Israeli military police to investigate soldiers attacks against leftist protestors

Thursday May 10, 2007 00:56

by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Criminal Investigation Division at the Israeli Military Police is slated to probe the Israeli military violence on Wednesday against left-wing Israeli activists who were protesters against the Israeli military roadblocks in the occupied Palestinian territories.

TV footage shown by the Israeli TV Channel 2

Israeli online daily Haaretz reported that the protesters dismantled a temporary military roadblock close to Al Thahiriyya town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Haaretz added that around 10 Israeli activists and a number of Palestinians removed the cement blocks placed by the army to block a footpath connecting the town to Route number 60. This is the main road in the West Bank that connects the Hebron hill with Hebron the city.

The activists also protested on a road leading to an Israeli settlement in the area and were attacked by reservist soldiers who arrived at the scene.
One of the protesters managed to film the soldiers beating one of the activists, pushing the protesters way, wrestling with them, violently pushing a woman and stabbing a young man in his ribs with rifle barrel, Haaretz added.

Several protesters were injured and the footage showed the protester who was stabbed with the riffle barrel screaming and holding his chest.

Israeli Army Chief of Staff, Gabi Ashkenazi, met for consultations with the Israeli Defense Minister, Amir
Peretz, and said that these images showed excessive use of force and serious behavior by the soldiers, and stated that this incident will be probed.

Meanwhile, Peretz said that “left wing and right wing protesters must act within the limits of the law”.
Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups repeatedly stated that the Israeli military road blocks are blocking the daily lives of the Palestinian civilians, and barring them from reaching their educational facilities, health facilities, work, and disconnecting them from each other.