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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Palestinian medical sources reported that at least 11 nonviolent peace activists, and 7 reporters, have been injured when Israeli soldiers attacked a group of activists trying to reach the Bab Al-Shams, the new village project meant to counter the illegal Israeli E1 settlement plan in occupied East Jerusalem. Several activists have been kidnapped.

Several activists were injured in their legs and arms, while one was injured in the chest and another was injured in the head.

The army prevented dozens of residents from reaching Bab Al-Shams but several youths managed to reach it, and the army started firing gas bombs and rubber-coated metal bullets, and chased dozens of residents in the surrounding hills, Abdullah Abu Rahma, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall reported.

The army also prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the area to provide the urgently needed care for wounded residents, and also prevented dozens of reported from performing their duties.

On their Facebook page, the Bab Al-Shams activists quoted one of the activists stating that approximately 200 persons were trying to reach Bab Al-Shams, and added that several activists are stuck in the mountains around in the area while Israeli military helicopters hovered overhead.

Two of the wounded reporters have been identified as Nasser Shiokhy and Mahmoud Oleyyan.

Abir Qubty, a local nonviolent activist stated that ten activists, including herself, initially managed to reach Bab Al-Shams, and that the army is arresting them, and added that earlier a few more activists were kidnapped by the army.

Later on, in a tweet from her Phone, Qubty said she and the rest of the kidnapped activists were in a police vehicles taking them to an unknown location, and that they were attacked and beaten by the police.

In a Facebook post published approximately 45 minutes ago, Bab Al-Shams reported that 22 of the kidnapped activists have been released at the Hizma roadblock, and added that it is likely that more activists are still detained.

Abdullah Abu Rahma told the Bethlehem 2000 Radio that dozens of activists managed to reach Bab Al-Shams by staging a fake wedding convoy, and after they were allowed through a military roadblock, they went to the village and started their nonviolent protest.

It is worth mentioning that more nonviolent activists are heading to the area determined to enter and rebuild Bab Al-Shams.

Bab Al-Shams activists said that they are determined to return to the Palestinian lands, adding “nothing can stop us”, sending a message to the occupation that this Palestine and that Palestinians have the right to build and inhabit it.

Bab Al-Shams was established in response to the illegitimate Israeli decision to build thousands of units for Jewish settlers in the “E1” area in occupied East Jerusalem, by illegally confiscating thousands of Dunams of Palestinian lands.

Some of the activists who made it to Bab Al-Shams raised the Palestinian flag declaring their determination to rebuild the tent village that the evicted by force last Sunday after the soldiers violently attacked the activists camping there.