5 Injured in West Bank demonstrations

Five people were injured on Friday in weekly West Bank demonstrations, a local group said. Three women sustained bruises after Israeli soldiers assaulted them in a weekly demonstration in al-Masara village, Bethlehem, the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements said. The demonstration began at a cultural center in the village, before heading towards Israel's separation wall. In Nabi Saleh, Izz al-Abdul Hazfith Tamimi, 15, suffered facial injuries after being hit by a rubber bullet, the Popular Committee said. Usama Bilal Tamimi, 16, was hit by a rubber bullet in the leg. Palestinian and international activists gathered in the village for the weekly protest, which was also dedicated to hunger striking detainee Hana Shalabi, as well as other Palestinians in Israeli jails. The protest was held on the first anniversary of the arrest of anti-wall activist Bassem Tamimi. In March, Amnesty International said Tamimi should be released immediately, calling him a prisoner of conscience. In December, 28-year-old Nabi Saleh resident Mustafa Tamimi died after he was struck in the face by a tear gas canister fired by Israeli forces. On Tuesday, Israeli troops raided the village, ransacking several homes and confiscating computers and cell phones, according to the local popular resistance movement.