Rally in New York City against Israeli atrocities on Palestinians

A demonstration has been held near the Israeli mission to the United Nations in New York City to highlight the recent escalation of atrocities by Israeli forces and illegal Jewish settlers against Palestinians.

Waving Palestinian flags and carrying anti-Israel banners on Tuesday, dozens of protesters from different backgrounds expressed their support for acts of resistance by the Palestinian people, Press TV reports.

The crowd, which included Muslim, Christian and Jewish Americans, as well as students from a number of university campuses in New York City, denounced Tel Aviv’s wave of aggression in the occupied Palestinian territories.

A student activist who identified herself as “Lina” and a member of Students for Justice in Palestine described the horrific nature of the recent killing of 19-year-old Palestinian Fadi Samir Mustafa Alloun in the Israeli-occupied Old City of al-Quds (Jerusalem).

“His body was literally abused [and] kicked by the illegal Israeli settlers, who also laughed and shouted death to Arabs, which is neo-Nazism,” she said.

On Sunday morning, Israeli police officers shot dead Alloun near the Damascus Gate of al-Aqsa Mosque compound, claiming that he had attempted to stab an Israeli settler with a knife.

There are reports that Israeli settlers kicked Alloun’s body later on, and dragged it along the street. Alloun’s father has denied the claims that his son tried to stab a settler before he was shot dead.

Speaking to the crowd, a representative of the Jews Against Israeli Apartheid described the recent incident as representing desperation from Israel in the face of Palestinian resistance.

Palestinian Americans and Muslims were joined by some New York City residents who oppose Israel and question the US media’s official narrative about terrorism.

Referring to the increasing number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, a protester said, “If you really want to find out who the terrorists are, just follow the body count. The body count will tell you who the terrorists are.”

The Palestine Red Crescent Society said in a statement on Sunday that at least three Palestinians had been killed and 400 others wounded in clashes with Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied territory during the past 24 hours.

According to the statement, some 234 others were hospitalized due to excessive tear gas inhalation or beatings by Israeli security forces or settlers.

The clashes also come amid increasing confrontation between Israelis and Palestinians triggered by Tel Aviv’s imposition on August 26 of sweeping restrictions on entries into the compound of al-Aqsa Mosque – the third holiest site in Islam – and Israeli settlers’ repeated stormings of the mosque.