Ramallah: A Palestinian grandmother lost her left eye when she was hit by an Israeli-fired rubber bullet as she was watching clashes between young Palestinians and occupation forces from her balcony in the Al Eisawiyah neighbourhood of occupied East Jerusalem.
Fatima Mahmoud Obaid, 52, a mother of six and a grandmother of eight, was rushed by ambulance to Haddasah Al Eisawiyah and later transferred to Haddasah Ein Karem, but attempts to save her eye failed.
She also suffered injuries to her skull.
The woman was shot as Israeli soldiers opened fire with rubber-coated bullets when they encountered a group of stone-throwing Palestinian youth.
Mohammad Abu Al Homous, a member of Al Eisawiyah local defence committee, said neighbourhoods surrounding Al Haram Al Sharif are routinely targeted by Israeli occupation forces who use tear gas and rubber-coated bullets on protesters. Several other Palestinians also suffered serious injuries while watching the clashes from their homes.
Abu Al Homous says Israelis target even those not involved in the protests.
According to a decades-old status quo, Jews are allowed to visit the holy shrine of Al Haram Al Sharif but not to pray there. Israelis attempts to expand their worshipping rights have sparked increasing violence that has been rocking the Palestinian territories since October 2015, leaving more than 300 Palestinian martyrs and 43 Israeli and foreign nationals dead.
