Masked Israeli Settlers attack shepherds near Hebron

Sunday July 06, 2008 09:03

by Saed Bannoura - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group

The Israeli Information Center For Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) published video footage on Friday showing masked Israeli settlers carrying batons and attacking Palestinian shepherds near the illegal settlement of Susia near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Still from B'Tselem Video

The video footage showed four masked settlers carrying sticks approaching the famers and attacking them. Three Palestinians were hospitalized after sustaining injuries, one of the wounded was a 58-year old Palestinian woman who suffered fractures in her hand.

Israeli online daily, Haaretz, reported that Micky Rosenfeld, Israeli police spokesperson in the Hebron area, said that no arrests were made.

One of the attacked Palestinian farmers, identified as Imran Al Nawaj’a, 31, told Reuters that he along with his aunt and uncle, 58 and 60 years old, were tending to their sheep last Sunday when two Israeli soldiers arrived at the scene and ordered them to leave.

Imran added that the settlers gave them 10 minutes to leave the area. In response, Imran told the settlers that he is in his land where he plants trees and feeds his sheep.

The settlers left and returned shortly afterwards along with several other settlers who attacked him and his relatives.

The settlers struck Imran on his head and continued beating him although he fell to the ground. “later on, they attacked us all and started beating us”, he added.

Al Nawaj’a , his uncle and his aunt were wounded; the aunt suffered a broken cheekbone.

Sarit Michaeli, B’Tselem spokeswoman, stated on Saturday that those setters have a feeling that they can get away with their attacks and added that she is sure that this is a hate crime.

Michaeli also stated that such attacks are frequent as the settlers are attempting to force the Palestinians out of their land. She added that the Israeli police are not doing enough to apprehend and prosecute the attackers.

Over the past year, B’Tselem provided nearly 100 cameras to the Palestinians as part of the project which it called “Shooting Back” which aims at documenting human rights abuses in the occupied West Bank.