Description

Photos: PalSolidarity.org

188 olive tress were broken by settlers in Qusra this morning

Settler breaking olive trees in Urif

Qusra villagers run from a volley of tear gas

Qusra villager collapses due to tear gas inhalation

Soldiers protecting settlers while destroying trees in Urif


NABLUS (Ma'an) -- Two Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds in clashes with Israeli settlers and soldiers in separate incidents in the northern West Bank on Thursday, an official said.

Dozens of residents of Yitzhar settlement clashed with Palestinians who were playing in the snow in the nearby Urif village, south of Nablus, settler-monitoring official Ghassan Daghlas said.

Israeli forces arrived at the scene and tried to persuade the Palestinian to leave, but they refused, he said.

Tareq Zedan al-Safad,i 22, was shot in a live bullet in his leg in the clashes, and was transferred to Rafida hospital in Nablus.

An Israeli army spokeswoman said Palestinians had approached the settlement and threw rocks at Israeli forces, who responded by firing warning shots.

Meanwhile in nearby Qusra village, settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost fired on Palestinans, and Samer Masameer 26, was shot in the leg, Daghlas said.

The army spokeswoman said there was mutual rock-throwing between Israeli settlers and Palestinians in the area.

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Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians Near Nablus

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Report

Dozens of extremist Israeli settlers attacked, Thursday, a number of Palestinians playing with snow in Orif village, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. At least one resident was injured. Another Palestinian was shot and injured by settlers fire in the nearby village of Qasra.

The settlers came from the Yitzhar illegal settlement, built on privately-owned Palestinian lands.

Ghassan Daghlas, in charge of the Settlements File in the northern part of the West Bank, told the Maan News Agency that clashes took place between the residents and the Israeli soldiers and settlers, after a number of soldiers and settlers attacked several Palestinian youths playing with the snow.

He added that one resident identified as Tareq Zeidan As-Safady, 22, suffered a gunshot injury to the leg and was moved to the Rafidia governmental hospital.

The army and the settlers were trying to push the Palestinians away as they played with the snow that covered the area, and different parts of occupied Palestine.

In Qasra village, south of Nablus, an extremist settler shot and injured a Palestinian identified as Samer Masameer, 26; he was shot in the leg and was also moved to the Rafidia hospital.

Daghlas said that the settlers came from the nearby “Yesh Kodesh” illegal settlement, and added that eyewitnesses confirmed that the settler deliberately shot the resident.

Earlier on Thursday, Israeli soldiers violently attacked and arrested several Palestinians playing with snow, in Sheikh Jarrah, in occupied Jerusalem. Extremist settlers, who gathered in the area shouted slogans against the Arabs and the Palestinians.

The clashes took place when a number of extremist Israeli settlers started throwing rocks at the local Palestinian youths who were playing with the snow, and started shouting and cursing at them, while chanting racist slogans against the Arabs and the Muslims.

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