An Israeli motorist plowed into a Palestinian youth near Lion’s Gate in East Jerusalem, reportedly after his car was attacked by a mob amid ongoing unrest in the city.
CCTV footage shows a group of people chasing after a white automobile. The vehicle stops and tries to back up after the road becomes congested with other cars. After hitting the breaks, someone tries to open the backseat passenger door of the car, while others appear to pelt the vehicle with rocks. The automobile then backs up, briefly disappearing from view. Seconds later, it accelerates and swerves off to the side of the road, ramming a man standing in the street, who appears to have participated in the attack. The individual hurtles backwards and lands on the ground before hurriedly getting up and limping away. A crowd then forms around him and ushers him away.
The vehicle hit a barrier, turning partially on its side. A mob then surrounded the car and began throwing stones at it. Moments later, an Israeli policeman arrived at the scene, drawing his gun and dispersing the crowd. The officer reportedly fired a warning shot to keep people away.
A video taken on the ground shows the moment the car plowed into the man. In another clip, the Israeli policeman could be seen guarding the bloodied driver from a group of rioters.
Several Palestinian youths were injured amid the chaos, according to local media. The driver, as well as two passengers in his car, sustained minor injuries.
The Jewish driver told Israel’s Channel 12 that he had attempted to drive away after a mob had attacked his car with projectiles and tried to open the vehicle’s doors.
“An Arab put his hand through the window and sprayed gas — I don’t know whether it was pepper spray or tear gas,” he said, speaking from the hospital. “My two friends were mildly wounded in the face from rocks. Fortunately, police were with us on the line and arrived within five minutes, or else I don’t know how it would have ended.”
It’s unclear why the car was singled out. Judging by the CCTV footage, other vehicles on the road were not targeted.
The shocking incident occurred on Monday as Israeli forces raided Al-Aqsa mosque on the nearby Temple Mount (known as Haram al-Sharif by Muslims), resulting in hundreds of injuries. Israeli authorities say that order has been restored to the area.
Jerusalem has been rocked by several days of violence, stemming from growing anger over plans to forcibly evict Palestinian families from land inside annexed sections of East Jerusalem. The territory will be handed over to Jewish settlers.
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