The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process on Sunday condemned the killing of an unarmed, disabled Palestinian man by Israeli police in Jerusalem over the weekend.
Eyad Hallaq, 32, a resident of the Wadi Joz neighbourhood of East Jerusalem with special needs, was shot near the Old City of Jerusalem by Israeli officers, who later said they suspected him of carrying a weapon.
“My heartfelt condolences to the family of Eyad Hallaq, an unarmed Palestinian shot and killed yesterday in Jerusalem. A tragedy that should and could have been avoided!” Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process said Twitter on Sunday.
"The authorities should swiftly investigate and make sure such incidents are not allowed to happen,” he added.
Hallaq attended and worked at a special needs school in Jerusalem’s historic Old City, just metres away from where he was shot dead.
Police said he was carrying “a suspicious object that looked like a pistol” and ran away when ordered to stop on Saturday. They chased him on foot and opened fire. After the gunfire killed Hallaq, police discovered he was unarmed.
The Israeli Police Internal Investigations Department is investigating the incident.
According to the official investigation, out of the two officers who were chasing Hallaq, the senior one shot in the air while the junior one shot at the Palestinian man, who was trying to hide behind a skip. The junior officer said he shot at Hallaq because he suspected him to be a terrorist because he was wearing gloves and they believed he was carrying a pistol.
Israel’s defence minister Benny Gantz on Sunday morning expressed his condolences for the man’s death.
"We are very sorry for this incident," Mr Gantz said in a government meeting. "I am sure the issue will be investigated quickly, and conclusions will be drawn."
Hallaq's funeral took place on Sunday.
There were protests in Jerusalem and Jaffa demanding justice for Hallaq on Saturday evening. Protesters were holding banners with photos of George Floyd on, an unarmed African-American man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis last week. Floyd’s killing has led to widespread unrest in several American cities, much of it protesting police racism and brutality.
Empty Words
By Mario Levrero
(Coffee House Press)
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Meydan racecard:
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7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
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The specs
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Power: Combined output 920hp
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Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
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