Dozens of Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli security forces in the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Issawiya on Friday, after police killed a man who launched fireworks at them in the area on Thursday.
At least 80 protesters suffered light injuries in the Friday night violence, the Ynet news site reported.
Earlier in the day, around 30 rioters threw stones at police, who responded with stun grenades. Later, demonstrators were again launching fireworks at officers in the restive neighborhood.
Security forces killed 20-year-old Mohammad Samir Obeid on Thursday during a skirmish between police and Palestinians in the neighborhood. Police said Obeid launched fireworks at them from a close range,“endangering the lives” of officers.
Issawiya residents have been clashing with security forces since the shooting. Overnight, a community center in the neighborhood that often coordinates with Israeli authorities was burned down in an apparent protest.
A Jerusalem court on Friday reportedly rejected a request to release Obeid’s body to his family for burial.
During the Friday hearing, police recommended to the Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court that his body not be released, as a public funeral might ignite further violent clashes in the area, the Haaretz daily reported.
The court accepted the position, but gave police two days to announce when they would release Obeid’s body, which is being held at the Abu Kabir Forensic Institute in Tel Aviv.
Police in recent weeks have reportedly been entering Issawiya on a nightly basis in a bid to track down members of a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine terror cell believed to be at large in the neighborhood. The police operations have led to regular clashes with local residents.
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