FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Israeli army shot two Palestinian civillians in the legs near Nablus this morning. The Sebehtash (17th) Checkpoint between the the Nablus village of the Assiri Ashamalya and the Centre of Nablus has been closed and Nablus has been declared a closed military zone.

The army has been very vocal with racist comments abusing the people at the checkpoints verbally and not letting them past this morning. Amongst the comments were “We don’t want you Arabs here”.

The violence of the army escalated resulting in two Palestinian men being shot in the legs. The ambulance is seeing to them now but is not allowed to pass through to the hospital.

This particular incident eventuated because two men who were in a car full of people who were going to see loved ones (who were suffering injuries from a car accident they had been in today) in the Nablus hospital asked for special treatment to be allowed through the checkpoint.

The soldier they asked responded by kicking them and spitting at one of the men in his face. This man pushed the soldier back. Other soldiers gathered. They opened fire, shooting the men in the legs.

There are hundreds of people stuck at this checkpoint at the moment and the tensions is still very high. Saturdays are heavy transit days for people here in Palestine but today was particularily busy because of a Committee of Internationals Doctors who are in Nablus hospital to conduct appointments for Palestinians.

House Demolition

The army today has demolished a two story building in the center of Nablus .

The demolition has rendered the house next door in danger because the second floor of the first home has been severely structurally fractured. The army is not allowing the residents of the second home out of their house because they have called a curfew. They are currently occupying several houses in the immediate area. They have also destroyed four cars.

ISM volunteers have managed to get to the area and are currently trying to get the residents out of their house to safety. All other humanitarian groups are stuck at various checkpoints.

For more information:
Kanaan: 0599-398266
ISM media office: 02-2971824