Grieving crowd takes part in funeral of eldery Palestinian-American died after being brutally detained by Israeli forces
Ramallah (QNN)- Hundreds of grieving Palestinian mourners participated on Thursday in the funeral procession of the 80-year-old Palestinian-American, Omar Abul-Majid As’ad, who died after being detained and brutally beaten by Israeli occupation forces during a military raid in the occupied West Bank.
Hundreds of grieving citizens along with his family members participated in the funeral procession of the elderly man.
His grandchildren were also seen bidding farewell.
مراسلنا: "تشييع جثمان المسن الفلسطيني عمر أسعد الذي استـــشهد بعد اعتقاله وسحله مقيدًا من قوات الاحتلال في قرية جلجليا شمال رام الله، أمس".#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/Vukcd3OCxm
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) January 13, 2022
مصادر محلية: "وداع وتشييع المسن الفلسطيني عمر أسعد، والذي استشـــهد بعد اعتقاله والتنكيل به من قوات الاحتلال شمال رام الله، أمس".#فلسطين pic.twitter.com/XjxqLBPe4Q
— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) January 13, 2022
The elderly Palestinian-American man died of a heart attack on Wednesday, as the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed in a statement, after being brutally detained and beaten by Israeli occupation forces who also blindfolded and handcuffed him during a nighttime military raid on the village of Jiljilyya, north of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
Local residents explained that an Israeli occupation force raided the village of Jiljilyya after midnight and started assaulting all the Palestinian passers.
As’ad was coming back home after visiting his relatives. The occupation soldiers stopped his vehicle and pulled him out of it. They blindfolded and handcuffed him before starting to drag him on the ground and brutally beating him, leaving him in an under-construction building in the village of Jiljilyya.
The residents added that at about 4:30 AM, the Israeli occupation soldiers had left the village and As’ad was later found dead by a resident walking in the village near the building.
Photographs circulating on social media showed a black plastic tie around at least one of his wrists.
As’ad had a history of cardiac and respiratory illness, according to his family, who also confirmed that he had lived in Milwaukee for decades before returning to the occupied West Bank about 10 years ago.
The United States yesterday asked ‘Israel’ for clarification after the 80-year-old US citizen died.
“We have been in touch with Mr. As’ad’s family to express our condolences about this tragedy. We’re providing all of the consular assistance to the family at this time,” US State Department spokesman Ned Price said while confirming that As’ad was an American citizen.
“We’ve also been in touch with the government of Israel to seek clarification about this incident, and as you may have seen the Israeli Defense Forces have indicated that there’s an ongoing investigation into the matter.”
“We support a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this incident,” Price added.
