Thursday 26 August 2010

Clashes in Silwan area following failed arson attack on mosque by settlers

[ 26/08/2010 - 12:48 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Violent clashes broke out at an early hour Thursday between Jerusalemite young men in Silwan neighborhood and Israeli troops after a bunch of savage Israeli settlers tried to torch the historical mosque of Ein Silwan, south of the Aqsa Mosque.

The settlers tried to enter the Mosque in an attempt to burn it, but the Palestinian residents in the area were vigilant and moved quickly to fend them off. A large force of Israeli troops was sent to protect the settlers.

In order to pull the settlers out of the area, the Israeli troops fired tear gas grenades and live bullets towards the angry Palestinians without any reported casualties.

The Silwan young men responded to the troops' attack and threw stones and molotov cocktails at them, while some of them chased the settlers and managed to burn down four cars completely and damaged 20 others belonging to the settlers and their guards.

For his part, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that that settlers' attempted attack on a mosque in Silwan neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem is part of the Judaization policy pursued by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian holy sites.

Spokesman Abu Zuhri added in a press statement to the Palestinian information center on Thursday that what happened was a dangerous incident that entails pooling the Palestinian efforts to protect the Islamic holy shrines and institutions against any similar attacks.

He noted that the Israeli occupation has become more aggressive towards the Islamic holy places after the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah escalated its war on mosques and Muslim figures in the West Bank.

In separate incidents, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) kidnapped eight Palestinian citizens from different West Bank areas at dawn Thursday at the pretext they were wanted, according to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Different local sources said on the same day that the IOF troops stormed Jenin city, Qabatiya town and Sanur village at dawn and patrolled the streets without any reported arrests.

In central Gaza, Salahuddin Brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees, claimed responsibility for firing three mortar shells on Wednesday evening at an Israeli military force that tried to infiltrate into Deir Al-Balah town

It said in a communiqué that its fighters spotted Israeli ambulances coming to the area before they successfully withdrew from there.


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