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Palestinians the siege of Ramallah in the West Bank by the Israeli government. All roads to many Palestinian towns were blocked with dirt barricades and tanks. At least 40 Palestinians were wounded and one killed by Israeli gunfire on March 12 when Palestinian students tried to reopen the road to Bir Zeit University to register for the spring semester. The Zionist soldiers shot rubber-coated bullets and lobbed tear gas in an attempt to stop a bulldozer operated by Palestinians from reopening the blocked road. "They want to break our bones and break our will," said Rima Tarazi, a member of Bir Zeit board of trustees. Since September, 3 million Palestinian civilians have been living under a state of siege imposed by the Israeli military occupation. The Palestinian economy has lost more than $2 billion, poverty levels have doubled in five months, and unemployment has soared to 48 percent. Arab regimes in the region recently raised a $300 million aid package to donate to the Palestinian Authority.
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