Israeli forces on Friday shot a Palestinian teenager with a live bullet during a weekly protest march in Kafr Qaddum, a local popular committee leader said.
Popular resistance committee coordinator Murad Shtewi said 17-year-old Jamil Shtewi was shot in the leg when Israeli forces fired tear gas, rubber-coated bullets, and live bullets at protesters.
The teen was taken to Rafidia hospital in Nablus for treatment.
Dozens of others suffered from tear gas inhalation and where treated at the scene.
Israeli bulldozers also pushed the remains of a pile of burnt tires into the yard of local resident Adnan Ali, Shtewi said.
Meanwhile, in Bilin, nine activists and a journalist were pepper sprayed while taking part in the weekly protest march.
Among those pepper sprayed were Jamil al-Barghouthi, the head of the Palestinian Authority’s committee against the separation wall and settlements, Munthir Amira, the head of the coordinating committee for popular resistance in Palestine, and popular committee member Muhammad al-Khatib.
Two Palestinian activists who were sprayed were identified as Abdullah al-Layyan and Kifah Mansour. Two Israeli activists, identified as Tali and Anat, were also sprayed, in addition to a Danish activist and a Dutch activist.
The journalist was identified as Issam al-Rimani, a photographer for the newspaper al-Hayat.
Israeli forces detained committee member al-Khatib along with an Irish activist named Mike and took them both to an unknown location after assaulting them, handcuffing them, and blindfolding them, witnesses said.
During the march, protesters waved Palestinian flags and pictures of Palestine solidarity activist Kayla Mueller, who was recently killed in Islamic State captivity.
Some held signs reading “Kayla lives in our hearts.”
Marchers also held pictures of the three Muslim-Americans who were killed in North Carolina earlier this week — Yusor Abu Salha, Razan Abu Salha, and Deah Barakat.
Abdullah Abu Rahmeh, spokesman for the popular committee against the separation wall and settlements, condemned the murders, calling the violence “terrorism.”
“The same terror that killed (Palestine solidarity activist) Rachel Corrie was used to kill Kayla Mueller, the Abu Salhas, and Barakat,” Abu Rahmeh said.
Corrie was crushed to death by an Israeli bulldozer in 2003 as she protested the demolition of a Palestinian home in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.
Abu Rahmeh added that activities against the separation wall and occupation would continue, and called for activists to take part in Bilin’s march next Friday, marking the 10th anniversary of popular resistance in Bilin.
(Ma’an – www.maannews.net)
