Palestinians shave their heads to make it harder for Israeli forces to catch suspect

By Mucahit Aydemir

JERUSALEM (AA) - Young Palestinian men in the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem have kicked off a campaign to look like a wanted Palestinian youth by shaving their heads to help him evade Israeli soldiers.

Many Jerusalem youths found an interesting way to show solidarity with Udai Tamimi, 22, who allegedly killed Israeli soldier Sgt. Noa Lazar on Oct. 8 and then went missing.

The "baldness fashion" of Palestinian youths has gone viral on social media in a short time, with images of young people getting their heads shaved at barber shops and homes drawing a lot of attention.

On Oct. 8, an armed attack against Israeli forces at a checkpoint in Shuafat refugee camp led to the killing of the Israeli soldier and wounding of two others.

The Israeli army said Tamimi had hid in the refugee camp, and they surrounded the camp and nearby neighborhoods for five days, where approximately 150,000 Palestinians live.

Israeli troops closed the checkpoints and carried out raids, turning the camp’s streets into battlefields.

As the Israeli army's blockade of the camp paralyzed daily life, the camp’s residents protested against the siege, describing it as "collective punishment.”

People throughout Palestine, particularly in East Jerusalem, staged demonstrations in solidarity with the Palestinians in Shuafat. Strikes were declared in many cities, workplaces were closed and education was suspended at schools.