Abbas urged to investigate Land Day violence

Palestinian civil society and activists on Wednesday urged President Mahmoud Abbas to investigate attacks on demonstrators during a rally to mark Land Day. A coalition of NGOs and civil society leaders called on the president to form an "independent and transparent" committee to investigate an attack on MP Mustafa Barghouti, who was injured at a demonstration at Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah on March 30. Barghouthi, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative, was "attacked by unidentified individuals" at the rally, said a joint statement from the Palestinian NGO network, PLC members and civil society leaders. "We ask that the people behind these attacks be held accountable in a non-partisan fashion and that their actions be recognized as an unconscionable attempt to derail the peaceful popular resistance struggle," the statement said. The group, which held a meeting Wednesday in Ramallah, urged national and Islamic factions "to take a firm stand and reject the type of behavior behind the Land Day attacks." Palestinian police on Saturday opened an investigation into Barghouti's injury. An aide said the same day the lawmaker was injured by a tear-gas canister fired by Israeli forces. She said the police were informed of the circumstances during their visit to the hospital. An Israeli military spokeswoman had disputed the account. The Red Crescent said medics treated 249 protesters for injuries and 20 people were hospitalized after Israeli forces fired tear gas, rubber bullets and chemical water at demonstrators. Troops damaged three ambulances and nine medics were injured, the Red Crescent said.