We were invited to the Bil'in, along with scores of Israeli, Palestinian and International Activists to take part in a massive protest against the seizure of this village's lands by the Annexation wall. The village has been demonstarting continuously since December 2004, in the face of ever greater violence and harasment from the Occupying Forces. This demo was supposed to mark their determination to continue non-violently resisting the occupation and the wall after the Army invaded the village last week to prevent the demonstartion from taking place.

Internationals and Israelis began arriving last night, and stayed in two seperate houses. At approximately 3am GMT, the army declared the first house a 'Closed Military Zone' and demanded that we leave it. The army commander was tricked into allowing us to enter the other house and now we are barricaded inside with the israelis and other internationals as well as several people from the village.

There are soldiers armed with rifles, batons, sound grenades and teargas launchers taking up positions around the house and they demand hat we leave. In addition, a small UN car with one occupant has been sighted in the village as has a military ambulance. We do not know how many soldiers there are.

Last week, after the village was invaded, the Palestinains told the Army and the Media that if they could not demonstarte in the streets, they would demonstarte in their homes. This is what is happening now.

As the IOF occupy th streets and demand that we leave the house, a demonstartion is begining on the rooftops. There are drums, banging, chanting and singing. Baners and placards which would have been carried to the village's stolen lands are to be hung from the roofs. They will not drive us from this village to which we were invited, nor will they crush the peaceful resistance to their violent wall.

UPDATE::

No further explosions. Sirens and drums continue to fight it out for control of our ears but the soldiers are not attempting to enter the house.

Apparently, the demonstation is now also on the street. Tear gas and further sound bombs have been fired and there are reports that a Palestinian man has been injured.

Another explosion has just gone off.

Please call the British Embassy in Tel Avivi on (00) (972) (3) 725 1222. Tell them that five British Nationals are in Bil'in at the inviation of he local people and that the Israeli army has them under siege in a house the in the centre of the village.