Palestinian protesters, Israeli army clash in West Bank

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH (AA) - Clashes erupted Friday between Palestinians and the Israeli army during a protest condemning the Israeli settlements and annexation plans in the West Bank.

Murad Shteiwi, a coordinator of the Popular Resistance Committees in the town of Kafr Qaddum, east of West Bank's Qalqilya city, said: "The clashes erupted in the town, after the [Israeli] occupation forces dispersed a march condemning the Israeli settlement activities."

"The Israeli forces fired metal and rubber bullets, and tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators," Shteiwi told Anadolu Agency.

He added that at least 15 protestors were injured by rubber bullets, while dozens of others affected by tear gas were treated at the scene.

Mahmoud Al-Aloul, deputy chief of Fatah movement, also joined the protest.

Palestinian officials said that under the US so-called peace plan, Israel will annex 30%-40% of the West Bank, including all of East Jerusalem and Jordan Valley.

Roughly 650,000 Israeli Jews currently live in more than 100 settlements built since 1967, when Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The Palestinians want these territories -- along with the Gaza Strip -- for the establishment of a future Palestinian state.

International law views both the West Bank and East Jerusalem as "occupied territories" and considers all Jewish settlement-building activity there as illegal.

* Writing by Ali Abo Rezeg