Israeli Sources: IOF Uses Chemical Weapons Against Palestinian Demonstrators

GAZA, June 13, 2004 (IPC + Arab48)-- Official and public  sources in the West Bank  town of Al-Zawya, which has been witnessing large-scale confrontations between the citizens and the Israeli occupying forces (IOF) over the town's lands, asserted that those who have inhaled the tear gas IOF troops fired at them four days ago are still suffering from the effects of the gas.   

The sources added that a number of those citizens have already had amnesias or partial memory loss, in addition to cramps.

Amir Shuqair, the coordinator of Fateh movement in the town of Al Zawya, told Arab48 website that a number of wounded citizens have actually completely or partially lost their memory , including Hamda Oda, 65, Mofeeda Abu Zer, 42, Ramzi Mouwaqeda, 23 and Atef Shuqair, 43, pointing out that other citizens are  still going through tests.

Shuqair added that about 60 citizens from the town have been suffering similar conditions, in addition to strange cramps every three hours, noting that those who inhaled the gas are still suffering severe pains in the joints and nausea for four days now.

Eyewitnesses recalled that the Israeli soldiers were keen on picking the empty tear gas canisters they fire during the confrontations, pointing out that they have been able to retrieve one of these canisters and examine it at a lab, and it turned out to contain internationally prohibited substances.

A number of journalists who covered the confrontations at Al-Zawya also asserted that the Israeli soldiers fired a lot of tear gas canisters at the citizens, who were mostly marching peacefully to protest the expropriation of the town's lands for the sake of constructing the Apartheid Wall.

They revealed that the gas was in different colors they have never seen coming out of a tear gas canister before, and that some gases had an unrecalled smell.

Meanwhile, the Israeli "Peace Now" movement asserted that the Israeli forces have used chemical weapons at Al Zawya that cause  unconsciousness and harm  the health. "Peace Now" filed a complaint about this matter to the Israeli military authorities.

According to eyewitness accounts gathered by the movement's members who participated in the demonstrations there on Friday, the Israeli soldiers have not been using the familiar tear gas used to disperse demonstrators, but a "much stronger" type of gas.

"A black gas emerged from one of the canisters the soldiers fired, and some of the demonstrators fell unconscious immediately after inhaling it," the witnesses said.

The members of "Peace Now", who took part in the demonstrations against building the Wall on the town's lands, which would destroy the entire town, asserted that some of the unconscious people remained so for 24 hours at Rafidia hospital in Nablus.

The demonstrators who inhaled the gas further mentioned that they suffered from high temperature, hardening of arteries and that some of them needed immediate blood transfer.

The Israeli "Peace Now", when approaching the Israeli military authorities, said that "these bombs are not legitimate means to disperse demonstrators. It is a chemical warfare against unarmed civilians, and thus it is an illegal and immoral actions."