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Moataz Zawahreh, Palestinian activist and brother of hunger striker, killed by Israeli forces, mourned by thousands

15 October 2015

Moataz Zawahreh, 27, Palestinian refugee and resident of Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem was shot dead by a live bullet by Israeli occupation forces on 13 October as he participated in a mass youth protest at the entrance to Bethlehem, becoming the 29th Palestinian killed by Israeli forces since 2 October and the growing popular Palestinian uprising.

The Martyr Moataz Zawahreh was the younger brother of imprisoned Ghassan Zawahreh – and of several other Palestinian political prisoners – held under administrative detention, who just concluded a 40-day hunger strike to secure his release on 30 November, the Battle of Breaking the Chains.

Zawahreh was a local leader of Palestinian left-wing political party, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Ma’an News reported:

Zawahreh was killed during a lull in the clashes. At the time he was standing among a group of fellow protesters with nothing in his hands, and was much too far away to have been a threat to Israeli forces.

When Zawahreh was shot, the bullet went through his stomach and exited from his back….

Several friends who helped evacuate Zawahreh to the ambulance said he began singing a Palestinian fight song while they carried him. “The mother of the martyr don’t be sad, every Palestinian is your son,” he sang, according to the young men….

People who knew Zawahreh repeatedly highlighted his friendly character and political involvement.“His family are a very active family in his camp for PFLP,” al Qaisi said, pointing out that… Zawahreh’s brothers are currently in Israeli prisons. “He was a popular guy, everyone in the area knew him and had some kind of relationship with him.”

Thousands of Palestinians took to the streets to join Moataz’s funeral and honor the life of this struggler, pledging to continue on his path of struggle, the road of resistance and the growing popular uprising: