11 apr 2015
Israeli forces razed lands near al-Khader south of Bethlehem earlier this week in order to build a road to a new settlement, with 400 dunums of land threatened with future construction of a settlement outpost, according to Palestinian media.
Israeli settlers began to create the bypass road near the illegal settlement outpost Sidi Bou'ez close to al-Khader, local sources told Wafa news Thursday.
The settlers were eventually forced by local residents to stop their work.
Over 400 dunums of Palestinian land is now threatened with confiscation if the road and outpost are completed, according to Al Quds news.
The town of al-Khader has lost significant amounts of private land to Israeli forces and settlers over the years.
In June 2014, Israeli forces razed lands belonging to Palestinians in the area in order to connect the nearby Efrat settlement to others nearby, Ahmad Salah, coordinator of the popular committee against the wall and settlements in the village of al-Khader told Ma'an at the time.
After the incident, Salah told Ma'an that acts of razing and leveling lands near al-Khader had been occurring "constantly," highlighting that Israeli forces have frequently prevented local farmers from reaching their lands.
The settlement of Elazar was built in 1975 on land confiscated from a number of Palestinian families in nearby al-Khader, with 32 percent of the settlement land sitting directly on top of private Palestinian property, according to Israeli human rights group Peace Now.
Bypass roads and the construction of settlements are one of many obstacles inhibiting Palestinian movement throughout the West Bank.
Israeli authorities frequently establish bypass roads enabling Israel traffic, generally connecting illegal settlements, to bypass areas that passed through Palestinian jurisdiction.
Israeli settlers began to create the bypass road near the illegal settlement outpost Sidi Bou'ez close to al-Khader, local sources told Wafa news Thursday.
The settlers were eventually forced by local residents to stop their work.
Over 400 dunums of Palestinian land is now threatened with confiscation if the road and outpost are completed, according to Al Quds news.
The town of al-Khader has lost significant amounts of private land to Israeli forces and settlers over the years.
In June 2014, Israeli forces razed lands belonging to Palestinians in the area in order to connect the nearby Efrat settlement to others nearby, Ahmad Salah, coordinator of the popular committee against the wall and settlements in the village of al-Khader told Ma'an at the time.
After the incident, Salah told Ma'an that acts of razing and leveling lands near al-Khader had been occurring "constantly," highlighting that Israeli forces have frequently prevented local farmers from reaching their lands.
The settlement of Elazar was built in 1975 on land confiscated from a number of Palestinian families in nearby al-Khader, with 32 percent of the settlement land sitting directly on top of private Palestinian property, according to Israeli human rights group Peace Now.
Bypass roads and the construction of settlements are one of many obstacles inhibiting Palestinian movement throughout the West Bank.
Israeli authorities frequently establish bypass roads enabling Israel traffic, generally connecting illegal settlements, to bypass areas that passed through Palestinian jurisdiction.
About a week ago, Israeli settlers from the illegal settlement of Mezad, in the southern West Bank near the city of Hebron, cut down approximately 1,200 Palestinian olive trees in an act of environmental terrorism, a vindictive act aimed at intimidating their Palestinian neighbours and economically crippling many Palestinian farmers who rely on harvesting olives to make a living.
Not only is the harvesting of olives a major part of the Palestinian economy, supporting over 80,000 families, but it is also central to Palestinian culture and lifestyle.
Olives and olive oil are regularly served with Palestinian meals. The fruit and its oil have affectionately been called “green gold” by Palestinians, while ancient olive trees are incorporated into Palestinian art including paintings and embroidery.
This was the third attack on the olive trees, which belonged to Muhammad al Ayayadah, over a period of several months.
Mezad settlement is built on Palestinian land that was confiscated by Israel and the settlers appear to be trying to take over more land for expansion of their settlement.
The regular cutting down of olive trees, and the prevention of access to these trees by Israeli security forces, often forces Palestinian farmers off their land as crop losses can cripple them financially.
According to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ), approximately 800,000 olive trees have been uprooted since Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967.
