Over 70 injured as Israeli forces attack Palestinians in occupied West Bank
Israeli forces have injured over 70 Palestinian protesters after thousands of Israeli settlers marched under Israeli army protection near Nablus in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian media reports said fierce clashes broke out at the entrance to the town of Burqa on Tuesday when thousands of settlers marched on to the abandoned outpost of Homesh near Nablus. Several Israeli parliament members were also in attendance.
The Palestinian Red Crescent confirmed that at least 72 protesters sustained injuries as Israeli forces fired rubber-coated bullets and tear gas at Palestinians protesting against the event at Burqa.
Among those injured was Palestine TV cameraman Fadi Yasin, who was hit by a rubber bullet while covering the clashes.
All entrances to Burqa were also shut by the Israeli army. Parts of the Nablus-Jenin highway were closed to Palestinian traffic as a result of the march.
The Israeli army had said before the event that it would provide protection to the settlers.
Ghassan Daghlas, a Palestinian activist who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the northern West Bank, said the march was a dangerous provocation, and was part of an effort to expand settlement building in the area.
“The right-wing settlers and [Israeli Prime Minister Naftali] Bennett’s regime aim to strengthen settlements, which the Palestinians pay the price for, whether with their blood or with their land,” Daghlas said. “The presence of settlements here is destructive and affects more than 35,000 Palestinians living in this area… simply to provide protection for the 30 settlers sitting on Jabal Qbeibat [Homesh].”
The Israeli regime has stepped up its deadly acts of aggression across the Palestinian territories since the beginning of Ramadan.
The most recent episode of violence began at dawn on Friday, when Israeli forces raided the al-Aqsa Mosque, injuring over 150 fasting Palestinians.
Since March 22, dozens of Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in the occupied West Bank, where Bennett has given Israeli forces a free hand to target Palestinians.
Israeli settlers have also noticeably escalated attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in recent months.
Various attacks on Palestinian property, including arson and graffiti, have become a daily occurrence throughout the occupied territories.
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