, the injured journalists are Omar Hamdan, Mohammed Abu Dahrouj, Abdullah al-Shorbagi, Farhan Hashem Abu Hadayd, Yasser Qudeih, Nihad Fuad, and Wael Dahdouh. The seven hurt range from freelancers, reporters and camera-people.

Scores of Palestinians Killed
As Protesters Mark 70th Anniversary of Nakba
Chloe Benoist / Middle East Eye

(May 14, 2018) — At least 58 Palestinians were killed and more than 2,400 wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip on Monday as thousands of Palestinians took to the streets across the occupied territory to mark the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, with tensions running high in Jerusalem, Gaza, and the West Bank.

The Nakba — or catastrophe — saw 750,000 Palestinians displaced from their homes during the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

According to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, thousands of police officers were deployed in Jerusalem on Monday in anticipation of the embassy inauguration ceremony.

Israeli forces also prevented buses of demonstrators from leaving the Old City to head to the US embassy — located in the building that formerly hosted the US’s consulate.

Deadly Day in Gaza
Demonstrators in Gaza, who have been gathering for the the past six weeks as part of the “Great March of Return”, once again returned across the buffer zone near the fence separating the blockaded coastal territory from Israel.

The Gaza Ministry of Health identified 43 of those killed in mid-afternoon, but the death toll continued to rise, eventually reaching 55. The Israeli army meanwhile reported that it had killed at least three Palestinians in an airstrike near Rafah, claiming that they attempted to place an explosive device near the fence.

More than 2,700 people have been wounded by Israeli forces across the territory, according to the ministry.

Palestinians leaders, whether in the occupied territory or from the community of Palestinian citizens of Israel, accused the Israeli army of carrying out a “massacre” in Gaza.

Amnesty International denounced the Israeli army’s violent repression of the Gaza protests as “an abhorrent violation of international law”.

West Bank Protests: ‘
Jerusalem Is More Than Just a City to Us’

Meanwhile, Palestinians demonstrated across the occupied West Bank on Monday, as at least 1,200 Israeli soldiers were reportedly deployed to counter the protests, using tear gas and sound grenades against protesters.

In Ramallah, north of Jerusalem, protesters tried to cross the Qalandia military checkpoint but were met with force. A young man was shot in the village of Deir Nidham northwest of Ramallah.

“We were marching peacefully — men, women, children, young people,” Sajida Allan, a 24-year-old demonstrator living in Bethlehem’s Aida refugee camp, told MEE.

“No one was even throwing stones. But just two minutes after we arrived outside the Israeli military base, the soldiers threw sound bombs and tear gas, forcing people to run away.”

Additional reporting from Mohammed Asad and Hind Khoudary in Gaza, Lubna Masarwa in Jerusalem, and Yumna Patel in Bethlehem.

US Blocks Call for
Independent Gaza Inquiry at UN

The United States on Monday blocked the adoption of a UN Security Council statement that would have called for an independent probe of deadly violence on the Israel-Gaza border, which erupted as the new US embassy in Jerusalem was opened, diplomats said.

“The Security Council expresses its outrage and sorrow at the killing of Palestinian civilians exercising their right to peaceful protest,” read a draft of the statement, a copy of which was seen by AFP. “The Security Council calls for an independent and transparent investigation into these actions to ensure accountability,” read the text.

French President Macron Condemns Gaza Violence
French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the violence against Palestinian demonstrators in Gaza in a statement released late on Monday and reiterated his opposition to the move of the US embassy to Jerusalem.

Macron talked with Jordan’s King Abdullah and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday and is planning to talk with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, the presidency said.

“(Macron) lamented the large number of Palestinian civilian casualties in Gaza today and over the past few weeks,” the French presidency said. “He condemned the violence of Israeli armed forces against demonstrators.”

Gaza Death Toll Vlimbs to 58
Gaza’s health ministry has said that 58 Palestinians have been killed and 2,400 injured by Israeli forces today.

US Blames Gaza Deaths on Hamas
The White House on Monday blamed Hamas for deadly violence on Israel’s border with Gaza where Israeli troops fatally shot at least 55 Palestinian protesters.

White House spokesman Raj Shah accused Hamas’ leaders of making a “gruesome and unfortunate propaganda attempt” that led to the clashes in Gaza at the same time the United States was opening its new embassy in Jerusalem, a move that has fueled Palestinian anger.

“The responsibility for these tragic deaths rests squarely with Hamas,” Shah said. “Hamas is intentionally and cynically provoking this response.”

Turkey’s Erdogan Accuses Israel of ‘Genocide’
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday accused Israel of “state terror” and “genocide” after Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians on the Gaza border.

