Shepherds, police and sheep
Photo: CPT
Settlers suspected of injuring Palestinians' sheep
Police launch investigation into report that Jewish Mount Hebron residents fired at Palestinian shepherds' herd
Jewish residents of the settlement of Havat Maon in South Mount Hebron have allegedly fired at Palestinian shepherds, wounding three sheep.
Hafez Harini Mautwana, who was present at the area during the incident, told Ynet that "the shepherds were walking with their herds, and at one point a settler arrived from the grove, fired at the shepherds and injured three sheep."
Last Wednesday, Palestinian shepherds arrived with their herd at a field near the settlement, where they were reportedly fired at.
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According to Harini, "The shepherds didn’t know what to do. Police officers arrived at the area and took two of the sheep. They also collected evidence from the shepherds. Clashed take place near Havat Maon all the time, but this time it ended with gunshots."
Sheep injured by gunshots (Photo: CPT)
The Palestinians and the settlers are in disagreement over the areas where the Palestinians are allowed to bring their herds, but the disputes usually end in verbal attacks.
The Judea and Samaria police reported that the officers who arrived at the scene of the incident took the injured sheep to a veterinarian, who removed bullet from one of the sheep's bodies in order to compare it to the weapon used to fire it.
'Jew believed to have shot sheep'
A police official added that two Jewish suspects had been questioned and released, but that the investigation continued in a bid to capture the shooter and indict him.
"The shooter will be judge severely. Our estimate is that a Jews fired the gunshots," a police source said.
Zviki Bar-Hai, head of the South Mount Hebron Regional Council, told Ynet that "the incident is being investigated by the police, and we will not address it specifically. However, weapons should only be used when lives are at risk.
"In this area there are provocations by left-wing organizations and local Palestinians, which reached a high last week when the community's security coordinator was beaten up and his glasses were broken."
Peace Now Secretary-General Yariv Oppenheimer told Ynet in response to the incident, "The settlers' harassment of Palestinians across the West Bank has taken a step forward, and the use of firearms has become a routine method.
"The police and army must stop this Wild West and work to capture the shooters and confiscate their weapons. The lack of action by the law enforcement authorities constitutes a 'green light' for the continuation of these acts of harassment."
