Terrible news yesterday in Abu Dis as a youth of 17, Yousef Rabiyeh, was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers. Dangerously wounded, he was put by the soldiers in their military jeep and the paramedics from the Palestinian ambulance that came to his rescue were not allowed to approach – but his mother came running when she heard what had happened, and she held him and the door of the military jeep, screaming, to prevent him from being taken away. All Palestinians know of the number of young people wounded and allowed by Israeli soldiers to bleed to death.
She and Yousef’s aunt held on to him and to the military jeep and in the end the soldiers relented and allowed the ambulance people to take him to hospital.
He had an operation lasting some hours to take a bullet from his brain and tend his fractured skull. Now the community are supporting the family and staying with Yousef and hoping and praying that he will get well.