Following the farmers’ eviction, Israel settlers can argue that the land has been abandoned and then move in and take it over with Palestinians having little legal recourse.
“No action will be taken against the settlers by the Israeli police. The police will say they are coming to investigate but most times they don’t even show up,” ARIJ spokesman Suhail Khalilieh, “Even if they do show up, they will say there is no hard evidence that settlers were behind the attack or they will say that the attack was in retaliation for Palestinians throwing stones".
“Moreover, most of the settler attacks take place under the guard of the Israeli military who do nothing to stop the vandalism,” added Khalilieh.
Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have also included the burning of homes and cars, the killing of livestock, stone-throwing attacks, running school children over and poisoning water wells.
One of the more serious acts of vandalism, in the eyes of a conservative and religious Palestinian society, has been the numerous arson attacks on mosques throughout the West Bank.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 324 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and their property were reported during 2014 alone.
While Palestinian farmers are struggling to survive, a simultaneous development in East Jerusalem has Palestinians concerned.
The Israeli authorities plan to build a construction waste site on land in occupied East Jerusalem.
The construction of the facility involves further expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land in the Shuafat and Issawiya neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem.
Thousands of tonnes of construction waste from all over Jerusalem will be brought in to the site over the next 20 years.
The land grab will also see the eviction of Bedouin families living in an encampment between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim.
The area between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim is a controversial corridor known as E1. Israeli settlement expansion and construction there has caused friction between the U.S. administration and the Israeli government because the West Bank has effectively been cut off from Jerusalem.
Legal action taken by a number of Israeli rights groups on behalf of the Palestinians in Israeli civilian courts has so far not helped.
“The Israeli courts have not ruled against the construction in the E1 corridor as they have no civil authority over the West Bank which falls under Israeli military jurisdiction and this military rule is behind the continued expansion of the E1 corridor,” affirmed Khalilieh.
“Even if the Israeli civilian courts had ruled against this land expropriation and settlement building, it could not over ride decisions taken by Israel’s civil administration, or military rule, which will always justify its action under security or state needs.”
Not only is the harvesting of olives a major part of the Palestinian economy, supporting over 80,000 families, but it is also central to Palestinian culture and lifestyle.
Olives and olive oil are regularly served with Palestinian meals. The fruit and its oil have affectionately been called “green gold” by Palestinians, while ancient olive trees are incorporated into Palestinian art including paintings and embroidery.
This was the third attack on the olive trees, which belonged to Muhammad al Ayayadah, over a period of several months.
Mezad settlement is built on Palestinian land that was confiscated by Israel and the settlers appear to be trying to take over more land for expansion of their settlement.
The regular cutting down of olive trees, and the prevention of access to these trees by Israeli security forces, often forces Palestinian farmers off their land as crop losses can cripple them financially.
According to the Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Applied Research Institute Jerusalem (ARIJ), approximately 800,000 olive trees have been uprooted since Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza in 1967.
Following the farmers’ eviction, Israel settlers can argue that the land has been abandoned and then move in and take it over with Palestinians having little legal recourse.
“No action will be taken against the settlers by the Israeli police. The police will say they are coming to investigate but most times they don’t even show up,” ARIJ spokesman Suhail Khalilieh, “Even if they do show up, they will say there is no hard evidence that settlers were behind the attack or they will say that the attack was in retaliation for Palestinians throwing stones".
“Moreover, most of the settler attacks take place under the guard of the Israeli military who do nothing to stop the vandalism,” added Khalilieh.
Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have also included the burning of homes and cars, the killing of livestock, stone-throwing attacks, running school children over and poisoning water wells.
One of the more serious acts of vandalism, in the eyes of a conservative and religious Palestinian society, has been the numerous arson attacks on mosques throughout the West Bank.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 324 incidents of settler violence against Palestinians and their property were reported during 2014 alone.
While Palestinian farmers are struggling to survive, a simultaneous development in East Jerusalem has Palestinians concerned.
The Israeli authorities plan to build a construction waste site on land in occupied East Jerusalem.
The construction of the facility involves further expropriation of privately owned Palestinian land in the Shuafat and Issawiya neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem.
