New clashes erupted on Wednesday between Israeli policemen and Palestinians in Umm Hiran village in Negev in southern 1948 occupied Palestine where Israeli police forces stormed the village houses in order to evacuate them prior to their demolition.
The police attack provides further proof of the ongoing Israeli scheme aimed at uprooting and demolishing the village to establish Jewish-only town in its place.
The local council of Hura in the Negev announced on Wednesday a general strike that includes all sectors education and other departments to protest the ongoing crisis in Umm Hiran. The strike was coupled with a number of university students announcing protests in universities in Haifa Tel-Aviv Beersheba and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
Israeli bulldozers began demolishing houses in Umm Hiran at dawn Wednesday as civilians gathered in mosques while the Israeli forces prevented Arab MKs and activists from entering the town.
Palestinians in Umm Hiran pointed out that the Israeli police assaulted them and arrested a number of youths while others were injured as they tried to prevent Israeli attacks.
Yacoub Mousa Abu al-Qei’an 47 was killed by the Israeli forces and others were injured including the MP Ayman Odeh. The Israeli police however claimed that one of its members was run over and killed during the clashes.
For its side Adalah center the legal center for Arab minority in Israel responded to the events by saying that the Israeli authority and judiciary are responsible for what happened in Umm Hiran.
Adalah center pointed out that the Israeli Supreme Court verdict of allowing the demolition of 60 houses in Umm Hiran for establishing an Israeli Jewish-only town instead is extremely racist.
“The Israeli government and its head used the verdict to expand and develop their policy of demolition. Netanyahu doesn’t know but the language of force in addressing Palestinians and the Israeli police keep proving day by day that the all Palestinians are considered enemies who are easy to kill and be denied from their basic rights” Adalah center added in a statement to the PIC.
For its part the National Democratic Assembly condemned the violations and raids committed against Umm Hiran village on Wednesday which led to the death of a Palestinian youth. The Israeli authority bears the full responsibility regarding his death according to the Assembly which warned of adopting the Israeli police version of the story.
The Assembly warned of the consequences of such escalation and stressed the importance of facing these crimes with new means of resistance.
