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Video: Israel Forces Storm Ein Hejleh

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Chris Carlson - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

Forty-one activists have been injured, during a raid on Ein Hejleh protest village, in the Jordan Valley.

Activists told the Palestinian News Network (PNN) that 41 activists suffered injuries from rubber-coated bullets and tear gas canisters after Israeli forces raided the village, on Friday at 4 am.

Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and acoustic bombs at the village before raiding it. According to the activists, forces began beating villagers with batons and proceeded to expel them from the village, declaring it a closed military area.

A number of journalists were also assaulted in the attack.

In related news, Ma'an News Agency reports that a group of Palestinian and international activists, on Friday afternoon, established a new protest village in the Jordan Valley, only hours after Israeli forces raided and destroyed Ein Hajla.

DFLP central committee member Bassa Maslamani told Ma'an that dozens of activists had established the protest village in al-Jiftlik, in order to reiterate that the region is a Palestinian area, referring to Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley as part of peace negotiations.

The new protest village was set up in al-Joula, in the Jiftlik area of the northern Jordan valley, on Friday.

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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- A group of Palestinian and international activists on Friday afternoon established a new protest village in the Jordan Valley, only hours after Israeli forces raided and destroyed the encampment of Ein Hajla in the region.

The new protest village was set up in al-Joula in the Jiftlik area of the northern Jordan valley on Friday.

DFLP central committee member Bassa Maslamani told Ma'an that dozens of activists had established the protest village in al-Jiftlik in order to reiterate that the region is a Palestinian area, referring to Israeli plans to annex the Jordan Valley as part of peace negotiations.

Maslamani added that the camp is near the site of an Israeli "numbers graveyard," where Israeli authorities keep the remains of a number of Palestinians who were killed by Israeli forces, many during the Second Intifada.

The move came after Israeli soldiers invaded a protest village overnight that had been set up a week before in Ein Hajla in the southern Jordan Valley.

Israeli forces attacked and destroyed the protest village before dawn, injuring at least 35 protesters during the assault.

Ein Hajla was set up last Friday to protest against Israeli confiscation policies in the area, continued Jewish settlement construction on occupied land, and recent proposals to annex the Jordan Valley.

Israeli forces had surrounded the encampment and prevented supplies, as well as other activists, from entering the village for the last week.

Lawmaker Mustafa al-Barghouti said hundreds of Israeli soldiers raided the village on Friday morning firing stun grenades, and beating people there including children. Several suffered fractures after they were struck with batons and rifle butts, he said.

Barghouti, who was at Ein Hajla during the raid, said dozens of military vehicles and prisoner transport vehicles arrived at the village and soldiers and detained a large number of people.

Diana Alzeer from the Ein Hajla media committee told Ma'an that a total of 35 protesters were injured, oh which many were taken to hospital as a result.

She added that several protesters were detained but were released on the spot.