WEST BANK: Palestinian shot with live ammunition during anti-barrier demonstration, Jewish settlers clash with Palestinian residents

Record ID: 560278

  • Title: WEST BANK: Palestinian shot with live ammunition during anti-barrier demonstration, Jewish settlers clash with Palestinian residents
  • Date: 5th December 2009
  • Summary: NEAR YITZHAR SETTLEMENT, WEST BANK (DECEMBER 04, 2009) (REUTERS) JEWISH SETTLERS HURLING ROCKS AT PALESTINIAN YOUTHS ISRAELI SOLDIERS SHOOTING MORE OF SOLDIERS SHOOTING, AS SETTLERS HURLING ROCKS MORE OF SETTLERS HURLING ROCKS SETTLERS HURLING ROCKS / PALESTINIAN CHILDREN RUNNING AWAY BROKEN WINDOW GLASS IN NEARBY PALESTINIAN VILLAGE OF ASEERRA AL KIBLEEYEH STONE ON GROUND MORE OF BROKEN WINDOW GLASS
  • Embargoed: 20th December 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: International Relations,Defence / Military
  • Reuters ID: LVA6JP6A3DJXDL2V3Z5ORXQUQKXK
  • Story Text: Israeli soldiers shoot live ammunition at Palestinian demonstrators during anti-barrier demonstration in the West Bank. Jewish settlers clash with Palestinian residents near the West Bank city of Nablus.
    Israeli soldiers shot live ammunition at a Palestinian protester during weekly anti barrier demonstration in the West Bank on Friday (December 4). Military sources said he was lightly wounded and taken for medical treatment.
    At the barrier's construction site near the West Bank village of Nilin, demonstrators were met by Israeli forces who shot tear gas grenades at the crowd. One of protester was shot in his lower body, and evacuated for medical treatment.
    Palestinian medic said he was shot with live ammunition and possibly had broken limbs.
    Israeli army spokesman unit said that approximately 150 rioters in the village threw rocks at security forces who responded with riot dispersal means, including the use of 0.22 calibre rounds under strict fire regulations and only against extremely violent rioters. The spokesperson unit added that the force has identified hitting one rioter in his lower body.
    Israel began building its barrier of fences and walls at the height of the Palestinian uprising that began in 2000, and it now runs along most of the West Bank border, encroaching at many points onto West Bank territory.
    Israeli leaders say the barrier is a temporary obstacle that could be removed once a peace agreement with the Palestinians was signed and attacks on Israel ceased.
    The International Court of Justice, in a non-binding decision in 2004, said the barrier was illegal and should be taken down because it crossed occupied territory.
    Also on Friday, near the West Bank city of Nablus, Jewish residents from Yitzhar settlement hurled rocks at Palestinian youths from the nearby village of Aseerra al Kibleeyeh. Israeli soldiers were seen in the area, some of them shooting.
    Local Palestinian resident said that the settlers came along with the army after they saw Palestinians plowing their fields.
    Israeli army spokesperson unit said that there was a violent clash between Palestinians and Israeli civilians in the area, including mutual rock throwing. It added that the army arrived at the scene and dispersed the crowd.
    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered a settlement freeze last week in an attempt to persuade Palestinians to return to the U.S-sponsored peace talks suspended a year ago. It does not apply to some 3,000 settler housing units already being built in the West Bank and Netanyahu stresses it is temporary.
    The freeze does not apply to areas that Israel annexed to its Jerusalem municipality after the 1967 Middle East war.
    Some 500,000 Jews live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem among 2.7 million Palestinians.
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