A number of people today suffocated after inhaling tear gas fired by the Israeli occupation forces who attacked members of the Hebron Municipality when they tried to re-open an office in the old town of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

WAFA correspondent said the occupation forces fired gas grenades at people who gathered at the office and assaulted Liana Abu Aisha, a member of the Hebron Municipal Council, while she was trying to open the old municipality building, which was threatened to be seized by the settlers, causing her bruises.

As a result, clashes erupted near the building, located at the entrance to the old town, during which the soldiers fired tear gas canisters at members of the Municipal Council, causing a number of them to suffocate as a result of inhaling the toxic gas. They were treated at the location.

It is worth noting that the occupation forces notified last Thursday of seizing the old municipality two-story building located near the entrance to the old town, and gave those in charge of it a period of 45 days to object.

The Hebron Municipal Council considered this notification a blatant assault on its property, stressing that this building is owned by the municipality, which has all the legal and official documents proving that, and that it is going to fight through legal means to prevent its takeover in order to turn it over to the settlers.

It called on the international community, human rights organizations and UNESCO to prevent the Israeli government from proceeding in its settlement plans and to quickly intervene to preserve and protect this cultural heritage, especially since the region is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Source: Palestine News & Information Agency