Saturday marked with stone-throwing incidents in north
Police alerted to major highways near Arab villages in northern district following reports of youths pelting cars. No injuries have been reported but damage was caused to a number of vehicles and several people were treated for shock. Ten youths arrested
Police in northern Israel reported three separate incidents on Saturday in which rocks were thrown at vehicles traveling in proximity to several Arab communities. No injuries were caused but several cars were damaged. Several motorists were treated for shock as a result.
Ten youths have been arrested Saturday night for their suspected involvement in the incidents. Three 18-year-old youths have been detained in the village of Fureidis and another seven teens ages 13 to 15 were arrested in the village of Jisr al-Zarqa.
Fearing possible incitement on the part of the Islamic Movement in Israel following the terror attack in Jerusalem on Thursday, police had raised the alertness level over the weekend.
The incidents took place near the Fureidis and Shfaram junctions and near the village of Jisr al-Zarqa.
Over seven years ago a 54-year-old Israeli was killed from a rock on the same stretch of road near Jisr al-Zarqa that was the scene of Saturday's attack.
'Thuggish acts'
Acting spokesman for the police's Northern District, Superintendent Moshe Weitzman, discussed the incidents with Ynet: "For some time now police officers in the district have been carrying out open and covert operations to locate the perpetrators of these attacks."
Weitzman said that arrests have been made in only part of the cases. No suspects have been detained in Saturday's attacks as of yet. "Alongside this we are also in contact with community leaders in an effort to put an end to this phenomenon, but unfortunately we have not been completely successful."
Last month police temporarily closed down Route 77 in northern Israel following reports of vehicles coming under attack. Four youths from the same village were detained in connection to the case.
The chairman of the local municipality to which the aforementioned villages belongs described the attacks as "thuggish acts stemming from boredom and frustration."
While saying that he condemned the grave acts carried out by youths within his jurisdiction, the chairman said that is was high time the State realized that it must provide these youths with activities to occupy their time with.
