by ISM media team, November 3rd
ISM Update
For the second week in a row the Israeli military have shot a protester with live ammunition at Bil'in. This week was
the turn of Frenchman Jose, a volunteer in the olive harvest as part of a delegation from a French solidarity group, who
was shot in the wrist and received treatment in Sheikh Zaid hospital in Ramallah. Jose was shot after the demonstration
ended by Israeli forces that were still in the village.
On their way back to the village the protesters encountered soldiers facing resistance from the village youth. As the
soldiers were withdrawing they started firing rubber bullets and live ammunition at the youth. In addition to Jose's
injury, 8 other people were shot with rubber bullets and one woman broke her leg running away from the soldiers.
As the village youth were trying to repel a military jeep that invaded the village with stones, Israeli soldiers fired
live ammunition at them and drove up a driveway where onlookers were gathered. The soldiers then got out of their jeep
and fired at the youth. The onlookers were standing around a corner and Jose, who was filming the incursion, was
standing at least 50m from the village youth when he was hit in the wrist.
Earlier on Bil'in villagers were joined by international and Israeli supporters as they marched to the annexation
barrier, which has annexed over 50% of the village land. The marchers managed to cross one of the fences and marched to
the gate where they demanded to be let through to reach the olive groves. Many of the internationals present, including
Jose, are accompanying farmers to their olive groves in areas where they face violence and intimidation from Israeli
settlers and the military. The protest passed off peacefully despite the military's excessive use of tear gas and sound
bombs against the protesters. When this violence failed to intimidate the marchers the soldiers started violently
pushing and shoving them. Towards the end of the demonstration some border policemen violently pushed protesters
returning to the village who were in their view not doing so quickly enough.
Injuries: Amjad Abu Rahme, 11 - shot with a rubber bullet in the shoulder Amer Nasser, 22 - shot with a rubber bullet in
the shoulder Ibrahim Burnat, 25 - shot with a rubber bullet in the hand Ashraf Khatib, 24 - shot with a rubber bullet in
the leg Bader Khatib, 35 - shot with a rubber bullet in the leg Sharar Mansour, 22 - shot with a rubber bullet in the
leg Wael Nasser, 31 - shot with a rubber bullet in the neck Leila Zoada, 32 - leg broken while running away from
soldiers
ends