THOUSANDS ATTEND FUNERAL OF SLAIN PALESTINIAN MOTHER

Ramallah, 16 Rabi’ul Awwal 1437/27 December 2015 (MINA) –  Thousands of Palestinians attended a funeral procession Saturday for a 38-year-old Palestinian mother who was shot and killed by Israeli gunfire a day earlier.

Mahdia Hammad, a mother of four, was killed by Israeli forces under the pretext that she attempted to run over Israeli soldiers at the entrance of Silwad village northeast of Ramallah,  accrding to Anadolu Agency reports as quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA).

Her family, however, denied the Israeli allegations and said she was killed in cold blood, without posing a threat to the Israeli soldiers.

The military funeral procession started at the Ramallah Medical Center and ended at Hammad’s hometown of Silwad.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent, Hammad was shot 10 times by Israeli soldiers before they left her to bleed to death.

Meanwhile, a Palestinian man was shot dead under the pretext that he attempted to stab an Israeli police officer in occupied East Jerusalem.

Eyewitnesses told Anadolu Agency that Israeli police shot Mosaab al-Ghazali, 26, and left him to bleed to death.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the latest deaths bring the total number of Palestinians shot dead by Israeli forces since Oct. 1 to 138, including 26 minors and seven women.

At least 100 of those slain were killed “in cold blood”, the ministry said.

The last 10 weeks also left 24 Israelis dead and over 250 injured.

Many observers attribute the recent uptick in violence to a July arson attack in the West Bank by suspected Jewish settlers that killed an 18-month-old Palestinian child and his parents. (T/P010/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)