SHAFAQNA- A Palestinian died on Friday after being seriously injured when the Israeli army opened fire to disperse a peaceful protest against settlements in the northern West Bank. Clashes erupted between Palestinian protesters and Israeli soldiers in the town of Beit Dajan in the eastern Nablus province after the forces fired live and rubber bullets as well as tear gas canisters.
Before he died, the man – identified as Atef Hanayshah, 48, Imam of the local mosque – had been hospitalized in “serious” condition after being hit in the face, Anadolu Agency learned. Meanwhile, dozens of Palestinians hit by tear gas were treated in the field, medics told Anadolu Agency. Palestinians usually stage weekly protests in the occupied West Bank against illegal Israeli settlements. The West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is regarded as occupied territory under international law, making all Jewish settlements there illegal.
*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat