Palestinian family in Bethlehem 'devastated' as one son killed and the other arrested

In November, the UN special envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wenneslad, said that 2022 might be the deadliest year for Palestinians since the UN began to document killings of Palestinians in 2005.
MENA
4 min read
Qassam Muaddi
West Bank
05 December, 2022
Omar Manaa was killed with four bullets in the chest, three in the back and two in the hand say witnesses [Getty]

Thousands of Palestinians took part on Monday in the funeral of 22-year-old Omar Manaa, who was killed by Israeli forces hours earlier during a military raid on the refugee camp of Dheisheh in Bethlehem.

Crowds circulated Dheisheh refugee camp's alleys carrying Manaa's body and shouted angry slogans and raised flags before heading to the Martyrs' Cemetery of Bethlehem, where Manaa's body was laid to rest.

In a statement to the press early Monday, the Palestinian health ministry said that six Palestinians were wounded and Omar Manaa was killed in Dheisheh by Israeli forces during the raid before dawn.

"The occupation army sealed the camp early in the morning, and soldiers headed to the house of Omar's family to arrest his older brother," a friend of Manaa who asked not to be named told The New Arab.

"Omar was not in the house when the soldiers were leaving with his brother arrested," he said. "Young people from the camp began to confront the soldiers with stones while they were leaving, and Omar joined them."

"The soldiers and the young men came very close to each other, and Omar was at the front when he received four bullets in the chest, two bullets to the hand, three bullets in the back and died immediately," he added.

Israeli media quoted the Israeli army claiming that its forces had raided Dheisheh to arrest three suspected members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) when Palestinians threw stones and Molotov cocktails at its soldiers, who opened fire and killed Manaa.

Manaa had also served time in Israeli jails and was released two years ago. He was the younger of three siblings, including his brother, who was arrested, and a sister.

"Omar had a strong personality but was always smiling and joking," another friend of Manaa, who asked not to be named, said to TNA during the funeral. "He was a good reader and very cultivated, always quoting books when he spoke."

"He worked in a bakery in the camp and was saving to start his own business," his friend added. "He was also very patriotic and always participated in all national occasions, demonstrations, welcoming of released prisoners and martyrs' funerals, and everybody in the camp knew him and respected him."

"His family is devastated," said the friend. "His parents woke up to find one son killed and the other arrested, they are still in a state of shock, as is the entire camp of Dheisheh".

A general strike was declared in Bethlehem for Monday to mourn Manaa, while Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh condemned his killing in a statement.

"Israeli occupation continues to commit its crimes against the Palestinian people, taking advantage of the imbalance of international legal standards and the lack of accountability," Shtayyeh remarked.

Manaa is the third Palestinian from the Dheisheh refugee camp to be killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of 2022 and the tenth in the Israeli-occupied West Bank since last week.

On Saturday, Israeli forces killed 23-year-old Ammar Mufleh at point-blank in broad daylight at the village of Huwarah south of Nablus.

In November, the UN special envoy to the Middle East, Tor Wenneslad, said that 2022 might be the deadliest year for Palestinians since the UN began to document the killings of Palestinians in 2005.

Wennesland's remarks came as the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year exceeded 207.

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