Ali Issa, 38, a farmer from the village of Um Salamoneh, located south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, was injured on Friday morning when a group of villagers tried non-violently to stop Israeli army troops and bulldozers from destroying the land in preparation for the construction of the illegal Israeli wall.
At least one hundred soldiers with three bulldozers invaded the village and went directly to the village land, lands that have been owned by the local farmers for generations, and are full of grape vines and almond trees. However, word got out in the village shortly after soldiers started to uproot trees and bulldoze land, and farmers owning the land rushed to the scene and used non-violent methods to stop the bulldozers from destroying the land- which is their only source of income.
Soldiers directly attacked the unarmed villagers and farmers by throwing tear gas and sound bombs at them and attacking some with rifle buts and batons. Medical sources reported some injuries due to fractures and broken bones.
Mohammad Dakatka, the mayor of the village, stated that if the wall construction continues scores of dunams of agricultural land will be annexed behind it and plenty more will be destroyed in the construction of this illegal wall separating the village from the residents' only source of income.
