Israel stops Palestinians demonstrating in Hebron

Israeli occupation forces yesterday suppressed a demonstration held in occupied Hebron against a new body setup to provide services to illegal settlers in the city, arresting a photographer.

Participants waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling on the Israeli authorities to remove military barriers and fences restricting the movement of Palestinians inside the Old City and preventing their access to the Ibrahimi Mosque.

Issa Amr, coordinator of the Youth Rally Against Settlements, told the Anadolu Agency: “Israeli soldiers dispersed the demonstrators by force, without firing, and prevented their access to the Ibrahimi Mosque, but no injuries were reported.”

Amr pointed out that the army arrested the photographer Hazem Badr, while one of the settlers attacked Palestinian children who were participating in the march.

Read: 3,000 settlers storm Ibrahimi Mosque

The Israeli army maintains electronic checkpoints at the entrance to the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old City of Hebron, where worshippers are subjected to daily searches and identity checks.