Troops wounded by settler youths in Hebron

Two Border Guard officers were lightly wounded Saturday afternoon as clashes resumed between security troops and settlers near the 'Federman Farm' in Hebron. The two were wounded by a group of young settlers, who hurled rocks at troops securing the homes of Palestinian residents.

The officers received emergency medical attention at the scene, and one of them was evacuated to a Jerusalem hospital for further treatment.

A large group of settlers gathered near the structures demolished and evacuated last week before the end of the Sabbath. The troops, who were guarding nearby Palestinian homes, were pelted with rocks – which they said were also thrown by young children.

Border Guard commanders slammed the settlers' cynical use of children to assault security forces, and pledged "those responsible for the riots and the attacks against troops will be brought to justice."

The settlers however say that a Border Guard officer assaulted a 10-year-old Jewish settler near the Federman Farm, with that incident prompting Saturday's outburst.

Right-wing activists damaged Palestinian fields and houses Friday morning in response to the Thursday night clashes between settlers and security forces who tore down an illegal building at a farm belonging to extreme rightist Noam Federman in the Jewish community of Kiryat Arba.

The settlers also claimed to have rebuilt the structure destroyed by the security forces.

The European Union on Friday issued a statement denouncing settler violence. "The European Union once again condemns in the strongest possible terms the acts of violence and brutality committed against Palestinian civilians by Israeli settlers in the West Bank," said the statement.

"The European Union would point out that it is up to the Israeli government, which has itself condemned these acts, to take the necessary measures to stop them immediately, in accordance with its international obligations," it said.