RAMALLAH, August 21, 2009 (WAFA)- Dozens of citizens, Israeli and internationals were wounded by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in four pacifist marches against the Apartheid Wall  and the colonization in the West Bank villages of Bil’in, Ni’lin, Al Massara and Beit Ummar.

In Bil’in near Ramallah, the IOF raided the march by tear gas and rubber bullets, wounding dozen of demonstrators while they were protesting the building of the Wall.

Earlier, the night in Bil’in was disrupted by a raid ending with the arrest of one the members of the Village’s Popular Committee Against the Wall and Colonies, while children shouted: “We want to sleep,” “Stop the night raids”.

In Ni’linm  near Ramallah, nine citizens and two foreigners were wounded by the IOF

In the march against the Wall which would make of the village a prison.

IOF placed an 8 meter high cement blocks, in place of a fence that was built before.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums (1dunum=1000 m²)of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Israel annexed 40,000 of Ni’lin’s 58,000 dunums in 1948. After the occupation of the West Bank in 1967, the illegal colonies and infrastructure of Kiryat Sefer, Mattityahu and Maccabim were built on village lands and Ni’lin lost another 8,000 dunums. Of the remaining 10,000 dunums, the Occupation will confiscate 2,500 for the Wall and 200 for a tunnel to be built under the segregated settler-only road 446. Ni’lin will be left with 7,300 dunums.

The current entrance to the village will be closed and replaced by a tunnel to be built under Road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into a segregated settler-only road . Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

In al Massara near Bethlehem, 2 citizens were wounded by IOF in the weekly march agaist building of the Wall.

In Beit Ummar near Hebron, the IOF arrested six citizens and an international pacifist in a march against colonization in front Karmi Tsur colony situated between Beit Ummar and Halhoul town north of Hebron.