Bethlehem / PNN /

The Palestinian people mourned the martyrdom of Zakaria Zaoul, whose body was laid to rest at dawn on Tuesday. He was killed by live ammunition fired by the occupying forces, sustaining a fatal head injury during intense clashes in the town of Husan, west of Bethlehem, late last night.

During the funeral procession for his son, Zakaria Zaoul's father stated that he received news of his son's head injury and immediately rushed to the hospital, only to find him martyred due to a gunshot wound to the head caused by an explosive bullet fired by members of special units who had ambushed a group of young men in the village. The assailants arrived in a white car and attacked the group, injuring Zakaria. He was then transported by a citizen's car to Al-Yamama Hospital, where his martyrdom was announced.

Zakaria's father affirmed that he considers his son a martyr in the eyes of God, in the path of Palestine. Palestine has a long history of martyrs and sacrifices, as thousands of martyrs like Zakaria have preceded him, walking the same path and sacrificing for their homeland.

He further stated that they only say what pleases God, expressing gratitude to God under all circumstances.

The funeral procession departed from Al-Yamama Hospital in Al-Khader town towards Beit Jala Governmental Hospital, where the necessary official procedures were carried out to document the cause of martyrdom. Then, the body was transported to his home, where his family and friends bid him farewell.

A large procession of people departed from Zakaria Zaoul's house to the village council, where hundreds of residents of the town bid their final farewell to the martyr. The youth of Husan and the surrounding villages carried the martyr's body, marching through the town's streets while chanting national slogans and condemning the occupation's crime. The procession reached the cemetery in the village of Husan, where the martyr was laid to rest.

Mohammed Al-Jaafari, the coordinator of the Coordination Committee of the Factions in the Bethlehem Governorate, stated that the burial of the martyr took place at dawn today, following the Zaoul family's decision to bury him after midnight. According to the national decision, tomorrow, Tuesday, will be a day of solidarity with the family of Zakaria Zaoul. People will express their condolences to his relatives and to our people and nation in the village of Husan.

Al-Jaafari, in a brief statement on his Facebook page, denied all the information circulating on social media about a general strike in the Bethlehem Governorate today.

The Coordination Committee of the Factions in the Bethlehem Governorate mourns the martyr Zakaria Mohammed Zakaria Zaoul, who was martyred by the bullets of Israeli occupation forces late Monday night in the town of Husan, west of the Bethlehem Governorate.

The Coordination Committee of the Factions extends its deepest condolences and sympathies, in the name of the martyr's family, especially to the people of Husan and our entire nation. They earnestly supplicate to the Almighty God to grant him eternal rest in the gardens of paradise among the prophets, the righteous, and the martyrs, and may his companions be of the virtuous.

Rami Hamamreh, the director of the Husan Village Council, stated that the clashes primarily occurred in the area of Al-Mutina, at the eastern entrance of the village. During the confrontations, the occupying forces fired live ammunition, tear gas, and sound bombs, resulting in a young man being injured by a gunshot to the head. He was immediately transported to the hospital for treatment but was later pronounced dead.

Hamamreh added that two other young men were also injured by the occupation's gunfire, one in the neck and the other in the abdomen. Additionally, an unidentified young man was arrested during the clashes.