IOF tighten siege on Al-Khalil city, Dura town

[ 05/09/2010 - 10:18 AM ]

Al-KHALIL, (PIC)-- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Saturday tightened their siege on Al-Khalil city and Dura town and set up abrupt checkpoints restricting the movement of Palestinians.

Palestinian sources said that the IOF troops erected barriers on the road between Al-Khalil and Dura and barred vehicles from moving, which led to the outbreak of clashes with dozens of Palestinian young men, one of them were reportedly wounded by Israeli gunfire.

The Israeli troops took over a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Ghannam at Kharsa junction in the city, locked up all members of the family in one room, confiscated their cell phones and cut home phone cords.

The troops also closed Rahma mosque in the old city of Al-Khalil and prevented by force Palestinian worshipers from performing their prayers inside it. Four Palestinian citizens at dawn were kidnapped during raids on their homes in Al-Khalil city.

In a separate incident on the same day, the IOF troops closed the entrances to Iraq Burin village, south of Nablus city, and declared it a closed military zone.

They blocked journalists and foreign activists from entering the village to participate in the weekly protest held there in protest at the annexation of wide tracts of the villagers' lands to Bracha settlement.

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