Israeli soldiers raided Damascus Gate in occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City on Sunday night, for the second night in a row, detaining 13 Palestinians and injuring 20 others, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
A WAFA correspondent said that Israeli soldiers attacked Palestinian youths who gathered at Damascus Gate, to force them to leave, following the late-night Tarawih prayer at Al-Aqsa Mosque.
A large number of #Israeli soldiers brutally attacked a #Palestinian young man at the Damascus gate, in occupied East #Jerusalem. Following the attack, they prevented medical staff from treating him and they arrested him.
Video: Silwanic pic.twitter.com/JO4EbE4Ys8
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) April 4, 2022
Palestinians customarily gather at Damascus Gate after breaking their fast during the holy month of Ramadan.
The attacks on Sunday night started after Israeli soldiers intensified their presence in the area and placed barriers on both sides of the Damascus Gate on the first day of Ramadan.
Israeli soldiers harassed and detained 13 Palestinians, including an elderly man who sustained a head injury after being beaten by the soldiers, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
Four of the 19 Palestinians injured were rushed to hospitals while others were treated at the scene.
Nonetheless, these mechanisms could not prevent Palestinian Jerusalemites from asserting their right to their city and its public spaces. This heartwarming video from Damascus Gate was taken last night to celebrate the start of Ramadan. pic.twitter.com/u22SUXIVLy
— Nadi Abusaada (@NadiSaadeh) April 2, 2022
The attacks came after Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid’s appearance at Damascus Gate on Sunday, where he gave support to police reinforcements in the occupied area.
The Palestinian Authority condemned Lapid’s visit, describing it “as part of the expansionist Zionist system which aims to restrict the freedoms of the Palestinians.”
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
