ISRAELI FORCES BRIEFLY HOLD, THREATEN RAMALLAH GOVERNOR

Ramallah, 9 Jumadil Akhir 1436/ 29 March 2015 (MINA)- Israeli forces briefly detained the governor of the Ramallah and al-Bireh district, Laila Ghannam, at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village in the northern Ramallah district on Saturday.

Soldiers reportedly threatened the governor of “direct targeting” if she continues to participate in the weekly march organized by the popular committee against settlements and the separation wall in Nabi Saleh.

Ghannam said “we will not be frightened of detention even if are directly targeted; we will take part in the weekly march and will not be prevented from exercising our rights on our land, Ma’an News Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

Ghannam was detained in a similar incident in February last year while travelling from Jericho to Ramallah.

She said then that her detention was a political message from the Israeli government to PA leaders that Israel wants to impose its authority in every way possible.

The people of Nabi Saleh have been protesting weekly for five years, demanding that land confiscated by Israeli authorities to build the separation wall be returned.

Earlier this month, a local activist committee reported that 11 Palestinians were injured during the weekly march when Israeli forces shot one Palestinian with live fire and beat ten others.

Three activists were also reportedly detained by Israeli forces during the march.

In 2004, the International Court of Justice called on Israel to stop construction of the separation wall within the occupied West Bank.

When completed, 85 percent of the wall will run inside the West Bank.

The internationally recognized Palestinian territories of which the West Bank and East Jerusalem form a part have been occupied by the Israeli military since 1967. (T/P010/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)