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Israeli occupation forces have significantly escalated repression of the demonstrations and popular activities against the Apartheid Wall and settlements in the occupied West Bank, leaving dozens of injuries by rubber- coated metal bullets, tear gas and stun grenades. Once again life bullets have been used against Palestinian unarmed activists and a TV cameraman. Stop the Wall is worried Israel will continue this trend, further sharpening its repression to attempt to drown Palestinian protests this way.
In Jerusalem two young men have been wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets, one with a shot in the foot and the other in the back. The injuries have taken place during the confrontations that had been sparked by the occupation forces when they invaded the town of Issawiya. Youth went out on the streets to defend their neighbourhoods. In a related development, the Israeli occupation forces clamped down on protests by Palestinian youth in the areas of Bab Hutta, mount of Olives and Jabal Al Mukaber.
In Ramallah Occupation forces suppressed the weekly march against the settlements and the Wall in the villages of Bil'in, Nilin, Betunia-Ofer prison checkpoint, Nabi Saleh, Sateh Marhaba, Beit Illo, Qalandya checkpoint and Sinjel. This Friday alone, 15 youth have been injured by rubber-coated metal bullets. Four have been injured by life ammunition and dozens with tear gas canisters and sound bombs.
Repression was particularly fierce in Sinjel. The four activists injured by life ammunitions injuries and six of the nine people injured by rubber-coated bullets are from Sinjel village, 21 km north of Ramallah on the main road to Nablus. The demonstrations in the area gained force again after the massacre in Gaza in July/August and aim to defende the village from growing land grab by Israel. Sinjel is heavily affected by the Israeli settlement project. Shilo and Maale Levona are built and expanding on the land of Sinjel and a new outpost and a military watch tower have been been built recently on the remaining land.
In Qalqelya district, in Kafr Qadoum village, east of Qalqilya, Palestine TV cameraman Bashar Nazzal was shot with life ammunition in the foot during coverage of the weekly march in the village. The weekly demonstrations builds up pressure to open the main street of the town, which has been closed since the beginning of the second intifada. The protests started two years ago demanding access and freedom of movement for Palestinians on the main street of the village. This Friday, the Israeli occupation soldiers started shooting at the people with live ammunition already after the first few minutes of the march. In addition, they used rubber-coated metal bullets and a barrage of sound and tear gas bombs, leading to dozens of injuries and suffocation, in order to repress the protest.
In Hebron Israeli forces suppressed a sit-in organized by the residents of Shuhada Street. The protest was directed against the ongoing closure of the street since nine days. Dozens of people have been wounded of suffocation by tear gas.
In Bethlehem a popular protest organized by the residents of Aida Refugee camp in order to show solidarity with the protests in Jerusalem has as well faced brutal repression. The Apartheid Wall is only a few meters away from the camp and clashes with the occupation forces started when the military began shooting at the people.
In Al Ma’sarah the Israeli occupation forces clamped down against the weekly demonstration, which this week was as well aimed at supporting the people of Jerusalem. However, at the same time the military was busy repressing the protest, other youth went to the settler bypass road near the town of Tekoa, east of Bethlehem and blocked the road for the settlers.