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Israeli Army besieges protestors in a Nakba Commemoration Tent and shoots tear gas at them
Israeli Army besieges protestors in a Nakba Commemoration Tent and shoots tear gas at them

15 May 2014 - Israeli soldiers shoot tear gas at protesters and bystanders attending the 66th Nakba commemoration event in the village of Al-Walejah (Bethlehem District).

Israeli soldiers surrounded the main tent of the event, not allowing anybody to leave then shot tear gas at it. Many of the hundreds of Palestinian and International participants were affected and injured. Later, the Israeli army destroyed the tent including a photo exhibition which was presented inside it.

The exhibition is part of BADIL Resource Center’s women empowerment program. The exhibition features photographs taken by Palestinian women who live in areas under the threat of displacement, including the Jordan Valley, Jerusalem, and South of Hebron.

The village of Al-Walajah exemplifies Palestinian agony for the past 66 years. It is located 8.5 kilometers southwest of Jerusalem. Before the 1948 Nakba, the village encompassed 17,684 dunums of land, 74% of which were confiscated during the Nakba (now lay beyond the 1949 Armistice Line). Today, the villagers suffer from the Israeli settlements of Gilo, Har Gilo, Moshav Ora, and Aminadav. Moreover, they are targeted by a series of land confiscation orders and the creation of the Israeli Annexation Wall.