Dozens of citizens were treated for suffocation during confrontations with the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Friday afternoon in several cities of the West Bank in support for the Freedom and Dignity hunger strike launched by prisoners for the 12th day in a row.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that 15 Palestinian citizens were directly injured by gunshots metal bullets and teargas bombs while at least 38 citizens choked on tear gas according to preliminary statistics about the ongoing clashes with the IOF in the West Bank provinces.
In Ramallah four Palestinians were injured and dozens choked on teargas in clashes with the IOF.
A medical source said that a Palestinian citizen was shot with a live bullet in the head as the IOF quelled a peaceful march that was launched from Nabi Salih village northwest of Ramallah province in support for the Palestinian prisoners.
Dozens of citizens suffered suffocation in the clashes that broke out near Ofer prison in Beitunia town west of Ramallah. Other clashes erupted at the western entrance of Silwad town east of Ramallah injuring three citizens.
Dozens of Palestinians and foreign activists participated in the weekly peaceful march against the apartheid wall and the settlement expansion in Bil’in village west of Ramallah. The march was organized this Friday in solidarity with the hunger-striking prisoners in Israeli jails.
A number of Palestinian youths tried to climb the separation wall and raise the Palestinian flag on it. They also burned tires at the wall’s gate and threw stones at the IOF soldiers.
The towns of Occupied Jerusalem also witnessed sporadic confrontations with the IOF.
The PRCS said that 3 injuries with rubber and live bullets shrapnel were reported in the confrontations that erupted at Qalandiya checkpoint north of Occupied Jerusalem.
According to the PIC reporter 8 Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation during the clashes that broke out after Friday prayer between the IOF and Palestinian youths in Beita town south of Nablus city and were treated in the field.
Meanwhile a state of tension prevailed in Awarta town south of Nablus following Friday prayer near Huwara military camp.
A number of Palestinian citizens chocked on tear gas during clashes with the IOF at the junction of al-Naqura village northwest of Nablus.
Ghassan Daghlas a Palestinian official who is in charge of the settlement file in the northern West Bank told the Palestine News Agency (WAFA) that the IOF fired teargas and sound bombs at hundreds of citizens who performed Friday prayer at the junction of the village in solidarity with the prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 12 consecutive days.
In Tubas dozens of citizens including families of prisoners and ex-prisoners and representatives of national and Islamic factions performed Friday prayer in a tent erected in solidarity with the striking prisoners.
More than 3000 citizens in al-Khader town south of Bethlehem performed Friday prayer in a solidarity tent set up in support for the hunger strikers in Israeli jails.
Sheikh Abdulmajid Atta the Grand Mufti of Bethlehem stressed in his Friday sermon the need to back the Palestinian prisoners who have waged a hunger strike to serve the Palestinian cause.
The PIC reporter said that a Palestinian youth was injured with a metal bullet and dozens were treated for suffocation in al-Khalil in confrontations with the IOF after the latter fired tear gas canisters and rubber bullets at the marchers who went out in demonstrations on “the day of anger” in support for the prisoners’ Freedom and Dignity hunger strike.
Islamic and national factions the Popular Committee for the Release of Prisoners and mothers of prisoners and ex-prisoners organized a protest in Jenin in solidarity with the hunger-striking prisoners.
Two marches as well as a number of protests were also organized in the towns of Jaba’ Ya’bad and Kafr Ra’i. The participants raised portraits of prisoners and Palestinian flags and chanted slogans calling for national unity.
Nearly 1500 prisoners in Israeli jails started a hunger strike on 17th April 2017 which coincides with the Palestinian Prisoner Day to regain their basic rights which were withdrawn by the Israel Prison Service and which they had clinched in previous hunger strikes. The number of the striking prisoners is expected to increase gradually.
The Palestinian Prisoners National Movement has launched 23 mass hunger strikes in Israeli jails since 1967 the latest of which was a 63-day hunger strike by administrative detainees in 2014. Dozens of individual hunger strikes have emerged recently against administrative detention.
6500 Palestinian prisoners are currently being held in Israeli jails including 57 women 300 children 500 administrative detainees and 1800 sick prisoners.