Thousands of tonnes of construction waste from all over Jerusalem will be brought in to the site over the next 20 years.
The land grab will also see the eviction of Bedouin families living in an encampment between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim.
The area between Jerusalem and Ma’aleh Adumim is a controversial corridor known as E1. Israeli settlement expansion and construction there has caused friction between the U.S. administration and the Israeli government because the West Bank has effectively been cut off from Jerusalem.
Legal action taken by a number of Israeli rights groups on behalf of the Palestinians in Israeli civilian courts has so far not helped.
“The Israeli courts have not ruled against the construction in the E1 corridor as they have no civil authority over the West Bank which falls under Israeli military jurisdiction and this military rule is behind the continued expansion of the E1 corridor,” affirmed Khalilieh.
“Even if the Israeli civilian courts had ruled against this land expropriation and settlement building, it could not over ride decisions taken by Israel’s civil administration, or military rule, which will always justify its action under security or state needs.”
9 apr 2015
Scores of Palestinian men, women and children on Thursday morning fended off a group of Jewish settlers who desecrated the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards under police protection.
According to the Information Center for Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque, a large number of Palestinian worshipers spread throughout the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and chanted religious slogans loudly to force the invading settlers to leave the Islamic holy place, adding that limited clashes happened between worshipers and policemen as a result of that.
Since the beginning of the current week, the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and premises have been seeing intensive presence of Palestinians from Jerusalem and the 1948 occupied lands to confront Jewish break-ins at the Mosque during the days of the Passover festival.
According to the Information Center for Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque, a large number of Palestinian worshipers spread throughout the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and chanted religious slogans loudly to force the invading settlers to leave the Islamic holy place, adding that limited clashes happened between worshipers and policemen as a result of that.
Since the beginning of the current week, the Aqsa Mosque's courtyards and premises have been seeing intensive presence of Palestinians from Jerusalem and the 1948 occupied lands to confront Jewish break-ins at the Mosque during the days of the Passover festival.
A flock of Israeli settlers on early Thursday morning stormed Burak Suleiman (Solomon’s Pools) in al-Khader town, in Bethlehem, under the religious pretext.
Dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by army officers, broke into the historic Burak Suleiman on allegations of intents to perform religious rituals and bathe in the holy pond waters, eye-witnesses told the Quds Press.
According to Israeli narratives, the three pools of Solomon were built with massive stones that date back to the time of King Herod, some 3,000 years ago, as part of endeavors to exploit to the full the available resources and supply Jerusalem with as much water as needed.
Historiographers, however, confirmed that historical records rather testify to the fact that the abundant water reservoirs were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
Earlier, overnight Wednesday, the Palestinian natives of Bethlehem stood on their guard to Israeli attempts to build an access road near al-Khader town as part of intents to set the stage for Israel’s misappropriation of some 400 dunums in favor of illegal settlement outposts.
Ahmad Salah, coordinator for the popular committee against the wall and settlement in Khader, said the local mayor and himself managed to prevent the Israeli vehicles from carrying out the construction works, warning of the striking upsurge in Israel’s illegal misappropriation of Palestinian land tracts in favor of settlement construction.
Dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by army officers, broke into the historic Burak Suleiman on allegations of intents to perform religious rituals and bathe in the holy pond waters, eye-witnesses told the Quds Press.
According to Israeli narratives, the three pools of Solomon were built with massive stones that date back to the time of King Herod, some 3,000 years ago, as part of endeavors to exploit to the full the available resources and supply Jerusalem with as much water as needed.
Historiographers, however, confirmed that historical records rather testify to the fact that the abundant water reservoirs were built by Suleiman the Magnificent in the 16th century.
Earlier, overnight Wednesday, the Palestinian natives of Bethlehem stood on their guard to Israeli attempts to build an access road near al-Khader town as part of intents to set the stage for Israel’s misappropriation of some 400 dunums in favor of illegal settlement outposts.
