Violent Zionist Raids in Al-Quds Wound Dozens Palestinians
AL-QUDS (Dispatches) – Zionist troops violently raided Damascus Gate and surrounding streets in occupied East Al-Quds for the second day in a row during a Palestinian national holiday for the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday.
Matters visibly escalated in the area on Monday evening when the occupying regime troops wounded at least 49 Palestinians and arrested 10, according to local media.
On both Monday and Tuesday, activities for families and children were taking place at Damascus Gate, one of the few public spaces where Palestinians in the city gather, to celebrate the Prophet’s birthday.
Widely circulated images and videos showed Zionist troops violently arresting and assaulting young people on Monday – both male and female – beating passersby with batons, chasing after children, raiding the main commercial street, and indiscriminately firing tear gas and sound bombs at families. They also attacked medical staff.
Local media said medical workers dealt with five rubber-coated metal bullet wounds and 19 sound bomb shrapnel injuries, as well as dozens from physical assault.
At least two local journalists were violently arrested while covering the events.
There have been arrests every night and day at the Damascus Gate and the surrounding areas as Palestinian anger mounted over the desecration of graves in a historic Muslim cemetery near the Old City, parts of which are being built over to make a park.
The situation has escalated in recent days, with Zionist troops violently raiding and clearing Palestinians out of the few public spaces available to them in occupied East Al-Quds, including Damascus Gate and Salah al-Din Street.
“Damascus Gate near the Old City of Al-Quds is a place where young Palestinians like to gather in the evening and socialize with their friends but, for the last few months, Israeli police and special forces have been violently forcing them to disperse to make way for Israeli settlers entering the Old City,” Jawad Siam of the Wadi Helweh Center in occupied East Al-Quds, which monitors violence against Palestinians, told Al Jazeera.