Settler throwing stones (archives)
Photo: Reuters
Report: 2 Palestinians injured by settlers' stones
Osama and Ziad Suan's car attacked with stones near settlement of Yakir while making its way to Ramallah. Their cousin says relatives hospitalized in serious condition. IDF forces dispatched to area following complaints of stone throwing
Two Palestinian relatives from the village of Umm al-Tin were injured Thursday night from stones hurled at their car. Palestinians claim that the stones were thrown by settlers near the West Bank settlement of Yakir and that the two were in serious condition.
Osama and Ziad Suan were on their way to Ramallah to transport meat, when their Volkswagen commercial vehicle was attached with large stones near Yakir.
The Israel Defense Forces received a report of mutual stone throwing between settlers and Palestinians in the area, but says it is unaware of any injuries. Security forces were dispatched to the area and are maintaining order. A relative of the two injured family members told Ynet that they had not filed a complaint over the incident.
On Jewish Side
Ynet reporters
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"Osama was injured in his head and Ziad was wounded in the shoulder and hand," said their cousin, Rami Suan, while visiting the two at the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. He said Osama was operated on following the incident.
Rami said that the two were rescued by a Palestinian who was passed by the scene of the incident. "A bakery owner working in the area, who knows the two, was on his way to distribute bread in the village of Dir Istia and noticed their vehicle. He approached the car and found them unconscious.
"The bakery owner lifted them up to his vehicle and took them to Qalqilya for medical treatment. They were later transferred to the Rafidia Hospital in Nablus for further treatment and surgery for Osama," the cousin said.
'Army isn't doing a thing'
The cousin noted that there has been an escalation in settlers' attacks recently. "We feel that it is no longer safe to return home due to the settlers' harassments. There has recently been a clear increase in their violence, but the army isn’t doing a thing.
"People in our village know of one incident in which a settler from Kedumim, who is also a soldier, harasses us together with other settlers. When he is not wearing uniform, he and his friends hit the farmers and tease us. He himself has said that the army and police will not do anything to him, and when he comes with the patrol he makes sure to remind us who he is.
"Here you feel that the army is covering up for the settlers and we have no one to turn and complain to," the injured relative's cousin said, adding that the family members did not file a complaint with the authorities.
On the backdrop of the claims that settlers are increasing their acts of harassment against the Palestinian population in the West Bank, the police on Thursday arrested a relative of former Kach Chairman Rabbi Meir Kahane on suspicion of torching a mosque in the Palestinian village of Yasuf three weeks ago. He was released after being questioned for seven hours.
Efrat Weiss and Hanan Greenberg contributed to this report
