Sheikh Jarrah: Israeli settler shoots Palestinian in East Jerusalem neighbourhood
An Israeli settler shot a Palestinian activist on Monday near the occupied Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, with the Israeli Supreme Court poised to give a verdict on the forcible evictions of Palestinian families from the area.
The official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported that a Palestinian solidarity activist was shot in the leg by an Israeli settler, leaving them with minor wounds.
Palestinians have been protesting over the weekend in solidarity with the al-Kurd, Iskafi, al-Jaouni, and al-Qasem families in Sheikh Jarrah, who have been ordered to leave their houses to make a way for settlers.
Wafa reported that the Israeli army has cordoned off the area, only allowing Shiekh Jarrah residents to enter as a large number of Israeli settlers congregated.
The Israeli police said in a statement that it was a “criminal incident” and that the settler shot a man in his thirties after he entered the settler’s house to burgle it.
The Israeli police said that it called the wounded suspect to investigate him, without elaborating on his name or hometown.
Hundreds of Palestinians protested against Israeli forced expulsions in Sheikh Jarrah in April and May. The heavy-handed response from Israeli security services led to rocket exchanges between Gaza-based Palestinian militants and Israel, killing hundreds of people - the vast majority Palestinians.
Roughly 28 Palestinian families, living in Shiekh Jarrah since the 1950s, are facing Israeli court-ordered evictions. If carried out, almost 500 Palestinians will be made homeless.
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