Army Invades Bil’in, Soldiers Say “we Are Just Doing Our Job”

Thursday January 07, 2010 21:10 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Friday dawn invasion - Photo: Hamde Abu Rahma

In a rather familiar scene in the village of Bil’in near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli troops invaded the village, once again, and stormed the house of Rani Ayoub, a local peace activist. The invasion comes one day after the army raided the village to kidnap some children.

The Friends of Freedom and Justice Committee in Bil’in, reported that some 30 to 40 Israeli military jeeps invaded the village before the soldiers broke into the home of Ayoub and searched it.

Ayoub was kidnapped by the army four weeks ago after the army broke into home and was moved to the Al Mascobiyya (The Russian Compound) Israeli interrogation center in Jerusalem. He is being held there without visitations, not even from a lawyer.

Iyad Burnat, head of Bil'in's Popular Committee say's the occupation soldiers were on a trawling exercise, seeking documentation and Rani Ayub's mobile phone, the FTJ reported.

Some activists tried to challenge the soldiers for their repeated and illegal invasions to the village, the leading in nonviolent resistance against the Annexation Wall and settlements.

One of the soldiers said that they are here “to talk”, while another soldier said that he is “just doing his job”.

On Wednesday, Israeli forces invaded Bil’in in an attempt to kidnap a number of children but the alertness of Hamde Abu Rahma, a local photographer, exposed the attempt after revealing the soldiers hideout between the olive trees.

The soldiers were practically camping there and getting ready for another night raid against the village; they had mattresses and camping gear.

Two week ago, soldiers kidnapped Ammar Rayed Al Khateeb, 13, and Samir Jadallah Al Khateeb, 14.

The two were playing in an olive grove on the outskirts of the village. Ammar was released in the following day.

It is worth mentioning that Abdullah Abu Rahma, head of the Bil'in Popular Committee was kidnapped by the Israeli troops several weeks ago and Israel charged him with the “position of arms”.

The arms he “possessed” were spent gas canisters that were fired by the army at the nonviolent protesters.

ramallah | the wall | news report saed at imemc dot org