Israeli forces assault Palestinian journalist who raised awareness about forced evictions

Muna El-Kurd, a resident of Sheikh Jarrah and a journalist who has been raising awareness about forced evictions in the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood, described an increasingly critical and tense atmosphere on Wednesday evening, with Israeli police forces continuing to patrol the area. 

“Police forces harassed us and beat my brother Mohammed as they tried to push us out of the neighbourhood,“ she told Middle East Eye correspondent Latifeh Abdellatif. “People were filming but I didn’t manage to capture everything,” she added.

“They tore Mohammed’s shirt and kept pushing us back. They pushed me into the wall, I injured my hand, I don’t know what happened to it.”

In videos shared online by El-Kurd, her brother Mohammed, who has been vocal about the forced evictions on social media, was shown being dragged away by Israeli forces. 

He was later released.

Many other locals continue to document the Israeli forces’ tactics of harassing and forcing residents to leave the area.

Sheikhb Jarrah resident @m7mdkurd was just attacked and kicked out of his entire neighbourhood by Israeli forces! pic.twitter.com/8IY0KblCh8

— Jalal (@JalalAK_jojo) May 12, 2021

In videos shared online on Wednesday, residents of the neighbourhood prayed in congregation for those who lost their lives in Gaza as a result of Israeli air strikes. 

In the same area, Israeli youths played songs on loudspeakers, provoking Palestinian locals. 

Police remained stationed in the neighbourhood - many heavily armed and on horseback.