Violence was reported across the West Bank and Jerusalem July 31, as Palestinians protested the "price tag" killing of an 18-month-old infant in Duma, near Nablus. The 18-month-old was killed an arson attack when suspected Israeli settlers smashed the windows of two homes in Duma, throwing flammable liquids and Molotov cocktails inside and catching the homes ablaze. The infant, Ali Saad Dawabsha, was trapped inside the family's home as the fire spread. The child was burned alive. His parents and four-year-old brother were left with severe burns. Graffiti near the scene of the attack said "Price tag [5]," "Revenge" and "Long live Messiah the king" in Hebrew. Israeli authorities, including Prime Minister Netanyahu, condemned the attack as "terrorism."
The Popular Resistance Committees called for a "revolution of anger" in response to the attack. Several thousand took to the streets in Duma for the funeral of the infant, whose body was wrapped in a Palestinian flag. Israeli forces dispersed a march called by Hamas in Hebron, where hundreds of protesters held signs condemning the attack, and called for a response against the recent upsurge in crimes committed by Israeli soldiers and settlers. Israeli forces fired tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, and stun grenades at protesters, while Palestinian demonstrators threw rocks. Israeli forces shot and critically injured a Palestinian in clashes at Atara checkpoint near Ramallah. Several Palestinians were injured in clashes with Israeli forces throughout Jerusalem. (Ma'an [6], Ma'an [7], Ma'an [8], YNet [9], JPost [10])
Israeli forces broke into Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on July 26, firing stun grenades and rubber-coated steel bullets at Muslim worshipers as they cleared way for right-wing Jews who were visiting the compound to mark Tisha B'Av [11]. Dozens of Palestinian worshipers were reportedly hit with rubber-coated bullets and suffered tear-gas inhalation. Israeli police officers were reported to have attacked worshipers with pepper spray, rods and rifle butts. At least three Palestinians were reportedly detained. (Ma'an [12])
An ultra-orthodox Jew accused of stabbing six people at a Gay Pride march in Jerusalem [13] lashed out in court July 21. "I do not accept this court's authority," said a defiant Yishai Shlissel, representing himself at a hearing. "This court is part of the mechanism of evil. I have no interest in cooperating at all. I do not recognise any of the regime's institutions." On the previous night, Shlissel stormed the parade with a knife, attacking six before being quickly arrested amid pandemonium in Jerusalem's city center. The parade and its hundreds of marchers pushed ahead defiantly, even with blood on the road. Shlissel was released from prison three weeks earlier after having served a 10-year sentence for wounding three marchers in an attack on a Gay Pride parade in 2005. (AFP [14])
