Residents of Beit Awwa Injured During Non-Violent Protest

Residents of Beit Awwa, Internationals and Israelis injured by Israeli Army response to Non-Violent Protest

Israeli Army uses tear gas, rubber bullets and a piercing siren to disperse protestors

Today, October 3, approxinmately 300 residents of Beit Awwa marched with 30 internationals and Israelis this morning. They left the center of the village around 10:00am and marched toward the site where three bulldozers are being used to construct the Israeli Annexation Wall.

Once they were near the bulldozers, two of the bulldozers stopped working while the third continued to tear-up the land. Immediately the Israeli army began throwing concussion grenades and shooting tear gas canisters vertically into the crowd.

After 30-45 minutes, the Israeli army began shooting rubber bullets at close range. One Israeli activist, Jonathon Polack, was shot twice in the leg with rubber bullets when he attempted to help a young Palestinian who was injured.

An ISM activist, Maya from Denmark, was also hit by a rubber bullet that penetrated her back and was transferred to a hospital in Hebron where she will under go surgery.

By 12:30pm, another six injured arrived to the same hospital in Hebron and two more are going into surgery as a result of their injuries. It is still not known the number of injuries in Beit Awwa.

The Israeli army pursued the protestors, shooting rubber bullets and tear gas as the men, women and children tried to return to their village. ISM activists reported that about 30 Israeli soldiers were seen tear gassing children at the edge of town and then entered and tear gassed the medical center.

At around 1:00pm, eye-witness reports communicated the Israeli army is using a large speaker, mounted on a truck, that transmits an ear- piercing siren. The high-pitch sound is deafening and painful and is being used to disperse the villagers and their supporters.

The exact number of additional injuries and arrests is unknown at the time of this report.

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