RAMALLAH, (PIC)
Zakaria Ali Qattousah was carrying nothing but the worry of supporting his four children when he headed out at dawn like thousands of Palestinian workers, attempting to cross the separation wall to reach his work inside Israel.
However, Zakaria’s pursuit of a livelihood ended with a fatal bullet to the head, turning the journey of searching for a living into a recurring scene of the suffering of Palestinian workers, who face the daily danger of death or arrest to secure food for their families.
Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall of cement and barbed wire, most of which was built on occupied West Bank lands with a height exceeding eight meters, and a length reaching about 202 kilometers, according to the human rights organization B’Tselem.
While the Israeli occupation authorities claim they built it for security considerations, Palestinians and the United Nations confirmed that its establishment came as part of a plan to annex Palestinian lands to Israel.
In 2004, the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion on the illegality of the wall, given its construction on occupied Palestinian lands.
Palestinians laid Zakaria to rest on Tuesday. He was shot dead on Monday evening. Another Palestinian worker was injured in the same incident during their attempt to cross the separation wall near the town of al-Ram north of occupied Jerusalem, in a constantly repeating incident.
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said that Zakaria was killed by Israeli soldiers in the town of al-Ram north of Jerusalem. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its teams transported the martyr after he was hit by live bullets in the head, while another worker was injured by live bullets in the foot during their attempt to cross the separation wall.
The martyr’s relatives say that what happened does not represent an isolated incident, but rather reflects a harsh reality experienced by thousands of Palestinian workers since the occupation authorities tightened work restrictions within the Green Line following the war of genocide on Gaza, as unemployment and the freezing of work permits pushed many to take dangerous paths to cross the separation wall.
Harsh tragedy and daily risks
With a tone shrouded in anger and sadness, the victim’s relatives criticized the continuous Israeli tightening policies on Palestinian workers, which push them to take that risk-laden adventure to cross the separation wall.
Zakaria’s body was transported from the Palestine Medical Complex in the city of Ramallah to his town Deir Qaddis west of the city, where he was laid to rest in its cemetery.
Khalid, the martyr’s brother, said that Zakaria was a hardworking worker like thousands of Palestinian workers who go out daily in search of their children’s livelihood, in light of difficult economic conditions and increasing living burdens. He explained that many workers have no choice but to risk for the sake of supporting their families.
He added that the family received the news of his martyrdom through calls from some acquaintances, stressing that the victim was loved, diligent, and forward-looking, and did not pose any danger, as his only goal was to work and return to his children. He pointed out that the martyr is a father of four children, all of whom are young, and said with heartbreak, “What happened is a harsh tragedy for the family.”
Anwar Qattousah, the victim’s cousin, said that Palestinian workers are forced daily to risk their lives through the separation wall or through irregular smuggling routes, to reach their work inside Jerusalem or inside Israel.
He added that these incidents are repeated almost daily near the wall, noting that dozens of workers have fallen during recent years in these circumstances. He stressed that Palestinian workers do not have any real alternatives except risking their lives in order to support their families.
According to data from the General Union of Palestine Workers, more than 50 Palestinian workers have martyred, and more than 38,000 have been arrested since October 2023, during their attempts to reach their workplaces inside the Green Line.
Israel has prevented, since the start of the war of genocide on the Gaza Strip, thousands of Palestinian workers from returning to their jobs, which pushes some of them to take dangerous paths such as climbing the separation wall or irregular crossing.
