The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday quelled the anti-settlement march that condemned the Israeli plan to displace Palestinian residents of al-Tuwana village from their lands in the West Bank city of al-Khalil.
According to local sources IOF soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas bombs at the Palestinian protestors causing breathing problems to several Palestinians including three journalists.
Eyewitnesses reported that the IOF soldiers intensified their presence in the Masafer Yatta communities in al-Khalil imposing restrictions on Palestinian civilians and foreign activists and preventing them from reaching al-Tuwana village.
In 1999 Israel declared a number of the Masafer Yatta communities “firing zones” posing the risk of forcible expulsion of nearly 700 local citizens.
The Israeli occupation authorities have been launching large-scale campaigns of demolition in Masafer Yatta south of al-Khalil in addition to other villages beyond the firing zones.
Around 700000 Jewish settlers live in 145 settlements and 140 settlement outposts established in West Bank and Jerusalem according to the Israeli movement Peace Now.
Israeli settlement activity across the Occupied West Bank and Jerusalem is deemed illegal under international law.
