Israeli forces dispersed Palestinian protests across the West Bank, on Friday, with rubber bullets and excessive use of tear gas, injuring dozens of demonstrators, reports the Ma’an News Agency.Eight people were injured with rubber bullets and dozens suffered from tear gas inhalation, after Israeli forces dispersed a weekly protest in Bilin, near Ramallah. Protesters raised Palestinian flags and chanted songs in solidarity for resistance against the Israeli occupation.
Israeli forces fired at the protesters with rubber-coated steel bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas, as they neared their lands close to the wall.
Ashraf al-Khatib, Majd Burnat, Hamouda Yassin, Mohammad Abu Rahma, Mohammad Yassin, Mohammad Hamad, Ali Abu Rahma, and Bassim Yassin were hit by rubber-coated steel bullets in different parts of the body, including one in the head.
The demonstration was held in protest of the killing of two Palestinians by Israeli forces in Jenin refugee camps and Qalqiliya, last week.
Since 2005, Bilin villagers have protested, on a weekly basis, against the Israeli separation wall which runs through their village on lands taken from local farmers.
Previous protests by Bilin activists have forced Israeli authorities to re-route the wall, but large areas of the village lands remain inaccessible to residents, because of the route.
Protests also took place in al-Masara and Nabi Saleh. (See link below, for info and photos.)
