Israeli occupation soldiers today opened direct fire in the direction of Palestinian journalists while covering an event at the entrance to the town of Beita, south of the northern West Bank city of Nablus. No one was hurt.

Wahaj Bani Moufleh, a journalist, told WAFA that while he and his colleague, Mohammad Sumrin, were preparing a report on the Israeli army’s closure of Beita entrance with cement boulders the soldiers shot live gunfire in their direction despite the fact that they were wearing vests that clearly indicate they were press.

Sumrin said a couple of soldiers first fired tear gas canisters at a group of youths then came to where they were and opened fire in their direction but over their heads.

The soldiers kept coming in their direction forcing them to pull back immediately and go into the town to avoid being hit, he said.

Last night, an Israeli settler opened fire and injured five people at Beita with live bullets.

Afterward, soldiers came to the area and instead of arresting the attacking settler placed the boulders at the entrance of the town, blocking the movement of people, even on foot.

Ghassan Daghlas, an official who monitors Israeli settlement activities in the north of the West Bank, warned that settlers have escalated their attacks against Palestinians.

“There are indications of settlers escalating their attacks and terrorism against Palestinians and their property,” he told WAFA.

SOURCE: PALESTINE NEWS & INFO AGENCY