Israeli soldiers shot and injured, on Friday, three Palestinian young men and injured dozens more, at the weekly anti-settlement procession in the village of Kufur Qaddoum, east of Qalqilia, in the northwestern part of the occupied West Bank, local sources reported.
According to Morad Eshteiwi, the media spokesperson of the Popular Committee in Qalqilia, said the march began after the villagers performed the Friday prayer at the Omar Ibn Al-Khattab Mosque in the village.
Eshteiwi added that hundreds of locals and international solidarity activists participated in this weeks demonstration to demand that the occupation authorities open the main road to the village, that was closed in 2003.
The march commenced in front of the mosque and proceeded to the main road of the town, which was closed by the occupation in 2003.
Occupation forces stationed at the entrance opened fire with with rubber-coated steal bullets, tear gas canisters, and concussion grenades, while unarmed Palestinians youths confronted the army by hurling rocks.
Soldiers shot and injured three Palestinians with rubber-coated steel rounds, while dozens more sustained inhalation injuries as a result of tear gas exposure.
All injuries were treated on site by local medics.
Israeli colonists from the nearby illegal Kedumin settlement, established on expropriated Palestinian lands, have full access to the street, while Palestinians are forced to take longer routes to Nablus city, the nearest major commercial center, prolonging travel time and causing undue hardship.
Palestinian villagers from Kufur Qaddoum and the surrounding area have rallied every Friday since 2003 to demand that Israeli occupation authorities reopen the road.
Video from Palestine TV
In related news, Palestinian citizens held an anti-settlement procession in the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus in the West Bank.
