|
http://www.maannews.net Army enters home of protest leaders AN-NABI SALAH, Ramallah (Ma'an) -- The homes of two brothers were raided by Israeli soldiers overnight, with officers warning the men against participation in the village's weekly protest against land confiscation. An-Nabi Salih, a village north of Ramallah bordered by an Israeli guard post in the north and the settlement of Hallamish to the south, is one of four population centers that participates in a regular demonstration against land confiscations, held every Friday afternoon following the prayer. Late Thursday night, local sources said, Israeli soldiers entered the homes of Basem and Mahmoud At-Tamimim, members of the local protest organizing committee. The men were told that the village was being declared a closed military zone on Friday, and that any protest that occurred would be quashed. Protests, which in An-Nabi Salih see demonstrators march toward the outer parameter of the settlement, are regularly met tear-gas, rubber-coated bullets and even live fire dispersed by Israeli forces. Soldiers call the protests "illegal riots," justifying the use of riot dispersal mechanisms. A military spokeswoman said she could not confirm home invasions in the village, but said she was aware of a "routine act" of patrol in the area overnight. Representatives of the Israeli Security Authority did not immediately return calls seeking comment on the matter. Residents of An-Nabi Salih say night raids by Israeli forces have grown more frequent in recent months, with the occasional detention of individuals known to participate in the protests.
|