Israeli occupation forces today blocked access of activists to al-Tuwani village in Masafer Yatta in the south of the West Bank as soldiers raid the village, shooting tear gas at homes causing suffocation cases, according to the head of the village council Mohammad Rabie.
He told WAFA that Israeli occupation soldiers fired tear gas indiscriminately in the village, causing many cases of suffocation from gas inhalation.
Rabie said the Israeli army shut down the main entrance to the village in the morning to prevent international activists from accessing the village to express solidarity with its residents who are facing Israeli eviction threats in favor of the colonial Israeli settlement enterprise.
Meanwhile, the soldiers today attacked another protest activity in Khalat al-Dabaa village, also in Masafer Yatta, firing tear gas at the participants and arresting one person, according to Rateb al-Jabour, a local activist.
He said activists wanted to express solidarity with the village, also threatened with demolition and its residents with expulsion, when the soldiers attacked them with tear gas and stun grenades.
Israel is trying to empty Masafer Yatta of its Palestinian residents under the pretext of the area designated as a firing zone, while Palestinians believe the aim is to replace them with settlers.
On May 4, the Israeli High Court gave the Israeli army the green light to demolish and displace over 1000 Palestinians living in some eight communities in Masafer Yatta in order to turn the area into a training and a firing zone.
The decision promoted strong local and international condemnation and warning of serious consequences if carried out.
Source: Palestine News & Information Agency