At least three Palestinians were shot and injured, while dozens of others suffocated as Israeli forces attacked the weekly anti-settlement rally in the village of Kafr Qaddoum to the east of Qalqilia, according to local sources. Sources informed WAFA Israeli army attacked the march with rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters, leading to confrontations. Three people were shot and injured with rubber rounds, while dozens of others were reportedly treated at the scene from tear gas suffocation. Villagers rally to protest Israel's continued settlement construction an,d the closure of the main road that connects the village of Kufr Qaddoum with the city of Nablus since 2003. According to Addameer Human Rights Association, before 2003, the residents of Kufr Qaddoum would use a shorter road to the east to reach nearby cities and villages. However, as the settlements expanded and overwhelmed the road, it became closed for Palestinian use. The only alternative road is roughly six times longer than the previous route, disrupting the villagers' ability to attend university, their jobs, and other vital aspects of their economic and social well-being, noted Addameer. Although Kufr Qaddum's Popular Resistance Committee took their case to the Israeli High Court in 2003, the legal status of the road remains unchanged, stressed the human rights association. After all legal appeals failed, villagers resolved to organize weekly demonstrations in July 2011, a step met with violent suppression by Israeli forces.
Source: En - Palestine news & Information Agency - WAFA