'Israel' withheld Palestinian man's body over Facebook funeral posts
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- ‘Israeli’ police released the body of Khalil al-Rashak only after his family deleted Facebook posts announcing his funeral.
- His family says he was denied medical treatment after being shot, while police claim he failed to obey orders during an arrest.
‘Israeli’ police released the body of an East Jerusalem man fatally shot by Border Police only after his family removed Facebook posts announcing his funeral, according to relatives.
Khalil al-Rashak, 47, was shot by ‘Israeli’ forces on July 24 in East Jerusalem. His family told Haaretz that he was denied medical treatment after being wounded and was left to bleed to death. ‘Israeli’ police said he was shot after failing to obey officers' orders during an attempted arrest.
According to witnesses cited by the Palestinian news outlet Silwanic, al-Rashak was shot twice in the thigh before ‘Israeli’ forces left him bleeding on the ground without providing medical assistance.
His family rejected the official account, arguing that the delay in treatment directly contributed to his death.
After the shooting, ‘Israeli’ authorities withheld al-Rashak's body. His relatives said police refused to release the remains until Facebook posts announcing his funeral were deleted.
The family ultimately complied with the demand, removed the posts, and buried al-Rashak under restrictions imposed by ‘Israeli’ police.
‘Israel’ has for years withheld the bodies of Palestinians killed during encounters with security forces, arguing that funerals can become large demonstrations that may turn violent.
Palestinian and international rights organizations have criticized the practice, saying it amounts to collective punishment and has increasingly been applied beyond exceptional security cases.
Following the killing, the Jerusalem Governorate condemned the incident, describing ‘Israeli’ military checkpoints in the city as "death checkpoints."
The governorate accused ‘Israeli’ forces of using excessive force against Palestinians and said the shooting reflected a broader pattern of violence at checkpoints across occupied East Jerusalem.
