RAMALLAH, Palestinians marking the 18 anniversary of the death of the iconic Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat clashed with Israeli soldiers at different locations in the occupied territories.
Following a rally in Ramallah marking the death of Arafat, dozens of youths went to the northern part of the city where Israeli soldiers keep a checkpoint known as the DCO and clashed with the soldiers.
The Palestinian youths burnt tires and pelted the soldiers with stones while the soldiers fired back tear gas and rubber-coated metal bullets. No injuries were reported.
Similar clashes also took place in al-Bireh, adjacent to Ramallah, near a settlement where soldiers also fired tear gas canisters at the youths.
In the south of the West Bank, Israeli soldiers attacked a students’ march marking the death of Arafat in the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron.
Local activist Mohammad Awad told WAFA that the soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas canisters at the students who were marching to commemorate the former Palestinian leader causing dozens of suffocation cases.
The army closed an iron gate placed at the entrance to the town and prevented the movement of people, he said.
Palestinians blame and accuse Israel for the death of Arafat after a long military siege of his Ramallah headquarters during which he got seriously ill in what some believe he was poisoned and was therefore flown to a hospital in France where he died on November 11, 2004.
Source: Palestine News & Info Agency