Jewish settlers assault Palestinian children
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 5/6/2006

Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian school children in the southern West Bank continued unabated amid Palestinian accusations that the Israeli army is conniving with settlers and doing nothing to stop the attacks.

Messianic settlers affiliated with the Gush Emunim movement (block of faithful) from the small colony of Maon south of Hebron assaulted Palestinian children with stones as the children were on their way to school Saturday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties among the kids.

The children were being escorted by Israeli soldiers for protection from settlers attacks.

The settlers, whose ultimate goal is to coerce local Palestinian villagers to abandon their villages and land, have seriously escalated their attacks and assaults on local Palestinians, especially the inhabitants of the small village of Tuwani.

Last week, children from the neighboring village of Tuba were attacked by settlers on their way back from school.

The children waited at least three hours for an army escort as settlers blocked the road with stones and dirt.

However, when the army jeep arrived, as many as 70 settlers ganged up on the vehicle, preventing it from moving as some settlers hurled stones, eggs and other objects.

None of the settlers were arrested. "They (the settlers) were carrying stones, clubs and some sharp objects, they behaved in a way suggesting that they would want to slaughter the children. These people are really sick," said Ahmed Hasan, the father of one of the kids.

In Hebron, Jewish settlers have also been attacking Palestinian school children, especially in the vicinity of a Jewish settler building on the western edge of the old town, known as "Dabboya." Two weeks ago, fifteen young settlers aged 18-20 attacked the Cordoba girls school, where foreign peace volunteers normally escort girls from their homes to school and vice versa.

Palestinians and human rights groups accuse the Israeli army of conniving with the settlers and doing virtually nothing to stop their wanton attacks and vandalism against Palestinian civilians.

Meantime, Israeli occupation forces yesterday killed as many as six Palestinians in attacks on Palestinian population centers in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Medical sources in the Gaza Strip said five Palestinians were killed and several others injured when Israeli warplanes fired missiles on a training camp at Tel El-Hawa in southeastern Gaza.

Israel, some say, feels emboldened and encouraged to kill and maim more Palestinians in light of western, particularly American, hostility against the Palestinian government led by Hamas.

Previous Stories:
  Israel's Olmert views with new government   (5/5/2006)
  Abbase talks with Rice   (5/5/2006)
  Israeli occupation army murders Palestinian taxi driver   (5/5/2006)
  Israel continues arrest of Palestinian resistance   (5/2/2006)
  3-Year-Old child crushed at Israeli checkpoint   (4/29/2006)
  Israeli soldiers attack Palestinian journalists   (4/28/2006)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search