Fatah celebrated 39th anniversary; 30 wounded in protests against the wall near Ramullah
Palestine, Military, 1/1/2004

Some 30 Palestinians and foreign supporters rallied with them received various wounds, and some even suffered coma, when the Israeli occupation forces opened fire at demonstrators who organized protests against the separation wall in Budrous village to the west of Ramullah.

The occupation forces arrested 11 of the participants in the demonstration, including the Swedish parliamentarian Gustav Fredolin, according to speakers in the name of the international solidarity movement and the nternational commission of women for the sake of peace. However, an Israeli military source stressed that only seven demonstrators were detained.

The Israeli military source alleged that the demonstrators threw stones at the soldiers, and wounded one of the wall's guards, and this pushed the soldiers to disperse them. The incident is the second of its kind within five days.

The wounding of one Israeli peace activist in the demonstration, which took place last Friday, raised controversy over using deadly force to disperse unarmed protesters, despite the fact that the occupation forces killed and injured several Palestinians in hundreds of acts of protests since the beginning of the Palestinian Intifada in 2000.

On the other hand, a large Israeli force broke into the city of Nablus yesterday, and imposed curfew on it.

News reports said that the occupation forces launched a vast campaign of breaking into houses and trade shops, and bullets were heard in the downtown of Nablus and various parts of it.

In Gaza, the Islamic resistance movement, Hamas, vowed to retaliate the attack carried out by one Israeli helicopter in Gaza, and resulted in wounding 11 Palestinians, when Israel bombarded a sedan car run by members of Ezz Eddine al-Qassam, the military wing of the Hamas movement.

The movement said, according to its founder, Sheikh Ahmad Yassin, that Israel will not give concession except through resistance. He said that Israel only understands the language of force, and it will pay the price of its aggression.

On the other hand, thousands of Palestinians, led by hundreds of gunmen, took the streets of Gaza yesterday celebrating the 39th anniversary of the foundation of the Palestine Liberation Movement, Fatah, led by the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

In a speech he delivered on this occasion, broadcast by the Palestinian TV and radio, Arafat stressed that the Palestinian objective is the elimination of occupation and settlement, and achieving independence and freedom for Palestinians. He stressed that the Palestinian hand is extended for peace.

The Palestinian President called on peace forces in Israel to double efforts and moves at the internal, regional, and international levels to cooperate with the Palestinian and Arab efforts extended for peace, in order to prevent Sharon from destroying the peace process, especially stopping the continued settlement and military escalation against the Palestinian people.

Previous Stories:
  One Palestinian killed in Khan Yunis, Curfew imposed on Nablus   (12/31/2003)
  Saudi King Fahd receives Qurei'   (12/31/2003)
  Israel demolishes a home in Nablus; demonstrations in Tel Aviv; Egypt continued mediation   (12/29/2003)
  Palestinian - Belgian association for Geneva human rights convention implementation   (12/29/2003)

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