IOF declares Bilin closed military zone

[ 01/01/2011 – 07:22 AM ]

RAMALLAH, (PIC)– The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) imposed a tight military siege on the Ramallah village of Bilin on Friday after declaring it a closed military zone to ward off expected anti separation wall demonstrations. Local sources noted that the IOF soldiers were deployed at the entrances to the village and blocked foreign journalists and a number of Arab and local media from entering the village. Hebrew media said that the IOF was trying to prevent the weekly anti wall march, noting that the military order banned civilian traffic in and out of the village. However, many succeeded in entering the village and participating in the march, which has been weekly organized for many years against the construction of the racist, separation wall that confiscated more than 2000 dunums of village land, mostly cultivated land lots. The Hebrew media reported that the demonstrators threw stones at the soldiers and tried to reach the wall but were confronted by rubber coated bullets and gas canisters that injured at least one demonstrator while others were treated for breathing difficulty.

IOF declares Bilin closed military zone.