HEBRON, July 7, 2018 (WAFA) – Israeli soldiers assaulted on Saturday a number of Palestinians and internationals who were protesting Israel’s takeover of Palestinian land in the Hebron-area village of Bani Naim, according to WAFA correspondent.

He said soldiers attacked the protests, beat them up and forced them to leave the area.

They also attacked reporters covering the event, including Palestine TV crew, and detained Iyad Hashlamon, a photojournalist, after declaring the area a closed military zone.

Israel wants to seize around 20 dumums of land in Bani Naim in order to expand the illegal settlement of Beni Hefer.

Settlers from that settlement set up last week a caravan on the land as a prelude for its takeover.

International law says all Israeli settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal and could be considered a war crime.

M.K.