By Said Ibicioglu
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA): Israeli soldiers wounded three Palestinians protesting UAE-Israel agreement in the West Bank late Wednesday. Earlier 5 were injured with plastic bullets. Meanwhile, Israel pounded areas of the Gaza Strip early Thursday with artillery fire for the seventh day.
Clashes broke out between the soldiers and Palestinians in the Deir Abu Mashal region close to Ramallah.
Two Palestinians shot by live bullets were taken to a hospital and the other wounded Palestinian was taken into custody, according to a statement by the Palestinian Red Crescent.
The incident occurred when Israeli soldiers attempted to block Palestinians from joining a festival protesting Israel’s annexation plan for parts of the West Bank and the recent normalization agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, local sources reported.
Earlier, Israeli soldiers also wounded five Palestinians with plastic bullets.
The UAE is the first Gulf state and third Arab nation to establish full diplomatic relations with Israel after Egypt and Jordan.
Palestinian groups have denounced the normalization deal, saying it does nothing to serve the Palestinian cause and ignores the rights of Palestinians.
Despite reports that the deal halted Israel’s controversial plan to annex parts of the West Bank, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed his government’s continued commitment to go ahead with the annexation plan.
Meanwhile, Israel pounded areas of the Gaza Strip early Thursday with artillery fire.
Positions of the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Palestinian resistance group Hamas, were targeted, the Israeli army said in a statement on its Twitter account.
The attacks were carried out in retaliation for the launching of incendiary balloons from Gaza, the statement said.
No casualties or deaths have been reported so far.
The Israeli army has intensified its raids on Gaza over the past week along with tightening a blockade under which it banned the entry of fuel for Gaza’s sole power plant, plunging the Palestinian territory into darkness.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Hamas earlier that Israel considers every incendiary balloon a missile.
[Photo: Smoke and flames rise after warplanes belonging to Israeli army carried out airstrikes over Al-Zaytun neighborhood of Gaza City, Gaza on August 18, 2020. Photographer: Ali Jadallah]
