Israeli settlers steal video camera from international volunteer

Monday April 02, 2007 12:15 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

A group of Israeli settler children stole a video camera from an international volunteer in Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank on Sunday evening.

Settlers Children attacking Palestinian old woman - Photo by ISM Hebron

The settler children surrounded two international human rights workers. The children began to physically assault the two women, kicking them and one of their video cameras. One adult female settler was also present but did nothing to prevent the children from harassing the workers.

One of the settler children then stole the video camera from one of the HRWs and the settlers ran away towards the illegal Tel Rumeida settlement located in the center of Hebron city.

The human rights workers then told a group of Israeli soldiers who were guarding the illegal settlement; the Israeli soldiers started to ask araound for the camera in the settlement and came back empty handed to the human rights workers. Four additional human rights workers arrived at the scene. The soldiers then told them that the area was a closed military zone and that they had to leave.

After 20 minutes, the Israeli police from the nearby illegal settlement block of Kiryat Arba arrived. They surveyed the scene but did not search for the settlers who had stolen the camera. The two human rights workers who were attacked by the settlers then went to Kiryat Arba police station to file a police report.

In the city of Hebron settlers from illegal settlements regularly attack international and local human rights workers who are working in the city to aid Palestinian civilians. Most of the time the Israeli army and police witnesses these attacks and do nothing to prevent them.

The Hebron Protocols of 1997 divided the city of Hebron into 2 parts: H1 and H2. There are around 130,000 Palestinians in H1, an area where the Palestinian Authority has limited autonomy. H2 homes nearly 35,000 Palestinians and 600 Israeli settlers. H2 is under complete Israeli military control. The Palestinians in H2 are not allowed to drive cars of any kind, including ambulances and taxis. There is a road that leads directly to the Ibrahimi Mosque in H2. Palestinians, however, are forbidden by the Israeli military to walk down this road to reach the mosque. Palestinians must take the long way around to reach the mosque, through the Old City.

hebron | israeli attacks | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org