Video: Israeli forces smash Palestinian child’s head to ground near Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa

A video shows Israeli occupation forces in Jerusalem smashing the head of a Palestinian boy on the ground during a violent arrest, after Israeli troops stormed the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in eastern occupied Jerusalem this morning.

The brief clip shows a boy being dragged by black-clad occupation soldiers. As the boy screams “khalas” – “enough” or “stop” – the soldiers throw him to the ground. One soldier punches the boy in the side of the head, smashing his head into the stone floor.

The video was posted on the YouTube account of QNN, a Palestinian news group that operates on Facebook. QNN identified the child as Hasan al-Afifi of the Bab al-Hadid area of the Old City of Jerusalem. The videographer is identified as Amjad Arafa.

On its Arabic website, Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency reported:

Israeli occupation forces arrested, today Friday, the Jerusalemite teenager Hasan Afif Hasan al-Afifi (age 17), of Bab al-Hadid in the Old City, after they attacked him. Al-Afifi’s mother told Wafa that her son was arrested during the violent confrontations that occurred at the Al-Aqsa mosque today, and that her son was nowhere near the mosque and did not participate in any activities.

She stated that 15 members of Israel’s special forces attacked her son as he stood outside his house and beat him violently until his blood ran on the ground, and they sprayed her with gas as she tried to defend her son which led to her passing out. She indicated that her son was transferred to the Russian Compound interrogation and detention center in West Jerusalem.

Palestinian children in Jerusalem are frequently targeted by Israeli occupation forces. Some 700 are arrested and detained annually in the city alone and are routinely subjected to cruel, violent and illegal abuses.

Storming of al-Aqsa mosque

Israeli occupation forces claimed they stormed the area to break up protests. Earlier,Ma’an News Agency reported:

JERUSALEM (Ma’an) – Israeli police hurled stun grenades to disperse dozens of protesters who threw stones outside the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam’s third holiest site, after Friday prayers.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Ma’an that police entered the compound and fired stun grenades after rocks were thrown at officers at Mughrabi gate.

The report noted that:

Tensions flared this week after police arrested Israeli ultranationalists who tried to hold prayers at the compound, known by Jews as the Temple Mount, as the site of two biblical temples.

Twitter user @BDS4Justice, who visits Al-Aqsa mosque regularly, witnessed, livetweeted and photographed what happened:

Heavy military presence in Jerusalem old city right now – maybe due to settler invasions to aqsa this week

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Ok can I predict an Israeli invasion of aqsa today??? — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Israeli invasion of aqsa imminent — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Ok they might be heading to bab el maghareb, unpredictably still, helicopters hovering over

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Clashes at aqsa now

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Soldiers invading aqsa now!!!! Hundreds!!! RT — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Live photo of #aqsa invasion now!!!! Sound bombs, arrests twitter.com/BDS4Justice/st… — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Soldiers throwing sound bombs at aqsa , people are trapped inside aqsa

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Your and soldiers clashing, obviously military armed to the teeth

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Tear gas thrown inside aqsa closed space, people inside chocking — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Clashes ongoing inside aqsa — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Never ending sound bombs, now against women!!!! #aqsa

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Israeli attacks on worshippers continue at #aqsa – people are being pushing with much violence

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Women now chanting for the defense of aqsa — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

More photos of aqsa invasion now!! twitter.com/BDS4Justice/st… — Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

I come to aqsa to pray like everyone else and have to put up with Zionist invasions and attack

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Remember ppl, they youth defending aqsa are putting everything aw risk here, Israel will ruin their lives with the ensuing arrest campaign

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Meanwhile tourists flock the old city as if nothing has happened ffs

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Youth trapped inside and the injured now being evacuated – I fear for our youth, arrest campaign will begininstagr.am/p/QZh1VyN_pw/

— Zalameh (@BDS4Justice) October 5, 2012

Mirrored from electronicintifada.net