HEBRON, February 23, 2018 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Friday violently suppressed a rally marking the 24th anniversary of the 1994 massacre of Palestinian worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The rally, which marked the massacre of 29 Palestinians by Brooklyn-born Israeli Jewish settler Baruch Goldstein, was organized by Hebron-based Youth Against Settlements Group.
It started from Sheikh Ali al-Bakka Mosque and made its way to the Municipality’s Square in Hebron’s Old City with the attendance of scores of international and Israeli peace activists.
Protestors raised banners and photos condemning Israel’s settlement construction policy and the closure of central Hebron and demand the reopening of al-Shuhada Street, which has been closed since 1994.
Soldiers fired tear gas canister and stun grenades at protestors, triggering clashes in al-Shalala Street and Bab al-Zaweya. No injuries were reported though.
Twenty two years ago, Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein broke into the Ibrahimi Mosque and opened fire at Palestinian Muslim worshippers, killing 29. Four Palestinians were killed on the same day in the clashes that broke out around the Mosque in response to the massacre.
In the aftermath, the mosque, known to Jews as Tomb of the Patriarchs, was divided in two, with the larger part turned into a synagogue while heavy scrutiny was imposed on the Palestinians and areas closed completely to them, including an important market and the main street, Shuhada street.
An estimated 800 notoriously aggressive Israeli settlers live under the protection of thousands of soldiers in Hebron’s city center. The city is home to over 30,000 Palestinians.
K.F.
