Ten anti-separation fence protesters hurt in clash with IDF

By Arnon Regular, Haaretz Correspondent

At least ten people – Israelis and Palestinians – sustained light injuries Thursday afternoon in a clash with Israel Defense Forces troops at a separation fence construction site, between the Palestinian village of Beit Sira and the town of Maccabim, within the Green Line.

Dozens of “Anarhists Against the Fence” activists and some 200 village residents clashed with the troops, who were securing the bulldozers paving the route of the fence.

The forces fired rubber coated bullets and sprayed tear gas at the protesters. The protest delayed construction work at the site by several hours.

According to a report published this week by the human rights groups B’Tselem and Bimkom, the main consideration behind the route for “numerous segments” of the separation fence was settlement expansion.

The report, entitled “Under the Guise of Security: Routing the Separation Barrier to Enable Israeli Settlement Expansion in the West Bank,” looks at four areas: the settlements Tzofin and Alfei Menashe near Qalqilyah, Modi’in Illit and the separation fence surrounding the Neveh Yaakov neighborhood in northern Jerusalem. The conclusion: a direct link between the route already built by the Defense Ministry and the future master plans for those settlements.

More Arrests in Bil’in

The Israeli Army entered the village of Bil’in last night at 3am and arrested 2 people as they were walking home from the Bilin outpost, Sharar Hassan Dawoud Mansour, age 22, and Wal’el Fahmi Abd Almajid Naser, age 29.

Earlier yesterday, 6 Bil’in villagers were released after serving a sentence of 4 months in prison and paying a fine of 1000 NIS each. The 6 released people are three brothers, Faraj, Fadel, and Hassan Awad Yasin, ages 20, 26 and 29, Jawad and Mohammed Emran Al Khatib, also brothers ages 20 and 23, and Mohammed Khalid Abu Rahma, age 20. There are still 6 additional people in jail from the village of Bil’in, bringing the total number to 8.

Last nights arrests are part of an ongoing intimidation campaign by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian Non-violent resistance to the confiscation of their land by the annexation wall.

Three Anti-Anexation barrier protests Friday 24 of February

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

All the protests will begin at 12:00

Villagers of Beit Sira will hold the Friday prayers on their land being annexed along with the Makabim settlement to Israel. Beit Sira has been demonstrating continuously since the destruction work restarted in their village on Wensday.

Bil’in who’s land is being annexed together with the Modi’in elite settlement and the illegal Metityahu Mizrah to Israel will hold it’s weekly demonstration.

Abud who’s land’s are being annexed to the Offarim and Beit Aryhe settlements.

For more information call:
ISM media office at 02-2971824

The Israeli Military is shooting at Palestinians blocking bulldozers in Beit Sira


Photo: Reuters

A non violent victory has turned sour. The peaceful demonstration against the annexation barrier in Beit Sira is currently being attacked by the Israeli military with live ammunition and rubber bullets.

Matan, an Israeli activist on the scene, told ISM: “Not one stone was thrown. 10-year-old children are telling the six year olds not to throw stones.”

Despite the villages discipline five residents have been wounded so far by rubber bullets – two of them in the head. One Israeli activist has been beaten and arrested by the military.

The military attacked the demonstrators after they succeeded in blocking the bulldozers from destroying their land.

The route of the wall in Beit Sira is designed to annex the Makabim settlement and more of Beit Sira’s land to Israel.

For more information:
0544-383-627 In Beit Sira
Or the ISM Media Office 02-2971824

Balata Refugee Camp Reinvaded

Blata camp was reinvaded at 1:30 this morning.

19 Year old Ibrahim Saadi was shot dead while throwing a stone at the Israeli armored jeeps

20 year old Naim Abu Sarif was shot dead by a sniper while standing on the roof of his house.

Five of the refugee camps residents were wounded including a 36 year old taxi Driver Farach Kawa who sustained multiple fragments of a live bullet to his head and shoulder.

The house of Muhammed Abu Hamis Abu Amar caught fire at around 11:45 this morning. The occupation forces prevented fire trucks from accessing the area. Emergency teams accompanied by international volunteers treated children in some of the adjacent houses who were effect by smoke inhalation. The military denied the emergency teams access to other houses. Neighbors attempted to put out the fire carrying buckets of water.

At 12:30 the military set off a series of explosions inside a house. The neighbors were not evacuated or warned in advance.