Israeli settlers storm Ramallah-district village to take down Palestine flag

Armed Israeli settlers Thursday evening stormed Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to take down Palestine flags, according to local sources.

Bilal Tamimi, a local anti-settlement activist, said that a number of gun-toting settlers from the nearby encroaching colonial settlement of Halamish, also known as Neveh Tzuf, barged their way into the southern area of the village to take down a flag of Palestine that was recently raised on a pole atop a hill.

The settlers tried to reach the flag, but dozens of Palestinians rushed to the area and scuffled with the settlers, who fired several live rounds, forcing them to retreat.

Israeli soldiers stormed the village to protect the settlers and started firing live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, and gas bombs at the Palestinians.

Medical sources said the soldiers shot a young man with a rubber-coated steel bullet under his left eye. The casualty was rushed to a hospital in a stable condition.

The Israeli occupation authorities have seized large tracts of land belonging to Nabi Saleh and the nearby village of Deir Nidham for the construction of Halamish as well as for the construction of the settler-only by-pass Road 465.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)