Disputed Hebron house
Photo: Sameh Shahin
Palestinians: Settler hit teen over snowball
Teen's parents say their son was assaulted by a Jewish man as he was playing with friends in the snow; police say settler filed complaint against teen
Palestinian sources in the West Bank city of Hebron said Thursday that a Jewish settler assualted a local teen who he claimed threw a snowball at him.
The teen's parents told Ynet that on Wednesday they sent their son, Mahmoud Da'ana, to a neighborhood grocery store located near the disputed house that was taken over by Jewish settlers several months ago. On the way to the store, they said, Mahmoud stopped to play in the snow with his friends when a settler appeared and began to punch him.
Hebron (Photo: AFP)
"The settler, who was in his 30s, claimed that my son threw a snowball at him," said the teen's father, Awani Da'ana. "He beat him severely and injured him." The father said Mahmoud was hospitalized and was still suffering from dizziness and pain.
Police officers who arrived at the family home a short while after the incident said the settler had filed a complaint against the teen for assault. Palestinian sources in Hebron said Mahmoud was detained and later released, adding that he was ordered to report to the local police station on Sunday for further questioning.
Asked whether the settler may have been hit by mistake while Mahmoud and his friends were playing, the father said the settlers "were nowhere near the area, so how could they have been attacked?"
Yishai District Police said that during the incident Palestinians hurled stones at a group of settlers, lightly injuring one of them. In response a settler confronted one of the Palestinians, police said.
The settler was detained, questioned and will soon be brought before a court, they said.
