Tuesday afternoon, Israeli soldiers attacked a peaceful
procession against the Wall in the village of Marda, near the West Bank
city of Salfit.
A local source in the village reported that soldiers fired gas bombs
and concussion grenades at the protestors. Several residents
who inhaled the gas required treatment by field medical teams, and one,
Nihad Wajeeh al-Khafsh, 65, who suffers from heart disease, was
transferred to a hospital for treatment.
The residents and representatives of local institutions,
together with Israeli and international peace activists, marched from
the center of the village towards a construction site of the Wall.
According to Sadeq Al-Maqash, head of Marda village council, the
procession was peaceful until soldiers began firing gas bombs at the
protestors and at homes in the village.
Three Israeli peace activists were arrested in the action.
Soldiers had surrounded the village beginning in the early morning and barred the press from entering the area.
Nasfat al-Khafsh, coordinator of the popular committee against the
Wall in Salfit area, charged that the army continuously attempts to bar
the residents and peace activists from protesting against the Wall,
land annexations and settlements.
Al-Khafsh added that the gas fired at the protestors had strong
effects, making the residents faint and dizzy. He added, however, that
the residents will continue their protests against the
Wall, because it is cutting off access to their lands, their
only source of livelihood. ÂÂ
