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Settlers, Palestinians clash near West Bank outpost
Rightists, Bit'in residents throw stones at one another, three Israelis lightly wounded before being arrested. 'IDF should deal with the aggressors, who are the Palestinians, before dealing with us,' settler says
Police arrested three right-wing activists and held seven others for questioning on Saturday for suspicion of throwing stones at homes and cars belonging to residents of the Palestinian village of Bit'in in the West Bank.
Three of the detainees sustained light injuries when Palestinians and settlers hurled stones at one another near the illegal outpost of Givat Or, located near Beit El. The injured received medical attention before being taken into police custody.
The seven other detainees, among them six teens, were taken in for questioning after they refused to identify themselves to police officers.
"It's true that we threw stones back at them and caused damage, but the IDF must first deal with the aggressors, who are the Palestinians, and not with those who were attacked," one of the detainees told Ynet.
The right-wing activists passed by the Palestinian village on their way to the illegal outpost when, according to their account, Palestinians attacked them with stones. Other rightists who had received word of the incident arrived at the scene to assist their friends and threw stones toward Bit'in.
IDF and police forces dispatched to the scene calmed the situation.
"We came to settle Givat Or; on the way we were attacked by Palestinians, but we fought back," a right-wing activist told Ynet, "instead of protecting us, the army attacked us."
The rightists said the Israeli security forces prevented paramedics from treating the wounded. Eventually army medical staff tended to the injured rightists.
Residents of Bit'in filed a complaint with Shai District Police over the damage caused by the rightists.
