EU slams brutality carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinian villagers

Saturday November 01, 2008 03:58 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The European Union slammed on Friday the ongoing violence carried out by Israeli settlers against Palestinian villagers in the occupied West Bank especially as the settlers escalated their attacks during the Olive picking season.

Settler harass Palestinian olive harvester, Tel Rumeida, Hebron , 26 Oct. 2006. Photo: Oren Yakobovich, B'Tselem.

In its statement, the EU presidency said that the EU condemns the acts of violence and brutality carried out by the settlers against the Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank.

The EU statement came after repeated violent attacks carried out by the settlers against the Palestinians and in many cases against Israeli soldiers who attempted to intervene.

 The EU called on the Israeli government to take the needed measures to immediately stop these attacks as this issue is part of its international obligations.

 On Friday, extremist settlers rebuilt illegal structures which were razed by the army overnight in an illegal West Bank outpost in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.   

The settlers clashed with the soldiers and four policemen were mildly wounded during the evacuation. The settlers also hurled stones at journalists.

Four policemen were slightly injured during the clashes that erupted during the evacuation. Reuters television footage also showed settlers throwing stones at photographers on the scene. One reporter of the French AFP news agency was wounded in the head.

 Meanwhile, Israeli police spokesman, Micky Rosenfeld, said that four soldiers were also wounded by the settlers.

 The settlers claimed that the army is responsible for these clashes which took place over the course of evacuation. The army detained three settlers for questioning.

 Every year, Olive harvest season marks a significant increase of attacks carried out by the settlers against the Palestinian villagers and international supporters who come to help in picking the olives and providing a sort of protection to the villagers.

west bank | israeli settlement | news report saed at imemc dot org