AN ARAB man accused of selling his property in the fiercely contested region of east Jerusalem to Jewish settlers was buried in a traitor’s grave yesterday after Palestinian police found his body riddled with bullets in a burnt-out car.

Israeli police believe that Muhammad Abu al-Hawa, 48, whose body showed signs of torture, was murdered by Palestinians outraged by the sale to Jews of the three upper floors of a four-storey property on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility, saying that a similar fate awaited traitors who sold to Jews land or property in Arab east Jerusalem, which Palestinians still hope will be their capital.

Mr Abu al-Hawa’s family protested his innocence. One of his brothers, Mahmoud, 42, said that the property, and two adjacent apartment blocks, were sold to an Arab land dealer who sold them a Jordanian investment company.

Arab residents of the A-Tur neighbourhood were incensed when Jewish settlers moved into the properties two weeks ago and have since clashed repeatedly with Israeli police.

A restaurant owned by Mr Abu al-Hawa’s family was torched and Mr Abu al-Hawa was repeatedly summoned for questioning by the Palestinian Authority security forces. On Wednesday, in a telephone call to his wife and brother, he claimed to have found documents to prove his innocence. He told them that he was driving to Jericho to clear his name.

Three hours later he was found in Jericho, shot seven times in the head and chest and with a badly bruised face. He was buried in an outcast’s grave near Jericho after residents of A-Tur barred his burial there.

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