One Palestinian, two European s injured at anti-wall rally

Date: 03 / 07 / 2009  Time:  18:20
Bethlehem - Ma'an -

Three demonstrators were injured by Israeli occupation forces at a demonstration in the West Bank city of Bil'in, near Ramallah, on Friday, in a protest against the illegal Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall.

The injured were named as Adeeb Abu Rahmah of Bil'in, as well as two Europeans identified only by their first names, Judi from the United Kingdom and Julia from Germany. Their injuries were described as light.

Dozens of others suffered tear-gas inhalation when Israeli troops opened fire on protesters attending the weekly rally in opposition to the separation wall, which annexes some 60 percent of the area's land into Israel and for use of a nearby settlement.

International and Israeli supporters joined the villagers of Bil'in and marched from the town's center following midday Friday prayers, calling for further resistance in light of new Israeli plans to take over Palestinian land near the Dead Sea and Jordan Valley.

The villagers also asked human right groups to intervene in the cases of a dozen Palestinians recently abducted by Israel's army from the village, five of them children.

The most recently abducted child from the village was 16-year-old Sulaiman Saif, who was taken from his home on Tuesday in the latest in a series of raids against the area known for its activism, according to Iyad Burnat of the village’s Popular Committee.

Saif was the eight Palestinian to be arrested in the raids that were reported until Tuesday to have occurred every night for two weeks straight. Burnat alleged at the time that the latest invasion was "part of a broad campaign over the last two weeks by the army to strike terror on the village of Bil'in."

Last Monday, 70 Israeli soldiers invaded the West Bank village at 2:30am, raiding houses and eventually abducting two teenage boys, who were identified as Mohsen Khatib and Hamoda Yassin, both 16, Burnat said.

In April a Bil'in protester, Bassem Abu Rahmah, was killed after an Israeli occupation soldier shot him in the chest with a high-velocity gas canister at close range.

Israeli occupation soldiers attack the Nil'in weekly Protest

Friday July 03, 2009 17:26 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli occupation soldiers attacked Palestinian villagers along with their international and Israeli peace supporters during the weekly non-violent protest against the wall in Ni'lin village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah, on Friday. 

Villagers and their supporters held the midday prayers near the construction site of the Israeli Wall, and then they marched towards the bulldozers building the wall. As soon as the crowd reached the location and started to dismantle part of the wall, troops attacked them with tear gas. Scores were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Three Injured during the weekly Bil'in protest

Friday July 03, 2009 16:13 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Three injured and dozens suffered from gas inhalation when Israeli occupation soldiers attacked the weekly protest in Bil'in village near the central West Bank city of Ramallah on Friday.

International and Israeli supporters joined the villagers of Bil'in and marched from the village center after the Friday midday prayers. The protesters demanded the halt of Israeli illegal settlements and construction of the wall.

They also called for more resistance to the construction of the wall and settlements in light of the new Israeli plans to take over more Palestinian land near the dead sea and Jordan valley.

The villagers asked human right groups to intervene in the case of those kidnapped by the army from the village. The army attacked Bil'in this week and last week and kidnapped a dozen civilian among them five children.

As the protesters arrived at the wall, Israeli troops stationed at its gate fired a barrage of sound bombs, tear gas and rubber-coated bullets. Three protesters, Adeeb Abu Rahmah, Judi from UK and Julia from Germany, were lightly wounded and dozens were treated for the effects of tear gas inhalation.

This week the Israeli military attacked the village on a number of occasions and kidnapped six people among them two children.

In other news this week the Israeli High Court of Justice ordered the Israeli military on Wednesday to press stronger charges against an officer that shot a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian civilian from Bil'in. The court decision came based on a petition by Israeli human rights organizations on behalf of the victim Ashraf Abu Rahmah, 27.

Two foreign activists wounded in IOF quelling of peaceful march

[ 04/07/2009 - 08:10 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a peaceful march in the Bilin village, Ramallah district, wounding three civilians including two foreigners, local sources reported.

Bilin villagers, joined with Israeli and international activists, organized a popular rally against the separation wall and construction of settlements after the Friday congregation.

Palestinian flags and placards condemning land confiscation, establishment of the wall and arrest of citizens were raised during the rally.

After marching in the village streets and calling for national unity, the villagers tried to cross the wall's gate to reach their confiscated lands.

However, IOF soldiers entrenched behind concrete walls opened fire on them, wounding three including British and German activists while others suffered from suffocation as a result of tear gas inhalation.

The popular committee to resist the wall and settlement in Bilin called on the Palestinian people to unite and stage demonstrations against the new Israeli settlement plan and confiscation of vast land in the West Bank.

It urged international human rights organizations and defense of children institutions to protect citizens especially children who are terrified during the IOF soldiers night raids and who are subjected to detention regardless of their age.