PHOTOS: Palestinians climb over the wall into Jerusalem for Ramadan

By Activestills July 5, 2015 | Edit

As Palestinians cross over into Jerusalem from the West Bank, an IDF officer shoots dead a 19-year-old Palestinian by the separation wall.

Text by Edo Konrad, photos by Yotam Ronen, Mustafa Bader / Activestills.org

Palestinians cross the Qalandiya checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Palestinians cross the between the West Bank city of A-Ram and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Dozens of young Palestinians climbed the separation wall in order to reach Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque on Friday of last week, the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The men took taxis in the early hours of Friday morning to the separation wall at the Palestinian village of A-Ram, just outside of Jerusalem, where they used a ladder to cross over to the Palestinian neighborhood of Beit Hanina. After some of the men made it over, Israeli police officers arrived on the other side of the wall.

Palestinians cross the Qalandiya checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Palestinians climb over the Israeli Wall to attend the Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the town of Al-Ram, near the Qalandiya checkpoint between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Palestinians climb over the Israeli Wall to attend the Friday prayer in Al-Aqsa Mosque in the town of Al-Ram, between the West Bank city of Ramallah and Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Meanwhile, over 10,000 Palestinians formally crossed through both the Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah and Checkpoint 300 in Bethlehem on their way to Jerusalem. While the army generally allows women to cross regardless of age, on Friday they restricted the crossing to women over 30 as well as men over 50, causing much confusion. During Ramadan, Israel generally eases restrictions on Palestinian access to Jerusalem.

Palestinians cross the 300 checkpoint between the West Bank city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Mustafa Bader/Activestills.org)

Palestinians cross Checkpoint 300 between the West Bank city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the second Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Mustafa Bader/Activestills.org)

Palestinians cross Checkpoint 300 between the West Bank city of Bethlehem and Jerusalem on their way to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, on the third Friday of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, July 3, 2015. (photo: Mustafa Bader/Activestills.org)

As Palestinians crossed over into Jerusalem, an Israeli army officer shot and killed a 19-year-old Palestinian on the other side of the separation wall. According to the army, several Palestinians were throwing stones at an IDF vehicle heading toward Qalandiya checkpoint, smashing the windshield. The brigade commander exited the vehicle and opened fire at the Palestinians, killing Mohammed Sami al-Ksabeh, a resident of Qalandiya refugee camp.

Family members of 17-year-old Mohammed Sami al-Ksbeh mourns during his funeral in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Family members of 17-year-old Mohammed Sami al-Ksabeh mourns during his funeral in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Family members of Mohammed Sami al-Ksbeh, 17, mourns during his funeral in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Family members of Mohammed Sami al-Ksabeh, 17, mourns during his funeral in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Hundreds of people attended his funeral several hours after his death, where masked men fired shots in the air as the crowd called for revenge against Israel. According to Ma’an News Agency, Ksabeh had left his home early Friday morning to reach Al-Aqsa Mosque. Eyewitnesses say he was attempting to climb the separation wall when he was shot.

Ksabah is the second Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces in the last week, after forces shot dead a Palestinian man last Friday when he opened fire at soldiers at the Beqaot checkpoint in the Jordan Valley.

Palestinian militants take part in the funeral of Palestinian youth Mohammed Sami al-Ksbeh, 17, in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

Palestinian militants take part in the funeral of Palestinian youth Mohammed Sami al-Ksabeh, 17, in Qalandiya refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Ramallah July 3, 2015. A senior Israeli army officer shot and killed Ksbeh who was throwing stones near a checkpoint in the West Bank on Friday, June 3, 2015. (photo: Yotam Ronen/Activestills.org)

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TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence. We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies. This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza. We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives. Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

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