“Israel is wreaking state terror. Israel is a terror state,” Erdogan told Turkish students in London in a speech broadcast by state television. “What Israel has done is a genocide. I condemn this humanitarian drama, the genocide, from whichever side it comes, Israel or America,” he added.

Turkey Recalls Israel,
US Ambassadors
In addition to South Africa, Turkey recalled its ambassador to Israel on Monday. The country also recalled its US ambassador.

South Africa Recalls Ambassador to
Israel over Gaza Deaths

South Africa recalled its ambassador to Israel on Monday after at least 55 Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli forces during protests over the US embassy opening in Jerusalem.

“Given the indiscriminate and grave manner of the latest Israeli attack, the South African government has taken a decision to recall Ambassador Sisa Ngombane with immediate effect until further notice,” the South African foreign ministry said in a statement.

UPDATE: Palestinian Leadership Convene
Meeting, as Tensions Fray

Areeb here, with the final update from MEE‘s London office. A lot of developments have taken place over the last few hours. Here’s a list of everything you need to know:

* The death toll has reached 55 people, with 2,400 injured, according to Gaza’s health ministry.

* MEE contributor Kamal Hawwash describes the US embassy move is a “day of mourning and a warning.”

* MEE correspondents Hind Khoudary, Lubna Masarwa, and Chloe Benoist, explore the contrasting perspectives on the US embassy move to Jerusalem.

* Protests have begun in Istanbul against the spike in violence on the Gaza border.

* Palestine’s UN ambassador calls for an emergency MEEting at the Security Council.

The US team will be taking over from here. Till tomorrow, keep up to date on our Facebook, and, Twitter.

Hundreds Protest in Istanbul
To Oppose US Embassy Move
Hundreds of Turks have assembled in Istanbul to protest against America’s decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem.

Footage posted on social media showed hundreds protesting through the streets of Istanbul, chanting pro-Palestine chants, and holding placards that called for an end to the Israeli occupation.

US Deploys Marines to Guard
Embassies in Israel, Jordan, Turkey
America has deployed dozens of more marines to guard its embassies in Israel, Jordan, and Turkey, as tensions mount over its decision to open an embassy in Jerusalem, according to reports. Officials in the US State Department and the Pentagon told NBC News it was considering more US military security at embassies in half a dozen other countries in the Middle East.

Palestinians President Calls for
Three Days of Mourning for Gaza Dead
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of “massacres” against Palestinian protesters in Gaza as he called for three days of mourning. He also said the opening of a US embassy in Jerusalem meant it was “no longer a meditator in the Middle East.”

UPDATE: Scores Killed as
Israelis Celebrate US Embassy Move

Areeb here from the MEE office in London. Here’s the latest update on the current situation in Gaza and the West Bank:

* Gaza’s health ministry said that, at the time of writing, 52 Palestinians had been killed and 2,410 injured in Gaza by Israeli fire.

* Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s UN ambassador, called for an emergency Security Council MEEting and condemned the Israeli violence.

* UN human rights chief Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein described Israel’s actions as “outrageous” and demanded it “be held to account.”

* Jared Kushner used his address at the US embassy in Jerusalem to condemn the “flawed Iran deal”.

BREAKING:
52 Palestinians Killed, 2410 Injured

As of 7pm local time, Gaza’s health ministry has said that 52 Palestinians have been killed and 2410 injured by Israeli forces today. Today marked the bloodiest day in Gaza since 2014. The local Gaza health ministry reported that Israeli gunfire killed at least 43 Palestinians. Middle East Eye compiled the names of every single Palestinian killed during today’s protests as the American and Israeli governments celebrated the opening of the US embassy in Jerusalem.

Palestinian UN Ambassador
Calls for Emergency Security Council Meeting
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian Authority’s UN ambassador, has condemned Israeli strikes on unarmed Palestinians in Gaza. Speaking at a press conference in New York, Mansour described America’s decision to open its embassy in Jerusalem as “very tragic.”

“We will use all of our available rights in the security council to see it shouldering its responsibility to condemn this massacre and bring those responsible to justice,” said Mansour. “Very tragic that they (America) are celebrating illegal action while Israel is injuring and killing thousands of Palestinians. Tragic day for Palestinians and shame on those who ignore the pain and suffering of the Palestinian people.”

Nasrallah: ‘The Israeli Enemy Knows that
The Upcoming Strike Would Be in the
Middle of the Occupied Palestine’
Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech that Palestine’s Nakba (catastrophe) in 1948 is “a shame that will keep haunting the whole world.” Nasrallah said that Trump would announce his “deal of the century” at the end of May. He added that Trump’s plan is to force the deal on the Arab and Muslim countries and that if they did not accept it, “they’ll be punished by the US.”

