Briton defiant after protest injury

James Budd will stay on despite his injuries

An Essex man wounded by shrapnel during a peace protest near Bethlehem has spoken of the moment he was struck as Israeli soldiers opened fire.

James Budd was injured in the face and the back of the head when Israeli troops blocked demonstrators entering Beit Jala on Monday.

"I put my hand to my face and it was covered in blood," he said.

But he has refused to join a diplomatic evacuation operation from the Bethlehem hotel in which he is stuck, saying he is determined to stay on in the crisis area for a further week.

Troops have tightened their grip in the region

The 59-year-old from Manningtree has contacted relatives in the UK to tell them he was not badly hurt.

Mr Budd, a freelance Arabic-English translator, travelled to Bethlehem last Thursday to join a group from the International Solidarity Movement to Free Palestine (ISM).

He said that some 100 protesters decided on Monday to go to the nearby village of Beit Jala after hearing that part of it had been occupied by Israeli forces.

Mr Budd said: "Our idea was to negotiate our way through and visit the families affected, not to confront or provoke Israeli soldiers, which would be counter-productive."

However, on their arrival an Israeli armoured personnel carrier signalled they should return and fired as a warning.

The demonstrators moved back a short way and the vehicle followed.

It fired again, and Mr Budd presumes one of these shots hit the crowd.

Other reports suggested that troops opened fire on to flagstones, causing ricochets.

"I felt as though I'd been punched in the face," said Mr Budd.

"I didn't even notice the wound at the back at all.

"I put my hand to my face and it was covered in blood, and I looked down and saw my clothes splattered with blood.

"Then people from the Palestinian Red Crescent dragged me off to the ambulance."

They suggested I keep the shrapnel as souvenirs

James Budd

Mr Budd said that a total of seven people, of various nationalities, were treated in a nearby hospital for their injuries.

"The doctors told me I have two little bits of shrapnel lodged in the wounds which will come out later," said Mr Budd.

"They suggested I keep them as souvenirs."

Since returning from hospital, Mr Budd has been stuck in the Star Hotel in Bethlehem.

The hotel restaurant was hit by a bullet on Tuesday night, and residents have been "strongly advised" not to venture outside.

"Some people are being evacuated, but I will stay on for a bit," said Mr Budd.

"We need to keep contact with the ISM volunteers in the refugee camps."

'Festering problem'

Surprisingly, Mr Budd says he only became involved in Palestinian politics a few months ago.

"I'm not particularly politically-minded," he said.

"But this problem has been festering for so many years."

Despite his determination to stay, he admitted he thought his role would be less daunting.

"I'd expected to be monitoring checkpoints, helping farmers living near Israeli settlements.

"If there are international monitors around it makes the Israeli forces a little bit more careful.

"I knew there were lots of unpleasant things happening when I arrived.

"But I didn't plan to come out into the middle of a war zone."