IDF troops begin walking Palestinian children to school due to stone throwing

After claims by settlers of an increase in attacks along major West Bank highway, IDF vows to bolster troop presence, while videos from social media showed Israeli soldiers walking Palestinian children from local villages to school amid threat

Elisha Ben Kimon|
The Israeli troops began walking with Palestinian children to school in order to prevent stone throwing incidents in the area around Jewish settlements in the West Bank due to stone throwing incidents.
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  • Most of the incidents appear to have occurred near a school in the Palestinian village of Al-Lubban al-Gharbi, near Ramallah, close to the settlements of Eli, Ma'ale Levona, and Shilo - along a major West Bank highway.
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    הרכבים לאחר יידוי האבנים
    הרכבים לאחר יידוי האבנים
    A windshield cracked from alleged stone throwing near Ramallah
    Orel Gurfinkel, 28, who uses Highway 60 every morning, says she was ambushed by rocks thrown at her car twice in just five days.
    "It's a fear that is hard to explain, I was with my one-year-old son in the car, and the rocks luckily hit the front windshield and he wasn't hurt, it's a nightmare, and we can't keep driving like this, we are like sitting ducks in there."
    Settlers demonstrations outside a military base in Binyamin Region on Sunday during a visit there by Defense Minister Benny Gantz and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi.
    2 View gallery
    חיילי צהל מלווים ילדים פלסטינים לבית הספר בעקבות יידוי האבנים
    חיילי צהל מלווים ילדים פלסטינים לבית הספר בעקבות יידוי האבנים
    IDF soldiers accompany Palestinian kids on their way to school
    In a meeting that ensued, they were told that the military was taking their concerns seriously. "The meeting was good, they heard what we had to say, they understood our point, and they said that rock-throwing is a life threat by all means," one settler said.
    They also reported a decision by the security forces to bolster Border Police forces along the highway, while school teachers and other settlers would also increase their presence on the road to prevent students from throwing stones.
    Following the meeting, pictures appeared on Palestinian social media sites, showing soldiers walking with students as they made their way to school.
    The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said in response to a question that troop presence will be increased.
    "Following the growing number of rock-throwing incidents on Israeli cars in the area of Al-Lubban al-Gharbi village in recent weeks, the IDF decided to bolster its Border Police deployment.
    "The IDF, together with other security forces will continue their mission to keep local residents safe," the military spokesperson said.
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