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Israel declares emergency in Arab town

Israel has declared a state of emergency in Lod as tensions in the city escalated after 33-year-old Palestinian Musa Malakh Hassuna was shot dead by a Jewish gunman

May 12, 2021 at 4:25 pm

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy was shot dead this morning by Israeli occupation forces in the north of the occupied West Bank city of Tubas, reported Wafa news agency.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Rashid Muhammad Abu Arreh was shot twice in the neck and chest and died immediately.

Wafa news agency quoted witnesses as saying Israeli “soldiers raided Tubas early this morning” and attacked local residents who came out to protect their neighbourhood “resulting in the shooting and killing of Abu Arreh”.

Rashid’s death comes after medical sources also confirmed the murder of 26-year-old Hussein Al-Titi, who had been shot dead during protests against the Israeli army in the Al-Fawwar refugee camp, south of Hebron.

Thousands of Palestinian citizens of Israel across many cities and towns took part in demonstrations including in Haifa, Nazareth, Shfaram, and Tira to reject recent attacks on Palestinians in Jerusalem and Gaza.

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Dozens were subsequently arrested for allegedly disrupting public order and stone-throwing.

Last night, Israel announced a state of emergency in Lod, southeast of Tel Aviv, after protests intensified when a 33-year-old Palestinian citizen of Israel named Musa Malakh Hassuna was shot dead. A Jewish gunman thought to be behind the shooting has since been arrested.

Israel soldiers attack Palestinians resisting forceful eviction in Sheikh Jarrah [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah are being replaced with Israeli settlers as Israeli soldiers vacate the Palestinian property by force – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]

It was the first time the government had used emergency powers over an Arab community since 1966, according to the Times of Israel. Israeli border forces were redeployed to Lod from the occupied West Bank.

The Mayor of Lod, Yair Revivo, said: “civil war” was breaking out. “The day after, we still have to live here together,” he added.

He called for the Israeli military to restore order. “An intifada [uprising] erupted in Lod, you have to bring in the army,” he said.

Israel’s forces are regularly deployed to protests and unrest in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, but not inside Israel.

The demonstrators denounced the attacks on Gaza and voiced solidarity with residents of the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah who face imminent expulsion from their homes.

Crowds were dispersed using tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets in several towns.

READ: Israeli police reinforce presence in Arab towns of Israel