Al-Walaja, occupied West Bank -- Around 2,000 mourners marched on Friday
in the Bethlehem-area village of al-Walaja for the funeral of slain
Basil al-Araj.

Al-Araj, 34, was killed on March 6 during an
Israeli military raid at the home where he had been hiding out for two
months after he was released by the Palestinian Authority in October and
forced into hiding by Israeli forces who reportedly raided his family
home 11 times between October and March.

Israeli authorities
said the political activist and philosopher exchanged gunfire with
Israeli soldiers during the raid, resulting in his death. No injuries
were reported among Israeli soldiers carrying out the raid, however
doctors at the hospital which received al-Araj’s remains on Friday told
Mondoweiss that his body had been riddled with 21 bullets.

Palestinians have branded the killing an “assassination” of a budding political leader.