Israeli cops kill Palestinian they mistakenly thought was armed

JERUSALEM: Israeli police in annexed east Jerusalem over the weekend shot dead a disabled Palestinian they mistakenly thought was armed with a pistol, prompting furious condemnation from the Palestinians.

The incident happened in the alleys of the walled Old City near Lions’ Gate, an access point mainly used by Palestinians.

“Police units on patrol there spotted a suspect with a suspicious object that looked like a pistol,” an Israeli police statement said.

“They called upon him to stop and began to chase after him on foot. During the chase, officers also opened fire at the suspect, who was neutralised.

SPONSORED CONTENT

Sabah revenue hits RM6.97 billion: Hajiji says GRS State Government may see full term

Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah Government continued its momentum in managing the economy in line with the commitment and spirit of the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) when it posted record high state revenue of RM6.973 billion last year.

“No weapon was found at the scene after the area was searched,” the statement said.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas’s Fatah party denounced the killing as a “war crime”.

It said it held Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fully responsible for the “execution of a young disabled man”.

The Palestinian leadership demanded that whoever killed the man be brought before the International Criminal Court.

The Palestinians’ official news agency Wafa identified the dead man as Iyad Khairi Hallak, a resident of the Wadi Joz neighbourhood of east Jerusalem with special needs.

Later, around 200 Israeli demonstrators protested near police headquarters in Jerusalem to denounce Khairi’s killing, according to an AFP journalist. The protesters carried signs in Hebrew and in English reading “Police violence kills”, “Justice for Iyad” and “Palestinian lives matter”, and many wore masks to protect against the spread of the novel coronavirus. “Today, Israeli Occupation Forces in East Jerusalem assassinated Iyad Khairi, 32 a disabled Palestinian,” Saeb Erekat, the secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, wrote on Twitter.

Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.

Daily Express Malaysia

The killing is a “crime that will be met with impunity unless the world stops treating Israel as a state above the law,” he said.

Erekat added the hashtags #PalestineWillBeFree and #ICantBreath—a reference to African-American man George Floyd whose death while a policeman kneeled on his neck has sparked riots in the United States.

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00

Try 1 month for RM 18.00