Jenin: Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian worshippers today as they performed Friday prayers on Mount Al-Masalmeh in the village of Raba, south of Jenin. The gathering was a protest against Israeli plans to establish a military base and a new road on the mountain.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, local sources reported that Israeli troops fired tear gas at the worshippers during the peaceful prayer gathering. This act was part of civil resistance against land confiscation and settlement expansion in the area.
Following the assault, confrontations erupted as Israeli forces brought in reinforcements to suppress the gathering. Residents also observed Israeli settlers erecting a tent at the summit of the mountain, indicating potential settlement activity.
Ghasan Bazour, head of the Raba Village Council, informed WAFA that Israeli bulldozers had started leveling land near the mountain to construct a military road. He highlighted that the planned road does not fall within the previously announced confiscation zones, suggesting that a significantly larger area of farmland, estimated at around 2,200 dunums located east of the separation wall, will become inaccessible to residents.
Israeli authorities had recently issued new orders to seize land in the southern and southeastern parts of Raba for the purpose of building a military road and base on Mount Al-Masalmeh. This move has sparked widespread local opposition and weekly demonstrations.
