IOF Wounds 2 Citizens in Ni’lin Date : 20/11/2009   Time : 19:35

RAMALLAH, November 20, 2009 (WAFA)- Two Palestinians were moderately injured Friday afternoon by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) fire during the weekly rally against the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank village of Ni’lin, southwest of Ramallah, while dozens suffered tear gas inhalation at the weekly demonstration in the nearrby village of Bil’in

Hundreds of protesters, including Palestinians and Israeli and foreign activists took part in the demonstrations. According to the protesters, the IOF violated the law by using live ammunition in the form of “tutu bullets” while attempting to disperse the crowd.

The protestors raised dozens of Palestinian flags and posters with the picture of the late Yasser Arafat and chanted slogans calling for the national leadership to keep struggling for the national principles.

In a reaction to recent announcements from the Israeli government regarding plans to continue with the construction of 900 new housing units in the settlement of Gilo near Bethlehem, they protested against the expansion of  settlements in East Jerusalem and the threat this expansion poses for the future Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The demonstrators marched to the Wall built on Bil’in’s land, where the Israeli army, based on the other side of the fence, responded to their presence by throwing tear gas bombs and shooting tear gas canisters. Dozens suffered from the effects of tear gas inhalation.

In addition, residents of Bil’in were calling today for the end of the ongoing arrest campaign, which escalated the day before, when a group of undercover Israeli soldiers invaded the village and arrested a local youth, Mohammad Yassin (20), who was targeted for his participation in the weekly demonstrations. They entered the village in a civilian Isuzu pick-up, dressed like Palestinians, and went directly to the workshop where Mohammad works. Before he was arrested, he was beaten by the soldiers, as were his brother and mother.

In addition to Yassin, another 27 Bil’in residents were citizens for their involvement in the demonstrations since the 23 June 2009. Among them is Adeeb Abu Rahma, who has been held in detention for more than four months under a charge of ‘incitement’ – organizing demonstrations.

In al-Ma'sara, near Bethlehem, Palestinians and international activists marched to the site where Israel is planning to build the illegal Apartheid Wall and cut the community of nine villages to the South of Bethlehem off their agricultural land. In chants and speeches, the demonstrators insisted on the illegality of the Wall and of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory, while international and Israeli activists showed support using percussion instruments.

Speakers encouraged all protestors to work with faith towards the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. Addressing the occupation forces, protestors urged the soldiers to rethink their aggression, to lay down their weapons and join the international support for the Palestinian struggle for freedom, justice and human rights.

In defiance of the Israeli soldiers who had again spread barb wire across the main street of the village so as to prevent the demonstrators from reaching the actual construction site of the Wall, children and youth repeatedly used plastic straps to pull the wire off the street, which the soldiers cut off with children's scissors. Several children and youths crossed the barrier and played games between the armed soldiers. As in previous demonstrations, a woman from the village managed to cross the barrier with her two grand children and waved a Palestinian flag over a military vehicle before she continued on her way to her land.