Killing of Eyad al-Hallaq
On 30 May 2020, Eyad al-Hallaq[n 1] (Arabic: إياد الحلاق, romanized: ’Iyād al-Ḥalāq), a 32-year-old unarmed autistic Palestinian man, was shot and killed by Israeli Police in East Jerusalem of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
[1] Hallaq was heading to a school for students with special needs, and passed through the Lions' Gate checkpoint, where Israeli police officers attempted to stop him and shot at least seven times in his direction.
[2][3] On 6 July 2023, an Israeli court acquitted the officer of charges of "reckless homicide" based on his argument that he fired in self-defense and believed Hallaq was attempting an attack.
The following day, Hallaq's crying mother confronted a group of Israeli demonstrators, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called her a terrorist.
[1] Friends and family of Halaq and the Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saab Erekat, have drawn parallels with police brutality in the United States and the murder of George Floyd.
[5] Halaq and his teacher were walking on 30 May 2020 to the Elwyn El Quds center which provides services for children and adults with disabilities when they approached the Lions' Gate checkpoint.
[6] The checkpoint was part of the daily walk from Halaq's home in East Jerusalem's Wadi al-Joz area to the special-needs center in the Old City, which he had attended since 2014.
[15] On 6 July 2023, an Israeli court acquitted the officer of charges of "reckless homicide" based on his argument that he fired in self-defense and believed Hallaq was attempting an attack.
The following day, Hallaq's crying mother confronted a group of Israeli demonstrators, including far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who called her a terrorist.
[10] Benny Gantz, the Alternate Prime Minister of Israel, discussed the issue at a weekly meeting of the Israeli cabinet the next day, stating the government was sorry about the incident and shared in the families grief while calling for a swift investigation.
