(PIC)-- A Palestinian child lost his left eye on Wednesday when Israeli occupation forces fired teargas canisters at demonstrators near Qalandia in occupied Jerusalem. Medical sources said that 13-year-old Ahed Wahdan was seriously injured in his left eye when a teargas canister hit him in the face.
[On several previous occasions Israeli forces have fired high velocity teargas canisters directly into people's faces or heads. At least one person was killed, a young American woman lost her eye, and an American man lost part of his brain. Over 100 Palestinian children have lost eyes from Israeli fire.]
They said that he was carried to Ramallah government hospital then to the eye hospital in Jerusalem from where he is expected to be moved to Hadassah hospital in view of his critical condition.
IOF soldiers used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse Palestinian demonstrators who were throwing stones at the soldiers.
The medical sources noted that ten Palestinians were treated on the field for rubber bullet injuries.
Soldiers in plain clothes were deployed in the area to chase and nab those throwing stones and succeeded in detaining a number of them.
20 Palestinians Injured In Qalandia Clashes
IMEMC – Palestinian medical sources reported that twenty Palestinians were wounded during clashes with Israeli soldiers stationed at the Qalandia terminal, north of Jerusalem. 
A Palestinian youth holds up the national flag at Wednesday's Qalandia demonstration (Brendan Work, PNN)
Israeli soldiers used an acoustic, vehicle-mounted device called The Scream to disperse protestors as well as a new type of tear gas, which eyewitnesses told Palestinian official news wire Wafa was more toxic than usual. Six protestors were injured by Israeli gunfire and an additional 14 were hospitalized for tear gas inhalation.
Shortly before noon, Israeli soldiers shot an unnamed 15-year-old in the eye with a rubber-coated steel bullet from a distance of 25 meters. He was taken to a Ramallah hospital, where it was confirmed he lost his eye.
The boy, as well as many others at the demonstration, was throwing rocks and bottles at the soldiers, who in violation of their own open-fire regulations shot from close range.
Four other Palestinians were shot and an international solidarity activist was shot in his ear. Three Palestinians--one from Jenin, one from Nablus, and one from Ramallah--were arrested by plainclothes Israeli troops.
Posts
