Israeli forces detain 3 as activists drill hole in wall

Undercover Israeli forces detained three young Palestinian men during clashes in the East Jerusalem village of Abu Dis Friday evening. A Ma'an reporter said fierce clashes broke out near al-Quds University in Abu Dis and in the Kubsa neighborhood between al-Eizariya and Abu Dis. Israeli troops, the reporter said, stormed both villages firing stun grenades, tear-gas canisters and rubber-coated bullets. Several residents were hurt by tear-gas inhalation. Hani Halabiyya, spokesman for the local popular resistance committees, highlighted that activists enlarged a hole they started to drill in Israel’s separation wall in Abu Dis Wednesday using hand tools. While the activists were drilling in the wall Friday, he said, undercover Israeli forces stormed the area in a white GMC and detained three young men beating them violently. He added that Israeli forces were showering the area with tear gas canisters and fire bombs. As a result a fire broke out in two trees on al-Quds University campus. Firefighters had to handle the fire with simple extinguishers as civil defense apparatus couldn’t access the area as a result of fierce clashes.