Israeli forces shoot Palestinian paramedic in the stomach in East Jerusalem clashes

Israeli forces injured dozens of Palestinian civilians, including a medical worker, during clashes late on Monday in occupied East Jerusalem.

Dozens of Palestinians were injured after Israeli forces entered the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of al-Issawiya.

Local witnesses told Palestinian Authority’s news agency WAFA that the occupying forces physically attacked civilians and used pepper spray on two siblings in their early 30s.

Palestine’s Red Crescent said Israeli soldiers attacked their staff with rubber-coated steel bullets and prevented them from transferring patients to hospital.

One paramedic was shot in the stomach.

Al-Issawiya has been a regular target of Israeli attacks. Two weeks ago, the Israeli forces shot and killed a 21-year old Palestinian.

Illegal occupation

Israel took over mainly Palestinian east Jerusalem in the 1967 Six-Day War and later annexed it in a move never recognised by the international community.

It now considers the entire city its capital, citing Jewish historical and biblical connection there.

The Palestinians see east Jerusalem, which includes the Old City, as the capital of their future state.

Some 320,000 Palestinians live in east Jerusalem, while the Israeli settler population there has grown to 210,000.

The Oslo agreement of 1995 divided the occupied West Bank into three: area A, area B and area C.

Area A is under the administrative and security control of the Palestinian Authority. Area B's administration is controlled by the PA, with Israel controlling security. Area C is under full administrative and security control of Israel.

All Israeli settlements across the occupied West Bank are classed as illegal under international law, particularly Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which asserts that "the occupying power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies".

Israeli forces and settlers routinely attack Palestinians in the occupied territories, demolishing their homes, poisoning their livestock and vandalising properties.

Follow us on Twitter: @The_NewArab