Eight people were injured monday including three Britons and an Australian when an Israeli soldier fired a burst of live ammunition from a machine gun during a protest. The incident, which left a BBC camera crew scrambling for cover happened in Beit Jala near Bethlehem on Monday afternoon.

Kunle Ibidun, 29 from Bristol was hit in the abdomen when the soldier opened fire, two other Brits Chris Dunham, and Aisa Kiyosue (pictured) also received minor injuries from flying shrapnel.

The wounded were taken to the Al Hussein hospital in Bethlehem where hospital staff reported most of the inuries were minor and included shrapnel wounds to the head and face. Kate Irving, an Australian is currently undergoing surgery according to reports on Jerusalem Indymedia.

A BBC newscrew was on the scene and had to run for cover after the soldier opened fire. Two palestinian reporters received gunshot wounds.

The Internationals injured are part of a 150 strong group from France, Australia, the UK, US, Ireland, and Germany who are in Palestine accompanying ambulances, treating injured and acting as human shields. They are requesting an international peacekeeping force headed by Canada be deployed in the region.

Isreali incursions have increased over the Easter holiday despite the Emergency UN resolution passed saturday which called on Israel to "withdraw troops from Palestinian cities, including Ramallah, and urging both parties to move immediately to a meaningful ceasefire."

A 6th suicide bombing in as many days wasalso carried out today, injuring an Israeli policeman at a security checkpoint. AP also reported a 10 year old Palestinian boy was shot dead by an Israeli soldier in Northern Palestine.

In other related news a Buddhist in Tokyo committed suicide by setting himself alight in a busy park, as a display of solidarity for the Palestinian people.

Demonstrations have taken place across the world most notably in London, Sydney, Athens, Cairo, Amman, Melbourne, Madrid, Milan, and Dublin.

11 Internationals including Jose Bove one of the founders of the solidarity movement, arrested yesterday in Ramallah are to be deported according to French Foreign office officials.

SurfLondon.com
Israeli Army fires on British pacifists

Note: Photos courtesy of Gary Anderson