Israel forces fire stun grenades at Palestinian marathon runners in Jerusalem

Dozens of Palestinian runners were injured after Israeli forces fired stun grenades at them while they were taking part in a marathon run in solidarity with families facing forced eviction in the occupied East Jerusalem.

Thousands of runners took part in the Friday marathon, which began in the occupied East Jerusalem Sheikh Jarrah and ended in Silwan, aimed at raising awareness on the plight of Palestinians in Jerusalem.

The runners wore white T-shirts with "7,850" printed on them, referring to the number of Palestinians from the occupied East Jerusalem who face forced expulsion.

They began their two-mile journey in high spirits until occupying Israeli forces began to attack them with tear gas and stun grenades, locals say.

"I was attacked, they were beating me violently on my legs, my running legs, my everything. They beat everyone in the vicinity as they violently suppressed our gathering at the finish line. We were exhausted, yet they wanted to crush us even further," said Jalal Abu Khater, a Palestinian runner from Silwan.

"I felt they really wanted to break my legs. Was my running gear too provocative? A tank top, shorts, & trainers. They hated it. They hate us," he added, tweeting videos of occupying Israeli forces attacking the runners.

I was attacked, they were beating me violently on my legs, my running legs, my everything. They beat everyone in the vicinity as they violently suppressed our gathering at the finish line. We were exhausted, yet they wanted to crush us even further. #SaveSilwan #SaveSheikhJarrah pic.twitter.com/p0MlVXLZ78

— Jalal (@JalalAK_jojo) June 4, 2021

Israeli forces also assaulted reporters and cameramen for Palestine TV and smashed one of their cameras, local reports said. A sit-in tent was also destroyed by Israeli forces, according to witnesses.

A number of Israeli activists also joined in the Palestinian marathon in a show of solidarity.

The attack comes just days after a Palestinian teenager in occupied east Jerusalem was injured after being chased by and hit by an Israeli police car when he raised the Palestinian flag on his bicycle.

Three Israeli policemen chased after 15-year-old Jawad Abbasi on Sunday evening when they saw him riding his bicycle in the Ras al-Amoud area of Silwan with a Palestinian flag raised on it. They then ran him over, injuring his legs, local reports said.

Jawad was then detained by Israeli forces for a brief period before being taken to hospital for treatment, the reports added.

Israel has been carrying out a long-running campaign of harassment and intimidation against Palestinians in Jerusalem, with the aim of forcing them out and changing the demographic balance in the occupied city, which has seen increased Jewish settlements.

Palestinians in the Sheikh Jarrah district of east Jerusalem have been threatened with forced expulsion from their homes after Israeli settlers laid claim to their property and Israeli forces carried out a series of provocations against Muslim worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Palestinians in Silwan have also been threatened with expulsion from their homes.