Video| 25 years since Al Haram Al Ibrahimi massacre
Hebron (QNN)- Today marks 25 years since the Al Haram Al Ibrahimi massacre, in which an extremist illegal settler, called Baruch Goldstein, opened fire at worshipers while they were in Dawn prayer on Ramadan, killing and injuring dozens.
Goldstein had broken into the mosque under protection of Israeli occupation forces, then opened fire at the worshipers while they were bowing down, murdering 29 and causing hundreds of injuries.
The Israeli forces closed the doors to prevent people from leaving and banned people outside to rescue anyone. Worshipers confronted the terrorist murderer and the armed soldiers, who helped him, which caused the death toll to reach 50.
Israel exploited the massacre to appoint a commission of inquiry headed by judge Meir Shamgar, who had a history of pro-settler activism by promoting expropriation of Palestinian land to Jewish settlement that are against international law. The commission displayed leniency towards settlers and occupation soldiers, who were responsible for firing at Palestinians.
Instead of bringing justice to victims, Shamgar commission decided to divide the mosque between Muslims and extremist settlers, giving the settlers a greater portion, which contains tombs of prophets in addition to the center of the mosque. It also decided to close some Palestinian shops and Al Shuhada street, which is the center and the main road of the city.
The Israeli authorities installed surveillance cameras and electronic gates as well, and closed to the Palestinians all the ways leading to their mosque. All of this led to the expansion of illegal settlements in the city and to even more assaults against the Palestinians.
At the international level, an international observer mission was created to document all violations by both sides in the city. However, in the beginning of 2019 Netanyahu expelled the commission saying “We will not allow an international force to act against us”, which dramatically increased the violations committed by settlers against Palestinians, and spread fear of another massacre.
