#SaveBurqa: Palestinian Village Under Attack by Jewish Settlers, Israeli Soldiers

ALBAWABA - The Palestinian village of Burqa continues to be attacked by Jewish settlers and Israeli soldiers as covered by all news websites and posted on the social media.

At least 247 Palestinians were injured so far with many others suffocated from teargas fired by Israeli soldiers who locked down the main entrance to the village of Burqa in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus, according to local sources and as quoted by the Palestine News Network (PNN).

Hashtags to save burqa has been rife on the social media. There are so many which means there is real trouble in the village emanating from outside incursions. The hastags are plenty and include ( #انقذوا_برقة, #SaveBurqa, #save_burqa, #Save_Nablus, #IsraeliCrimes, #برقة_تستغيث) and so on. Posts, videos and comments are being posted on the social media describing the drastic and deteriorating situation inside Burqa.

Clashes between the Palestinian youths and residents and the Israeli army continue; soldiers are joined by thousands of armed Jewish settlers who have descended on the village. Trouble started when the village was shutdown by the Israeli occupation army and increased their presence on the Nablus-Jenin road to secure dozens of busloads packed with Israeli settlers who made a provocative tour of Homesh, north of the village, an Israeli settlement which was evacuated in 2005 according to the PNN.

This proved to be a source of provocation with Palestinian protesters clashing with Israeli soldiers at the entrance of the village firing live bullets, rubber-coated rounds, stun grenades, and teargas against them. Initially, the Palestinian website reported that at least 10 Palestinians were injured through gunfire and another 48 protesters by rubber-coated rounds. Many cases of suffocation from teargas were reported.

Wafa Awwad, a photojournalist working with the Palestinian Press Agency (WAFA) was injured by a rubber-coated round while covering the clashes. He was hit in the stomach by rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli soldiers.

Those wounded by live bullets were evacuated to a hospital in the nearby city of Nablus for medical treatment, and the condition of one of them is described as critical.

Similar clashes also erupted in the meantime at the entrance to the neighboring village of Bazariya as the settlers, protected by the military, were making their way past the village towards Homesh. No injuries were reported.

Over the last few days, Israeli settlers protected by the army attacked and attempted to raid homes of Palestinian citizens at the outskirts of the village of Burqa, which is close to the route leading to Homesh the Palestine News Network reported.

Meanwhile and in another hashtag (هاشتاغ #برقة_تقاوم) websites are underlying the fact that the people of the village are confronting the Jewish settlers and the Israeli soldiers protecting them. Palestinian are saying this is a new Nakba but they will fight. The population of Burqa stands at 4500.