Israeli forces shot and killed four young Palestinian men over the course of 24 hours between Tuesday and Wednesday in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday evening, around 7:00 pm, Israeli forces raided the Ramallah-area Abwein village in the central West Bank, in search of 19-year-old Omar Abu Laila, who was believed to be responsible for an attack over the weekend that left one Israeli soldier and a settler dead.
After besieging the village and surrounding the house where Abu Laila had been hiding, Israeli forces engaged in a lengthy shootout, eventually shooting and killing the teenager.
Local media reported that several local youth from Abwein were injured with live ammunition in clashes with Israeli forces during their operation in the town.
As of Thursday, Abu Laila’s body had yet to be returned to his family.
Nablus: Raed Hashem Muhammad Hamdan, 21, and Zaid Imad Muhammad Nuri, 20
Just hours later, in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israelis forces shot dead Raed Hashem Muhammad Hamdan, 21, and Zaid Imad Muhammad Nuri, 20, while they were driving in their car.
The shooting took place as Israeli forces were escorting buses of extreme right-wing Israeli settlers to visit Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.
Ma’an News Agency said that more than 1,000 Israeli settlers had entered Joseph’s Tomb area, and that “Israeli forces went up rooftops of surrounding buildings to secure the settlers’ visit.”
Israeli media and security officials reported that the two young men were shot after Molotov cocktails were thrown from their vehicle at soldiers deployed in the area.
Quds News Network reported that after opening fire on their vehicle, and Israeli bulldozer was deployed to “crush” and move the vehicle.
Video published by the news outlet shows the bulldozer moving the crushed car down a street.
Both Hamdan and Nuri were laid to rest in a massive funeral procession in Nablus on Wednesday afternoon.
Bethlehem: Ahmad Manasrah, 26
As Palestinian social media flooded with images of Abu Laila, Hamdan, and Nuri, throughout Wednesday, the face of another young “martyr” began to surface: 26-year-old Ahmad Manasrah from the Bethlehem-area village of Wadi Fukin.
Manasrah was shot and killed near a checkpoint and major traffic junction on the southern end of Bethlehem city.
Local media reported that Israeli forces at the al-Nashash checkpoint opened fire on a vehicle carrying a Palestinian family, critically injuring the father in the stomach, and also injuring the mother, and a child.
It remained unclear as to why Israeli forces stationed at the checkpoint opened fire on the family’s car.
As the story goes, Manasrah, who was driving behind the family, jumped out of his vehicle in attempts to help the family. When he did, Israeli forces opened fire on him, reportedly shooting him several times in the abdomen.
Manasrah was transferred to the Beit Jala Government Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Funeral processions are set to take place this afternoon in his village of Wadi Fukin.
Day of Rage
A general strike and day of mourning was declared in cities across the West Bank on Thursday, with many businesses, public transportation, schools, and universities closed for the day.
Protests are expected to take place at checkpoints and points of friction with Israeli soldiers across the West Bank on Thursday and into the weekend.
Palestinian political factions in the West Bank have called for a “day of rage” to be held on Friday.
“Day of rage”…..Sure. More Palestinians will be cut down by IOF bullets, to no avail.
Palestinians, go find your George Washington. Let him–or her–unite you, motivate you, energize you, arm you, train you, then lead you in a war of independence. That is the only way you will get your land back from European occupiers.