Hundreds of Palestinian residents, Israeli and international peace
activists protested on Friday against the Annexation Wall Israeli is
constructing on Palestinian orchards in Bil'in village, west of
Ramallah, in the northern part of the West Bank. Several injuries were
reported after the soldiers violently attacked the protesters and fired
at them.
Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Bil'in, told IMEMC reporter that the protesters carried posters the had the pictures of the Israeli peace activists who was shot and injured by the Israeli forces in Bil'in last week.
The Israeli peace activists is currently hospitalized in Tel Aviv suffering injuries in his head and neck.
One of the posters reads; “Anyone who expresses his belief and opinion is punished by the army Israeli with a bullet in the head and a bullet in his neck”.
The protesters also carried Palestinian and Lebanese flags and chanted slogans against the occupation, settlements and the Wall.
Israeli troops intercepted the protesters before they managed to reach a Wall construction area and declared it a “closed military zone”.
Soldiers fired rubber-coated bullets, gas cannister, and used a new weapon that produces an electric shock that hurts the skin and causes internal bleeding.
Five international peace activists, four Israelis and three Palestinians were injured.
Abu Rahma stated that most of the protesters who were injured by the weapon suffered the same symptoms in various parts of their bodies. Five internationals, four Israelis and three Palestinians were injured during Friday protest.
According to Abu Rahma, the new bullets are similar to the rubber-coated bullets, but are relatively smaller and cause electric shock to the body, the effects of this shock remain for a period of one minutes after impact.
The ISM media office in Ramallah issued a press release into Friday's protest, and reported that soldiers lashed out at the marchers.
An American peace activist, Megan, suffered concussion and severe bruising after being beaten on the forehead.
The ISM media office added that another American activist suffered severe hand injuries. Protesters attempted to hold a sit down protest but the soldiers attacked and hit them.
One Italian and one Israeli peace activists were badly beaten by the soldiers and were transferred by a local ambulance for treatment.
Soldiers invaded Bil'in and chased the residents and peace activists while firing the new type of ammunition. Saif, one of the local residents and a peace activist, was shot and hit twice by rubber-coated bullets.
Troops detained two activists but they were de-arrested be fellow activists, ISM media office reported.
Palestinian Legislative Council Member Moheeb Salam Awwad, from Ramallah, was also among the protesters.
