Violent clashes erupted in the northern part of the occupied West Bank on Friday, as Israeli occupation forces reportedly dispersed anti-settlement protests. Several Palestinians were left injured by live Israeli fire, while dozens more suffered from the effects of tear gas.
According to Ghassan Daghlas, who monitors Israeli illegal settlement activities in the region, extremist zionist settlers forced their way into Qaryout village on Friday, leading to confrontations with local residents that quickly escalated.
Israeli occupation forces opened fire on the protesters, using rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas to quell the unrest. Hundreds of people were affected by the tear gas, which was used extensively during skirmishes between Israeli occupation troops and Palestinian demonstrators in both Beita town and Beit Dajan hamlet, south and east of Nablus.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that two Palestinian civilians were injured in Beita, with twelve more injured in Beit Dajan. In Kafr Qaddum town, a number of Palestinians were injured as Israeli occupation forces reportedly opened fire on protestors with rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas bombs.
This incident is just the latest in a long line of disputes over illegal settlement construction in defiance of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which declared settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds “a flagrant violation under international law.” The situation has been further complicated by the full support of former US President Donald Trump for Israeli settlement expansion.
Source: Agencies (edited by Al-Manar English Website)
