Description

Photo:
Zeidan al-Sharabati. Published by Maan News
______

HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces attacked and injured Zeidan al-Sharabati, an activist with the group Human Rights Defenders, near his home on the al-Shuhada Street, the Old City of Hebron, in southern occupied West Bank, on late Monday.

Human Rights Defenders group confirmed that Israeli forces attacked Zeidan and repeatedly beat him near his family home on al-Shuhada Street.

Sources added that Zeidan was taken to Hebron Governmental Hospital to receive necessary medical treatment.

Zeidan suffered from a brain bleed and his medical condition was described as moderate.

Palestinian residents of the Old City of Hebron face a large Israeli military presence on a daily basis, with at least 32 permanent and partial checkpoints set up at the entrances of many streets.

Additionally, Palestinians are not allowed to drive on al-Shuhada street, have had their homes and shops on the street welded shut, and in some areas of the Old City, are not permitted to walk on certain roads.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers move freely on the street, drive cars, and carry machine guns.

The Palestinian government has no jurisdiction over Israelis in the West Bank, and acts carried out by Israeli settlers often occur in the presence of Israeli military forces who rarely act to protect Palestinian residents.

According to a report by the Israeli rights group B'Tselem, "Settler violence and vandalism takes place with full backing by the Israeli authorities. Sometimes soldiers take part in the assault; at other times, they stand idly by. The police makes no substantial effort to investigate the incidents, nor takes measures to prevent them or stop them in real time."