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| Israeli police and soldiers try to disperse protestors blocking Route 443 on a highway linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv near Ramallah city, on Oct. 16, 2012. Palestinian protesters and international peace activists on Tuesday briefly blocked a street in the West Bank allocated for the use of Israeli vehicles only. (Xinhua/Fadi Arouri) |
RAMALLAH, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian protesters and international peace activists on Tuesday briefly blocked a street in the West Bank allocated for the use of Israeli vehicles only.
The protesters shut Route 443 on a highway linking Jerusalem and Tel Aviv near Ramallah city, causing traffic jam for half an hour.
The protester were demanding the Israeli army to stop Jewish settlers from attacking Palestinian farmers and uprooting olive trees. Such attacks have notably increased as the harvest season began.
In the first week of the harvest season, which started on Oct. 05, the settlers have burnt more than 870 olive trees in the West Bank, according to a statement by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
The protesters waved Palestinian flags and banners slamming the settlers' attacks. "This is a message of Palestinian anger against the increasing attacks," said Abdullah Abu Rahma, one of the protest's organizers.
The protesters also demanded Israel to stop its 10-year-old ban on Palestinians using the road.
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