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by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Ramallah, Saturday May 4 2013; Palestinian medical sources reported that eight Palestinians have been injured by Israeli army rubber-coated metal bullets, while four others suffered fractures and bruises after being attacked by Israeli settlers who invaded Ras Karkar village, west of the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Local sources reported that dozens of extremist Israeli settlers invaded the village, and attacked dozens of homes before clashing with local youths. Israeli soldiers also invaded the village and clashed with the residents.

The army fired dozens of rubber-coated metal bullets and gas bombs at the residents injuring eight, including one resident, identified as Ramadan Filfil, who was shot in the eye, and Ayyoub Samhan, 24, who was shot in the chest by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired at him at a close range.

The Maan News Agency has reported that the army and extremist settlers prevented Palestinian ambulances from entering the village, and only allowed them through at a later stage.

Maan added that the settlers invaded the Beer Ayyoub (Jacob’s Well) area, at the entrance of the village, and the soldiers broke into three homes before clashing with dozens of residents who tried to prevent the settlers from invading the village.

The settlers also tried to set the homes of fire, causing excessive damage, and torched several olive trees owned by the residents.

Soldiers fired rounds of live ammunition at a number of homes causing damage, and continued to fire gas bombs and rubber-coated bullets at local youths who hurled stones at the invading settlers and soldiers.

Secretary-General of Palestinian National Initiative, Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, stated that the ongoing and escalating attacks carried out by the settlers, are “a repetition of what Zionist gangs did in Palestine, and the massacres they committed in 1947 and 1948”.

“What is happening is ethnic cleansing, similar to what happened during the Nakba of 1948”, Dr. Barghouthi said, “The Palestinians must strengthen their popular resistance against the settlers, against the occupation, until liberation and independence”.