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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers attacked, Friday, the weekly nonviolent protest against the Israeli Annexation Wall and Settlements, in Kufur Qaddoum village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, and kidnapped six peace activists, including four international human rights defenders, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) reported.

The ISM said that three British citizens, identified as Gordon Bennet, 44, Ellie Clayton, 24, and Aimee McGovern, 23, and one American citizen identified as Lauren Siebert, were kidnapped by Israeli soldiers attacking the weekly nonviolent protests in Kufur Qaddoum.

The soldiers also kidnapped two Palestinian citizens identified as Majed Farouq, 20, and Abdul-Latif Farouq, 24; the two Palestinians were kidnapped from their homes after the army invaded the village.

The ISM said that the army claims that the kidnapped “hurled stones at the soldiers”, and that the soldiers transferred the international activists to a prison in the Kedumim illegal settlement. The activists will be sent to the Israeli Petah Tikva Court, near Tel Aviv.

Local residents hurled stones at the soldiers after they invaded the village; soldiers fired tear-gas near the village’s mosque during Friday noon prayers.

The soldiers also surrounded the mosque in an attempt to prevent the villagers from marching.

Several residents threw their shoes at the soldiers after they invaded the village and surrounded the local mosque.

The ISM reported that on Thursday morning, September 20, the army invaded the village to kidnap four residents identified as Taha Mohammad, 17, Mohammad Amir, 16, Nadir Amir, 23, and Yousef Shtaiwi, 20.

On Wednesday morning, the army kidnapped Anas Barham, 22, at a roadblock near the entrance of the village.

Another resident of the village, identified as Ahmad Shtaiwy, 22, is still in prison without charges despite the fact that he was kidnapped on March 16.

Kufur Qaddoum village holds weekly nonviolent protests against the Wall and Settlements, and against the closure of the main road linking the village with the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The road was closed by the army in 2002.

Also, after Israeli built the illegal Kedumim settlement, the residents became unable to travel using the direct routes to Nablus, only 13 kilometers away, and are forced to travel double the distance using alternate routes.

Kufur Qaddoum started holding its weekly nonviolent protests more than a year ago, and similar to other villages protesting against the Wall, settlements, and closures, the army has stepped-up its offensives in an attempt to prevent the residents from protesting.

The army now invades the village before noon prayers every Friday, in an attempt to prevent the residents, and their Israeli and International supporters, from marching.

Soldiers also fire gas bombs at the protesters leading to several injuries, including injuries among Israeli and International peace activists. The army also uses what is referred to as the “skunk truck” as it sprays the protesters with very bad smelling water mixed with chemicals.

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