At least 10 demonstrators, including five Israelis, were injured Thursday afternoon during a rally held in the town of Naalin, near the West Bank city of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the West Bank security fence in the area.
According to the organizers, security forces used excessive force and tear gas to disperse the 400 Israeli left-wing activists, Palestinians and foreign nationals who arrived at the Palestinian village, located north of Ramallah.
The IDF, which imposed a curfew on the village last week due to the weekly demonstrations held there, said the protestors hurled stones at the security forces, lightly injuring a Border Guard officer.
The curfew was lifted on Tuesday.
The demonstrators, who were able to temporarily halt the construction works at the site, said two Palestinians who were injured in the clashes were evacuated to a hospital in Ramallah.
According to the army, the demonstrators are in violation of a restricted military zone order. The residents of Naalin are protesting the IDF's plans to confiscate an additional 1,850 acres of their land toward the security fence's construction. The villagers claim to have owned 11,860 acres when the State of Israel was established in 1948.
Efrat Weiss contributed to the report
Front Page Features