“The pressure on Iran is at its highest, not just because of the nuclear, which Iran hasn’t, but because Iran supports all of the resistance movements, and supports all the Palestinian factions, not just Hamas, as the Israelis say.” Nasrallah also said that Syrian troops fired 55 missiles, not 20 missiles, last week on Israeli targets in the Syrian Golan Heights, occupied by Israel in the 1967 war. “The Israeli enemy knows that the upcoming strike would be in the middle of the occupied Palestine, not in the Golan Heights,” Nasrallah said.

UN Human Rights Chief Demands ‘Justice for Victims’
Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “Those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account.”

More than 1,000 Wounded by Live Fire in Gaza
On the bloodiest day in Gaza since the 2014 war, 2,238 Palestinians have been injured throughout the territory. More than half of the injuries were inflicted by live fire, according to Gaza’s health ministry, while more were treated for tear gas inhalation.

Tunisian Union May Block
US Ships to Protest Embassy Move
Tunisia’s largest trade union is considering stopping American ships from unloading at the country’s ports in response to the US decision to transfer its Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, according to the London-based newspaper Al-Quds Al-Arabi.

Mohammed Abbas, assistant general secretary of the Tunisian General Labour Union, told Al-Quds: “The union is considering a proposal to prevent the unloading and shipping of American vessels coming to Tunisian ports, in condemnation of US President Donald Trump’s decision to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem.”

Gaza Protester:
‘We won’t give up on the blood they gave’
Wadee Masri, a 52-year-old Palestinian participating in protests in Gaza on Monday, told MEE contributor Hind Khoudary that he marched “to prove that I am a person that has rights to return to my land”.

“We have a right to return. We have to prove this to the world that this is our land,” he said. “Celebrations today in Jerusalem make me feel sad for what the USA did against the Palestinians. There is no peace without Jerusalem. We will live and die fighting for Jerusalem.”

Masri said he would be back on Tuesday to protest on Nakba Day. “A lot of Palestinians died today for the sake of Palestinians peacefully protesting. We won’t give up on the blood they gave,” he said.

Al-Jazeera Journalist Injured in Gaza
Al Jazeera journalist Wael Dahdouh was injured by live ammunition from Israeli forces during Gaza protests.

Israeli forces have dialled up their response to protesters in Gaza, using more heavy-handed tactics than in previous weeks, according to lawyers from the Adalah human rights organisation and legal centre, which has observed protests throughout the weeks-long Great March of Return.

The sound of snipers was very intense. The use of tanks as well was very much heard. What we heard and what we saw definitely reflects the high number of deaths,” Adalah lawyer Sawsan Zaher told MEE. “The scene of Gaza…from where we [watched] on different points on the border, really reflects different and more aggressive behaviour by the army toward Gazans who are demonstrating.”

Zaher added that:
* The lethal use of sniper fire was illegal under international and Israeli law but Adalah was still awaiting a High Court ruling on ending the use of snipers;

* A high number of upper body injuries suggested intent to kill, according to Adalah data;

* Previous weeks had been much calmer but the Israeli response has been more aggressive despite no significant change in the behaviour of protesters.

‘All I See Is Blood’:
Palestinian Recounts Violence on Gaza Border

GAZA — MEE contributor Hind Khoudary, who is inside Gaza, shared her thoughts from the ongoing protests:
“Rage, dissatisfaction, disappointment: that’s how Palestinians are expressing their anger. They still can’t imagine that people are celebrating the relocation of the US embassy, when they are protesting near the fence, giving their souls for Palestine.

“All I saw in the past hour is blood, with people’s heads, necks and chests injured. The Israelis have been shooting randomly at protestors the minute they tried to break the fence. Some bodies are still trapped there too, and ambulances can’t reach them.”

Palestinian citizen of Israel and member of the Knesset Jamal Zahalka told Middle East Eye that Palestinians are protesting the illegal relocation of the American embassy.

“This is a violation of international law. Trump and the US are responsible for all the blood that has been shed since the US decision,” Zahalka said. “Those who are celebrating today [the US embassy inaugration] have blood on their hands.”

Palestinian Protesters in Jerusalem
Arrested, Beaten by Israeli Forces

JERUSALEM — MEE correspondent Lubna Masarwa reports that Israeli police have been beating unarmed protesters in West Jerusalem, outside the US embassy site.

“The atmosphere is becoming very tense as dignitaries speak inside the US embassy site,” said Masarwa. “From what I have seen, dozens of Palestinians present have been arrested and beaten by Israeli security forces. Two Palestinians have been injured in front of me.”

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