Palestinians Protesting against Illegal Settlements Injured by Israeli Forces
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Palestinians taking part in protests against Israeli settlements in several areas across the occupied West Bank were attacked by Israeli forces on Friday.
Israeli forces suppressed a weekly anti-settlement rally in Kafr Qaddum, using rubber bullets and tear gas.
Palestine's WAFA news agency cited Murad Shteiwi, a media spokesman in the Qalqilya region, as saying that four Palestinians, including a child and a journalist, were hit by rubber bullets during the attack.
According to the report, tens of protesters also suffered breathing difficulties due to inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli forces.
Also on Friday, dozens of Palestinians suffered breathing difficulties as Israeli troops fired tear gas during clashes on Sobeih Mountain in the town of Beita, south of Nablus.
Since May, Beita has seen intensified clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians protesting against a settlement outpost that has been established on Sobeih Mountain by settlers under the protection of Israeli forces.
To the east of Nablus, several injuries were also reported as Israeli forces attacked Palestinians taking part in a peaceful anti-settlement protest in the village of Beit Dajan on Friday.
Palestinian media outlets cited the Palestine Red Crescent ambulance service as saying that 15 Palestinians were hit by rubber bullets, including a volunteer with the Red Crescent, during the attack, adding that nine others suffered breathing difficulties due to the tear gas fired by Israeli troops.
Meanwhile, clashes erupted in the area of Bab a-Zawiyah in the center of al-Khalil (Hebron) on Friday as the Israeli forces stationed at a military checkpoint at the entrance of al-Shuhada Street fired rubber bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas at Palestinians.
The report added that tens of Palestinians suffered breathing difficulties due to the toxic fumes.
Israel occupied the West Bank and the Gaza Strip — territories the Palestinians want for a future state — during the Six-Day Arab-Israeli War in 1967. It later had to withdraw from Gaza.
More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 occupation of the Palestinian territories of the West Bank.
All the settlements are illegal under international law. The United Nations Security Council has condemned the settlement activities in several resolutions.
