Illegal Israeli settlers attack two Nablus villages, soldiers disperse clash with teargas

Date: 30 / 06 / 2009  Time:  09:07
Nablus – Ma’an –

Two Palestinians were injured Monday evening when crowds of illegal  Israeli settlers attacked villages of Asira Al-Qibliya and Fara’ata southwest of Nablus.

According to Ghassan Dughlus, the Palestinian official in charge of monitoring settlement activity in the northern West Bank, dozens of settlers attacked several Palestinian homes in both villages near Israeli settlement of Yitzhar and destroyed agricultural fields. Settlers also closed the main road between Far’ata, Nablus and Qalqiliya. They fired several gunshots from handguns into the air.

Israeli soldiers arrived shortly after the clashes began and fired tear gas canisters towards Palestinian citizens. At least two residents suffered severe effects of inhalation. They were identified as 22-year-old Hani Sabbah, and 24-year-old Samir Hamdan, who also sustained bruises at the hands of Israeli settlers.

A member of the village council of Asira Al-Qibliya Muhammad Jamilm said settlers ransacked the homes of Jamal Yousif and Mahmoud Dawood. He added that the settlers damaged agricultural fields and noted that Israeli forces stopped settlers only after they “completed their attacks as planned.”

Illegal Israeli settlers attack Palestinians in northern West Bank

Tuesday June 30, 2009 10:58 by Katherine Orwell - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

Crowds of illegal Israeli settlers attacked two Palestinian villages Asira Al-Qibliya and Far'ata, southwest of the city of Nablus, on Monday evening. During the attacks at least two Palestinians got injured. According to Israeli media one Palestinian got shot by settler gunfire.

During the settler raids of the villages, several homes were attacked, property was damaged and agricultural fields were destroyed.

The settlers from the nearby Yitzhar settlement also closed the main road between the village of Far'ata, Nablus and Qalqilia.

Local media sources report that Israeli soldiers that arrived to the scene started shooting tear gas canisters towards Palestinian civilians.

According to a member of the village council of Asira Al-Qibliya the Israeli army tried only to stop the settlers after they finished their attacks as planned.

Illegal Israeli settlers burn Palestinian crops

[ 30/06/2009 - 09:25 AM ]

NABLUS, (PIC)--

Illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes in Assira Qabalia village, south of Nablus city, and set fire to their crops on Monday night, local sources reported.

They said that dozens of settlers from the nearby Yitzhar settlement, established on lands of the village along with other nearby villages, threw firebombs and stones at the houses under the protection of Israeli occupation forces who fired bullets and gas canisters to disperse the citizens who tried to repel the settlers' attack.

A number of citizens were treated for suffocation and injuries from flying glass, the sources said.

They said that the settlers started fires in the village's barley and wheat fields and the IOF soldiers blocked firefighters from reaching the cultivated lands to put off the fire.

In the Gaza Strip, the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, on Monday evening confronted an IOF unit that tried to infiltrate into Zaitun suburb east of Gaza city.

The armed wing said in a communiqué that the Qassam fighters fired two mortar shells at the invading soldiers.

Abbas: 'Resuming peace talks depends on Israel's halt of settlement activities'

Tuesday June 30, 2009 10:12 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, stated that resuming peace talks with Israel depends on freezing all settlement activities in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, and on Israel's acceptance to the two-state solution.

Abbas added that the Palestinian Authority recognizes the state of Israel, and that Israel must recognize the Palestinian right to statehood and independence.

The president stated that Israel was informed that the Arab and Islamic countries agree to normalize with it in return to its full withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, the Golan Heights and the Shebaa farms in southern Lebanon.

He said that the Palestinian Authority is committed to the Road Map plan, and that Israel should do the same.

Referring to unit talks in Cairo, Abbas stated that the Fateh negotiators were instructed to ensure the success of national unity talks in order to end the internal divisions.