NABLUS, Friday, July 17, 2020 (WAFA) – Israeli forces Friday afternoon opened fire at Palestinians protesting against Israel’s colonial settlement expansion in Asira Ash-Shamaliyya town, north of Nablus city, according to WAFA correspondent.

He confirmed that Israeli troops opened fire towards protestors marching against Israel’s move to seize their land at Ebal Mount, causing several to suffer tear gas suffocation.

Soldiers also fired concussion grenades towards Palestine TV cameraman and reporter, who attempted to cover the protest.

The town residents have been protesting Israel’s move to seize their land atop Ebal Mount for the third consecutive Friday, particularly after Israeli settlers set up two mobile homes at land plot (37) atop the mount, known as Khallet Ad-Daliyeh (The Vineyard grove).

Chairman of the Anti-Wall and Settlement Commission, Walid Assaf, pointed out that the protest was called for to emphasize the Palestinian people’s right to and commitment to defend their land in the face of the colonial settlement policy.

He elaborated that the recent intensification of colonial settlement comes as part of Israel’s illegal move to ‘annex’ large swaths of the West Bank and pledged to escalate popular resistance and take legal proceedings against colonial settlements.

Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has declared many times his willingness to annex the illegal colonial settlements besides to the Jordan Valley, a fertile strip of land running west along the Jordan River, which is home of some 65,000 Palestinians and makes up approximately 30 percent of the West Bank.

The annexation move is based on the US-touted Mideast plan, dubbed deal of the century, which in fact endorses Israel’s longstanding policy of permanent occupation, colonialism and apartheid over the Palestinian people.

The annexation of Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 is illegal under international law, and it would put much of the occupied West Bank under Israeli sovereignty, leaving only a few small pockets of densely populated Palestinian bantustans.

K.F.