2 Palestinians Killed in Jenin by Israeli Occupation Forces, 5 Injured in Bil'in, 2 Injured in Bethlehem Protests

Two Palestinians killed in an Israeli military invasion to Jenin

Friday August 17, 2007 23:19 by IMEMC Staff saed at imemc dot org

Palestinian sources reported that two Palestinian youth were shot and killed in an Israeli occupation forces invasion to Kufur Dan village, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin; one of the killed is the leader of Abu Ammar Brigades, one of the armed wings of Fateh movement.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli occupation forces invaded the eastern neighborhood of Kufur Dan village on Friday approximately at 6 p.m, and exchanged fire with resistance fighters of Abu Ammar Brigades, and Al Quds Brigades – the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad.

Resident Mahmoud Saleh Ashour Darweesh, 25, leader of Abu Ammar Brigades, was hit by several rounds of live ammunition and when one youth identified as Nour Mer’ey, 18, rushed to save him and move him to a different location soldiers shot him dead by several rounds of live ammunition. Both were killed in the military offensive and at least five residents were injured.

Medical sources in Jenin reported that Nour Mer’ey was hit by eight rounds of live ammunition, while Mahmoud Ashour Darweesh was hit by several rounds of live ammunition including one round in his head.

Abu Ammar brigades and Al Quds brigades stated that they will retaliate to this military offensive and called on all Palestinian armed factions to continue their attacks and resistance against the Israeli occupation.

Five injured, among them journalists, at the weekly non-violent protest of Bil'in

Friday August 17, 2007 18:27 by Gifford Breslev - IMEMC News news at imemc dot org

The residents of the village of Bil'in, located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, joined by international and Israeli supporters, conducted their weekly non-violent protest against the wall this Friday.

Israeli troops disperse nonviolent demonstrators in Bilin (File)

As is the case each week, shortly after Friday prayers, protesters marched towards the location of the wall. Before arriving at the area

where construction is taking place, the protesters were stopped by an Israeli military barricade.

At the barricade, soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets, tear gas, and sound bombs at the protestors, injuring 5, among them 4 journalists. The journalists were identified as Fadi Abu Eid, Bakkir Abu Argeila and Kamal al-Azraq, who all work for Ramatan News Agency, and Ayman al-Nubani, who works for an international TV station.

The protest lasted for several hours, during which Spanish and German clowns put on a show to cheer up the village children. As the organizers ended the demonstration, they promised to return next week.

Two injured at nonviolent anti wall protest near Bethlehem

Friday August 17, 2007 18:10 by Kate Orwell - IMEMC News ghassanb at imemc dot org

A demonstration took place on Friday in Al-Walaja village, near Bethlehem, against the ongoing Israeli occupation and the Annexation Wall which has hit the village particularly hard. Approximately 120 people – Palestinians, Israelis and internationals – came to show peaceful solidarity with the village, facing 6 army jeeps and around 30 Israeli soldiers. An Irish activist was mildly injured by soldiers, who in a show of excessive violence pinned him to the floor by his throat.

Local sources reported that one Irish peace activist and one Palestinian were injured as the army violently attacked the peaceful protesters. One Israeli peace activist was arrested by the troops.

The Irish peace activist was hit on his face and head and was seen bleeing on the scene before he was given the needed first aid. The injured Palestinian resident was injured in his face and chest.

Soldiers used batons against the peaceful protestors who chanted slogans against the Annexation Wall and against the uprooting of olive trees by the army in order to contruct the Wall.

Al-Walaja nestles quietly on the side of a beautiful wooded valley, but since the 1980s has been overlooked by Har Gilo settlement, built upon their land and the land of the adjacent town of Beit Jala. Current Israeli plans will see the village entirely encircled by the Apartheid Wall within a few years, turning this tranquil spot into an open-air prison. Already the bulldozers are moving in on the village and beginning to fell the trees.

An interesting speech by a female resident of the village highlighted the role of the well-known Cremisan monastery and vineyard in the village's plight.

The monastery owns the land bordering Al-Walaja where the work on the wall has begun, yet refuses to co-operate with the village's resistance and ignores all attempts at communication by the villagers.

In a moving moment during the village Imam's speech on Al-Walaja's history, his English interpreter struggled to translate the torrent of grief and rage he poured forth. For a few moments she paused, then began to cry. "We survived 1948 and 1967", she said through her tears. "But what now? We have been left not a single centimeter of our land. Where will we go now?"

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