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Violence in West Bank
Photo: David Zaviel

3 settlers lightly hurt in clash with Palestinians

Palestinians, settlers hurl stones at each other near Shilo causing light wounds to three Jewish teens, one Palestinian. Settlers claim Arabs instigated attack, while left-wing activist submits security forces assaulted Palestinians for no reason

A clash between Palestinians and settlers broke out Thursday near the Esh Kodesh outpost in the Shilo area. Eye witnesses reported seeing stones being hurled between Khusra village residents and outpost residents.

 

hey also said they heard gunshots. Three settlers aged 14 were lightly hurt and two of them were taken to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem. A Red Crescent team also transferred a Palestinian who sustained light wounds to a Ramallah hospital.

 

"There were clashes between settlers and Palestinians," a security element told Ynet. The officers used crowd-dispersal means to clear the area. "Our forces arrived at the scene. There are no detainees at present," he said.

 

Esh Kodesh residents reported that some 100 Palestinians started hurling stones towards them earlier in the day. Some of them responded with the same means and a clash quickly ensued.


Settlers, Palestinians clash near Esh Kodesh (Photo: David Zaviel)

 

Yesh Din activist Judy Lutz arrived at the scene shortly after the clash broke out. "Palestinians told me that the settlers came down from Esh Kodesh and started firing at the villagers causing injury to some of them. We got there and I indeed noticed many Border Guard soldiers firing gas grenades. I also heard gunshots. The cops just attacked random people who were standing there."

 

The settlers, on the other hand, painted an entirely different picture. "Hundreds of Arabs rioted here and hurled stones. They used violence against the soldiers who arrived at the scene," local resident David Lavi said. "It's not really clear what they want. They just showed up to hold a riot and attack."

 

Yehuda, who resides in one of the neighboring settlements, said he saw "a large group of Arab protestors who approached Esh Kodesh and burned a car on the way.

 

"The community's emergency squad was dispatched and the army came but had a hard time gaining control over what was happening. The Arabs reached the entrance of the community and started hurling stones and the Border Guard forces tried to contain them."

 

Ronen Medzini contributed to this report

 

 


פרסום ראשון: 01.13.11, 14:32
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