Clashes erupt near the closed-off Shuafat checkpoint as policemen throw tear gas and shoot rubber bullets while Palestinians throw stones
Palestinians on Wednesday observed a one-day general strike in protest of the closure of Shuafat Refugee Camp and its surrounding neighborhoods since the shooting attack in which female soldier Noa Lazar was killed.
The camp, which is located within the municipal boundaries of the Jerusalem Municipality, has been sealed off by the Israeli security forces since last Saturday night’s attack, in which another soldier was seriously injured. Since then, hundreds of police officers have been conducting a manhunt to lay their hands on the suspects, whose identity is known to the security forces.
According to Palestinian sources, some 130,000 Palestinians live in Shuafat camp and the nearby neighborhoods of Ras Khamis and Dahiyet al-Salam, which are also located within the Jerusalem Municipality borders.
The vast majority of the residents of the three areas are permanent residents of Jerusalem – a status that allows them to enjoy the same privileges as Israeli citizens, with the exception of voting in the general elections. As holders of Israeli-issued ID cards, these residents are entitled to travel to any part of the country, unlike Palestinians living under the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank who need special permits to enter Israel.
The general strike was called by the Nablus-based militia Lions’ Den, whose members have carried out a series of shooting attacks against IDF soldiers and Israeli securities over the past few weeks.
The group called the strike in protest against the continued closure of the camp and its surroundings, as well as other restrictions imposed on the residents of the area since the attack.
Dozen of Palestinians protesting the closure
Dozens of Palestinians held noon prayers near the checkpoint at the entrance to the camp and called for lifting the closure. Clashes erupted during the day between Palestinian rock throwers and policemen who shoot tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters.
On Tuesday night, dozens of Palestinians living in the area, which is located behind the security barrier, met in the camp and declared “civil disobedience” to protest against the restrictions and recurring police raids in search of suspects.
Residents said that thousands of people living in the area have not been able to go to work or send their children to school because of the closure. A large number of Palestinians living in the area work in Israel.
Read Also: Russia: Putin speaks of Nord Stream explosions at Russian Energy Week — hinting at guilty parties
Several Palestinian factions condemned the Israeli measures as “collective punishment” and called for holding protests in solidarity with the residents of the area, located between Jerusalem’s French Hill and Pisgat Ze’ev neighborhoods.
The general strike is seen as a sign of the growing popularity of the Lions’ Den group among Palestinians. Hamas called on Palestinians to converge on the area to break the “siege.”
The group, meanwhile, denied that it belongs to, or coordinates with, any Palestinian faction.
The denial came in response to unconfirmed reports that the Lions’ Den is funded and armed by Hamas. The group also denied that its members were at loggerheads with any Palestinian faction or the PA security forces. It also threatened to target “settlers” if they “stormed” Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus.
Click Here for Original Post
