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Popular Struggle Coordination Committee Injured Jerusalem Teen Dies of Wounds Milad Ayyash, the 17 year-old who was critically injured yesterday in East Jerusalem passed away at the Muqassed Hospital, after all attempts to save his life failed. The killing comes as tensions soar over upcoming Nakba anniversary. The heavy-handed response of Israeli authorities to the protest marking 63 years to the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) took a heavy toll, as 17 year-old Milad Sa'eed Ayyash was mortally injured yesterday afternoon during clashes in the Batten al-Hawwa neighborhood of Silwan. Ayyash, a resident of the Ras el-Amud neighborhood in East Jerusalem was shot in the abdomen with live ammunition as Border Police officers and settlers clashed with local youth. He was evacuated to the Muqassed hospital with no pulse and in critical condition, where he underwent surgery in a failed attempt to save his life. Ayyash was pronounced dead early this morning. The bullet extracted from Ayyash's abdomen has been found to belong to a handgun. This type of bullet is scarcely used by the Israeli police in crowd control situations. The bullet therefore indicates the likelihood that the youth was shot by one of the settlers' security guards. Last September, Samer Sarhan, was killed by settler security in Silwan. Friday has seen harsh Israeli response to protest all across the West Bank and Jerusalem. Soldiers and police carried out dozens of arrests including many in East Jerusalem. Dozens of injuries were recorded throughout the day. The violent reaction of Israeli security forces to Nakba demonstrations yesterday is proof of Israel's inability to handle Palestinian civil resistance in means other than military. As September looms, it seems as if Israel chooses to tread the same path of neighboring regimes, such as Egypt and Syria, by shooting unarmed protesters in its attempts to quash dissent. Popular Struggle Coordination Committee Teen Critically Injured as Israel Cracks Down on Nakba Demos 17 year-old was critically injured from live fire in East Jerusalem. An American protester suffered serious head injury after being hit by a tear-gas projectile shot directly at him from close range. Israeli military and police forces responded heavy handedly to demonstrations commemorating 63 years to the Palestinian Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948 today all over the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Morad Ayyash, a 17 year old from the Ras el-Amud neighborhood was shot in the stomach with live ammunition. He has reached the Muqassed hospital with no pulse and the doctors are now fighting for his life. Tension also rose in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan, where 19 protesters have been injured and 11 were arrested. During the evening hours, large police forces raided houses in Silwan and carried out additional arrests. In the village of Ma'asara, south of Bethlehem, two protesters were arrested during a peaceful demonstration that was attacked with tear-gas for no apparent reason. One of those arrested is a member of the village's popular committee. In Nabi Saleh - a regular target for military aggression recently - soldiers and Border Police officers injured no less than 25 protesters, including a Palestinian women in her 50s who was beaten up so badly that her wounds required her removal from the Salfeet Hospital to the bigger and more advanced Rafidiya Hospital in Nablus. A 25 year-old American demonstrator suffered a serious head injury and an Israeli activist was diagnosed with two open fractures in his hand. Both were injured by tear-gas projectiles shot directly at them from short range, in violation of the Israeli Army's open fire regulations. Four protesters were arrested in Nabi Saleh, including two Palestinian women. Violence in Nabi Saleh started today after Israeli Border Police officers took over the village's main junction and tried to disperse the demonstration while it was still well inside the village, The officers began charging the peaceful protesters with batons, shooting large amounts of tear-gas - partly shot directly at the demonstrators - and carrying out arrests. The Israeli military and police's violent and hysteric reaction to the Nakba day demonstrations today is an example to the fact that Israel cannot conceive handling Palestinian civil resistance to the Occupation in any means but military means. As September looms, it seems as if Israel chooses to tread not the path of democracy, but rather that of neighboring regimes like Egypt and Syria, and shoot at unarmed demonstrators.
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