IDF shooting at international observers?

At 3:00 p.m. Italian activists from the National Committee in support
of Intifada and from Indymedia Italia, French and Swiss from GIPP, and
internationals from International Solidarity Movement gathered in
Bethlehem for a small demo directed to Beit Jala to visit houses
occupied by the Israeli army and to bring food and medicaments to the
Palestinian people. Around 100 people headed for Bethlehem, where the
atmosphere was really heavy and streets deserted.

Two buses of Action for Peace activists with a MP that were trying to
come to the action were stopped at the Bethlehem check point.
Following the sound of a clarinet and of hands clapping we moved to
Beit Jala village.” Stop the Occupation", "Sharon you will see
Palestine will be free" the slogan chanted while climbing up. We
arrived at the point where two days ago we met the tanks and the road
was empty, there were only a few kids that started running toward us
and joined the march. We continued toward the houses with the snipers,
in front of which we know the tanks are stationed, to try to bring
medicaments and food to the Palestinian families isolated there.

At this point arrived a tank in front of us. In the gun-turret a
soldier looked at us coldly. He was cold as someone knowing what he
has to do and that it is normal routine in his life and he pointed at
us the rifle. A contact group tried to negotiate, but immediately
started the first burst one meter from their foot. They weren't
plastic bullets. They were real bullets, they hurt: the first wounded
were a journalist and an Australian girl that was hit straight into
the stomach. People didn't panic; they group and try to send the
negotiators forth again. Machine-gun burst gave no possible further
discussion. We started to drew back slowly to avoid panic and
situations of more dangerous chaos. Shots got more and more frequent
and near, around 30 of them. There were shots hitting the road at 10
cm from a man ankle. There were shots hitting walls and shots toward
video cams and cameras. The tank moved forward.  Most of the people
accelerated their walk while two rows drew back slowly. Soldiers
continued to shoot against us. Some of us remained blocked in a
lateral alley behind a small gate, and despite our claims we were
obliged to let them escape into a house. The withdraw went on for
twenty slow minutes, the tank was following us at a distance of two
meters. In a little lateral road a cameraman and a journalist from the
BBC try to take the car, but soldiers didn’t agree and covered them
with bursts under our powerless eyes, until they decide, uninjured but
terrorized, to go back with the group.  At last the tank stopped. A
camera came out the trapdoor.  His arm came out; holding a camera…the
soldiers took pictures of us…

At last we made our way back to Bethlehem.  We inquired about wounded:
they're seven; one of them, the Australian girl, in the operating
room. The others have little hurts caused by splinters and pebble that
have been thrown here and there by the bullets.  We went back the
center "IBDAA" in the camp to spread the communication.

For us now the occupation is a more vivid reality. As for thousands of
Palestinians every day. As the war.  You can't just stay and look.

IMC Italy
April 01, Bethlehem Palestine
http://italia.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=45029