Dozens of Palestinians from Yatta attended the funeral of 13-year-old Ruqqaya Abu Eid in the cemetery of the village of al-Karmel east of Yatta.
Ruqayya Eid Abu Eid, originally from the city of Yatta south of Hebron, was shot dead on Saturday by an Israeli security guard after allegedly trying to stab him near the illegal settlement of Anatot.
The funeral procession set off from the Yatta mosque to the cemetery in Karmel, where a general strike began after Ruqayya’s death.
The participants chanted slogans condemning Israeli crimes against Palestinians, specifically urging the international community to act against Israeli violations targeting Palestinian children.
Activists have denounced the slaying of Ruqayya, saying the Israeli guard could have subdued the young girl without killing her.
The reported attack outside of Anatot is the most recent to take place amid an ongoing wave of unrest in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Last week a 15-year-old Palestinian, also from Yatta, was detained for being suspected of stabbing and killing an Israeli settler in the illegal settlement of Otneil, one day before another settler was stabbed and injured by a Palestinian in the illegal settlement of Tekoa.
The death of the 36-year-old mother in the Otneil settlement brought condemnation from Israeli leadership and UN officials, who called on Palestinian and Israeli leadership to stop incitement.
Over 20 Israelis have been killed in attacks carried out by Palestinian individuals since Oct. 1.
More than 160 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli military forces or settlers in the same time period, at least 30 of whom were under the age of 18.
Israeli authorities have implemented a number of restrictions on Palestinian communities in the West Bank since violence increased in October, including road closures, sealing off movement in and out of villages and towns, and arrest campaigns.
The area around Hebron has been particularly affected by these measures, leading to further resentment from Palestinians.
Israeli army Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot said Monday that “it would be a bitter mistake to impose curfews and closures” on Palestinian communities, adding that such moves would “work against Israeli interests.”
While “security measures” have been eased over the past month according to documentation by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, many closures and restrictions on movement remain in place, particularly in the Hebron district.
(MAAN)
