West Bank clashes erupt after the death of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, in which two more Palestinians are shot and killed by Israeli forces.
Photos by: Ahmad Al-Bazz, Anne Paq, Yotam Ronen, and Oren Ziv
Palestinian youth take cover behind a makeshift protection barrier during clashes with Israeli soldiers in the Old city of Hebron after the the funeral of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh who died two days earlier in Israeli custody, Hebron, West Bank April 4, 2013.
Clashes erupted throughout the West Bank between Palestinians and the Israeli military on Thursday over the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, a long-term Palestinian prisoner who died of cancer this week while in Israeli custody. During those clashes two more Palestinians, 18-year-old Naji al-Balbisi and 17-year-old Amer Nassar, were killed by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces near the city of Tulkarem.
Funerals for Abu Hamdiyeh and the two teenagers were held today amid ongoing clashes with Israeli forces, and accusations that the prisoner’s health was neglected by prison officials. Protesters also called for general strikes throughout the West Bank, resulting in closed shops amid further demonstrations.
Abu Hamdiyeh was first imprisoned by Israel in 1969, after being accused of membership in the General Union of Palestinian Students. Between 1970 and 1975, Abu Hamdiyeh was detained many times without charge. He was arrested again in May 2002, and in 2005 an Israeli court sentenced him to 25 years in prison. Israeli military authorities appealed for a longer sentence, and in 2007 he was sentenced to life. Since Abu Hamdiyeh’s arrest in 2002, his four children have been banned from visiting him.
In August 2012, Abu Hamdiyeh suffered severe throat pain. Five months later, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. He complained of medical neglect by Israeli prison authorities, and said in March that he was only given pain killers. In late March, Abu Hamdiyeh was finally admitted to the hospital, where he died on Tuesday morning.
Thousands of mourners attended the funeral of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh who died two days earlier in Israeli custody.
A Palestinian youth shields himself with a door during clashes in the Old city of Hebron.
Thousands fill the streets during the funeral of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh who died two days earlier in Israeli custody.
A Palestinian youth shields his eyes after being overcome by tear gas during clashes in Hebron’s Old City.
Palestinian carry the bodies of Amer Nasser and Naji Balbisi, two teenagers shot by Israeli troops, during their funeral in the West Bank town of Anabta near Tulkarem on April 4, 2013. The two teens were shot dead overnight during clashes over the death of prisoner Maisara Abu Hamdiyeh.
The family of Naji Balbisi, a 19-year-old Palestinian shot by Israeli troops, mourns with other relatives during his funeral in the West Bank town of Anabta near Tulkarem.
Relatives of Amer Nasser, a 17-year-old Palestinian shot by Israeli troops, mourn over his body during his funeral in the West Bank town of Anabta near Tulkarem.
Palestinian women hold up pictures of their sons imprisoned in Israeli jails during a demonstration over the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, Nablus, West Bank, April 3, 2013.
Shop doors are closed during a general strike that was declared in the West Bank city of Nablus, following the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh.
A car passes a fire in anotherwise empty street druing a general strike in the West Bank city of Nablus, following the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh.
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