Palestine: PA condemns Israel's crackdown on peaceful settlement protests

 Israeli police arresting pelestinian

19 March 2022; MEMO:The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Friday has condemned the Israeli crackdown on peaceful anti-settlement demonstrations, as well as the abuse of unarmed civilians taking part, Anadolu Agency reported.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the PA announced: "The Israeli crackdown on the peaceful protests is a clear attempt to break the will of the Palestinian people in order to oblige them to surrender to settlement as a fait accompli."

The PA blamed the Israeli government for the: "Direct violations and violent aggression on the peaceful protests."

Meanwhile, the PA called on the countries that claim to protect human rights to take a "balanced and just" stance regarding Palestinians.

The PA reiterated that the weekly peaceful protests across the occupied West Bank are a reaction to the continuous building of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

The Israeli occupation forces wounded 14 Palestinians with bullets and harmed tens of others with tear gas in several peaceful protests across the occupied West Bank.

Israeli NGO Peace Now says that about 666,000 Israeli settlers live in 145 large settlements and 140 settlement posts built on Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem.