Palestinians: Settlers killed a horse

West Bank violence: Palestinian farmers say settlers attacked them; elsewhere, Palestinian kids harassed

Ali Waked|Published: 04.29.06 , 19:28

Palestinian farmers in the West Bank are charging they were attacked by settlers in the Ramallah region Saturday night. According to the Palestinians, the settlers also shot and killed a horse.

IDF and police forces were rushed to the scene and are looking into the incident.

Earlier Saturday, settlers clashed with security forces near Havat Maon, after the settlers prevented Palestinian students from passing through on their way home after school. Forces were dispatched to the area, which was declared a close military zone.

According to the Palestinians, about 20 settlers attacked them around 3 p.m. and set a dog upon them, injuring one Palestinian. The Palestinians say the settlers prevented them from reaching their agricultural land.

One farmer, Abu Jihad, told Ynet: "I was there with another 11 farmers, when the settlers arrived and demanded that we get out of our land. They fired in the air and then set the dog upon my 26-year-old nephew, who required medical attention."

Abu Jihad said troops arrived at the area about an hour after the settlers and asked the Palestinians to leave.

"It's not the victim who should be removed, but rather, those who come from afar to our land and ask us, while using serious violence, to stop our work," he said. "We ask the army and legal authorities to do their job, protect us from those settlers, and allow us to live quietly and work our land quietly."

According to Abu Jihad, the settlers place a tent at the mountain overlooking the village at all times and resort to violence every time they see farmers arriving.

"Their harassment is intolerable, and particularly during the time of the olive harvest they make our lives impossible," he said. "In fact, they already caused us to lose our self confidence. We don't know whether to arrive at our lands or not for fear they will continue harassing us."

'Settlers encircled jeep'

The Judea and Samaria Police said that when farmers arrived at the area Saturday morning, there were no settlers at the tent overlooking the region.

"Their horse was found dead at the scene. Police are continuing to look into the circumstances of the incident," a police official said.

Elsewhere, volunteers for the Ta'ayush organization say they witnessed settlers from the south Mount Hebron area harassing Palestinian children and IDF soldiers.

One volunteer, Avichai Sharon, told Ynet Palestinian children were on theor way to school and were waiting for their army escort, while 60-70 settlers waited in the area and encircled an army jeep carrying five Palestinian children.

"The settlers hurled eggs and stones," Sharon said. "For an hour, the children were besieged in the jeep. Police and army forces arrived and did nothing. They rescued the children only an hour later."

"We weren't able to reach the jeep. We were pushed back by the settlers and army. None of the settlers was detained," Sharon concluded."