Hundreds attend funeral of Palestinian driver hanged in bus

The funeral ceremony was held for Hassan Yousef Ramouni, a 32-year-old bus driver, in the town of Abu Dis on the outskirts of East al-Quds (Jerusalem) on Monday.
 
Ramouni was driving back home from work on Sunday when he was abducted and then hanged by Israelis in his bus in the Ras al-Amud neighborhood, according to Palestinian sources.
 
The Palestinian people attending the funeral chanted slogans against Israel. They also called for bringing to justice the perpetrators of the brutal incident.
 
After news of Ramouni’s death, shops were closed in the town and clashes erupted between Palestinians and Israeli forces. The Israeli soldiers used tear gas to disperse the Palestinians.
 
Israeli authorities, based on the results of an autopsy, claim that the driver has killed himself in his bus on a road in East al-Quds. Palestinians, however, have rejected the claim.
 
A medical expert told Palestine's Ma'an news agency that there is evidence to show that Ramouni was the victim of "an organized murder" and he died of "hanging and strangulation."
 
Osama al-Ramouni, Hassan Yousef’s brother, said his body “had bruises on it,” showing that he had been brutally “tortured” before his death.
 
Tensions have been running high in East al-Quds after Israeli troops shot dead a young Palestinian man in northern occupied territories last week.
 
Israeli forces claim Khair al-Din Hamdan was shot during a raid, but video footage released after the incident shows an Israeli soldier getting out of his car and shooting directly at Hamdan.
 
Following the unrest sparked by the killing, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a harsh crackdown on protests.