RAMALLAH, August 25, 2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) attacked Friday the weekly demo against the Apartheid Wall in the West Bank village of Bil'in near Ramallah with batons and fired rubber bullets at them from close range.

International Solidarity Movement (ISM) said around 100 protesters including international and Israeli peace activists marching from the village mosque to the site of the Wall were confronted by lines of soldiers in riot gear at the edge of the village.

The soldiers waded into the demonstration lashing out indiscriminately at the marchers. An American peace activist, Magan, suffered concussion and severe bruising after being beaten on the forehead whilst another American activist suffered severe hand injuries.

Demonstrators attempted to sit down but the soldiers' repeated beating led them to disperse. An Italian and an Israeli activist were beaten so badly. Palestinian non-violent activists Mansour and Saif also suffered particularly heavy beatings.

As protesters dispersed the soldiers continued to pursue them back to the village. When Saif called for activists to avoid the soldiers' beatings he was shot at and hit twice with rubber bullets. Not content with this level of brutality soldiers shot several more protesters with rubber bullets as they walked back to the village. Soldiers detained two activists but they were de-arrested be fellow activists.

"The severe beatings meted out at today's demo continue the Occupation forces' escalation in violence against peaceful protest," ISM concluded. "The villagers of Bil'in will not be intimidated by such brutality and vow to return next week to continue their struggle against the Occupation and theft of their land."

(21:00 P) (18:00 GMT)