Palestinians held a demonstration against the return of settlers to the Homesh settlement, between Jenin and Nablus. The settlement, evacuated during Sharonâs âdisengagementâ, is set to be repopulated by Jewish settlers.
The demonstration was organized by a committee comprising representatives from the villages of Burqa, Bizzariya, Silat ad-Dhahr, Sabastiya, and Beit Imrin. These villages, all located in the area of Homesh, will be affected by the resettlement and closures, confiscations, and expansions that will inevitably ensue.
On Friday morning, between 600 and 700 villagers mobilized and marched toward the settlement. Settlers were not present at the abandoned area, but a contingent of Occupation forces met the demonstrators with tear gas and rubber bullets. Local youth responded with stones and clashes continued for several hours.
The villages plan to continue the demonstrations every Friday. Actions against settlements have not been carried out in the area since the first intifada, and Fridayâs events mark an expansion in the grassroots resistance against the Occupation colonization project.