By NNN-WAFA
Ramallah : Israeli troops on Friday attacked Palestinian and foreign activists protesting the Israeli Apartheid Wall being built in the West Bank village of Bil’in, near Ramallah.
Local witnesses said that the soldiers fired tear-gas shells and rubber-coated steel bullets to disperse the demonstrators, wounding a photographer.
The villagers of Bil’in said the wall is an attempt to grab their land and undermine the viability of their promised state.
Hundreds of foreign peace activists and Palestinians demonstrate at least once a week against the wall, which seizes large tracts of the West Bank lands.
Meanwhile, an Israeli air attack killed on Friday two citizens and wounded a third in the central Gaza Strip, medical sources said.
The sources said Israel warplanes launched at least one missile during the attack near Bureij Refugee Camp.
Local witnesses said the two men were instantly killed in the missile attack, affirming their bodies were torn to pieces.
In another attack, the military wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), Al-Quds Brigades, said a number of its activists clashed early Saturday with Israeli forces that infiltrated Rafah City south of Gaza Strip.
In a press release, the brigades said its fighters discovered that special Israeli forces sneaked into Al-Nahdha district in Rafah and clashes erupted.
The Palestinians set off a bomb, opened fire, and threw hand grenades at the Israelis, causing casualties among them.
The brigades stressed that it would resist any Israeli incursion into Palestinian territories.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces fired missiles Friday midnight at the eastern parts of Gaza city, Palestinian security forces said.
They pointed out that Israeli tanks in Nahal Oz site, east of Gaza City, targeted Al-Shujaiyah district, east of Gaza.
The Israeli attack caused damage to property of the Palestinian people, especially agricultural areas, however it did not cause any casualties. –
In another development, Gaza Strip witnessed on Saturday an open strike in protest of Israel’s blockade that has been going on for the past few months.
All stores decided to shut their doors as most citizens remained in their residences, while very few cars were seen around the streets as fuel supplies were very low due to Israeli sanctions.
The strike will continue until 11:00 a.m local time (GMT 09:00) and a number of events will be held as part of the protest.
On Friday, Palestinian Legislative Council member and head of the public team protesting the blockade, Jamal Al-Khudari, called on Palestinians to participate in today’s events.
The commercial strike will be the protest’s first step, then the cornerstone of a monument commemorating the blockade’s victims will be laid down, and finally there will be a march to the UN headquarters in Gaza, he explained.