Ahmad Salah, coordinator for the popular committee against the wall and settlement in Khader, said the local mayor and himself managed to prevent the Israeli vehicles from carrying out the construction works, warning of the striking upsurge in Israel’s illegal misappropriation of Palestinian land tracts in favor of settlement construction.
8 apr 2015
Israeli forces, Wednesday, took over a thousand dunams of Palestinian-owned land located between the towns of Beit Ummar and Beit Fajjar, in the Hebron district, for the benefit of settlement expansion, according to a local activist.
Anti-settlement activists in Beit Ummar, Yousif Abu Maryya, informed WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency that Israeli forces, along with settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of ‘Migdal Oz’, placed a 2,600-meter-long fence around one thousand dunams belonging to Palestinian farmers in the area to expand the aforementioned settlement.
He said that farmers and land owners gathered at the scene and attempted to prevent the bulldozers from razing the land, but were prevented by Israeli soldiers who denied them access to the area.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
Anti-settlement activists in Beit Ummar, Yousif Abu Maryya, informed WAFA Palestinian News & Info Agency that Israeli forces, along with settlers from the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of ‘Migdal Oz’, placed a 2,600-meter-long fence around one thousand dunams belonging to Palestinian farmers in the area to expand the aforementioned settlement.
He said that farmers and land owners gathered at the scene and attempted to prevent the bulldozers from razing the land, but were prevented by Israeli soldiers who denied them access to the area.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, in contravention of international law.
Hundreds of Israeli settlers stormed at dawn Wednesday Nabi Yusuf tomb, east of Nablus, amid heavy military protection.
The settlers arrived to the area in ten buses since the early morning hours and started performing Talmudic rituals marking a Jewish holiday in total provocation to the local residents, eyewitnesses told PIC reporter.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces have intensively deployed throughout the neighboring streets amid heavy fire of sound bombs, the sources added.
Clashes broke out in the area during which IOF soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas bombs at local youths who were protesting the settlers’ break-in. No injuries were reported.
The settlers arrived to the area in ten buses since the early morning hours and started performing Talmudic rituals marking a Jewish holiday in total provocation to the local residents, eyewitnesses told PIC reporter.
Meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces have intensively deployed throughout the neighboring streets amid heavy fire of sound bombs, the sources added.
Clashes broke out in the area during which IOF soldiers fired rubber bullets and tear gas bombs at local youths who were protesting the settlers’ break-in. No injuries were reported.
Dozens of heavily armed Israeli settlers stormed Tuesday evening Yatta’s municipal park, to the south of al-Khalil, while Israeli soldiers took over the rooftops of several local homes under the pretext of providing protection for the settlers.
The Popular Committee Coordinator in Yatta, Rateb al-Jabour, told WAFA news agency that dozens of settlers from settlements built illegally on Yatta land stormed the Municipality’s park and proceeded to swim in a pool there despite the local residents' protests.
Talmudic rituals were also performed in the area, he pointed out.
He said that Israeli forces set up several checkpoints on the road leading to the villages east of Yatta, where they raided the village of Carmel and prevented residents from accessing their agricultural lands.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces took over the rooftops of the surrounding Palestinian-owned homes to protect the settlers' break-in.
The Popular Committee Coordinator in Yatta, Rateb al-Jabour, told WAFA news agency that dozens of settlers from settlements built illegally on Yatta land stormed the Municipality’s park and proceeded to swim in a pool there despite the local residents' protests.
Talmudic rituals were also performed in the area, he pointed out.
He said that Israeli forces set up several checkpoints on the road leading to the villages east of Yatta, where they raided the village of Carmel and prevented residents from accessing their agricultural lands.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces took over the rooftops of the surrounding Palestinian-owned homes to protect the settlers' break-in.
A group of Israeli extremists invaded Palestinian olive orchards in the al-Jab’a village, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, for the fifth time in a row, and cut more than 150 olive trees belonging to the villagers.
Resident Mahmoud Masha’la, a teacher in a local school in Husan nearby town, said the villagers depend on their orchards as their main source of livelihood, the Quds News has reported.
“This if the fifth attack in a row, they are waging a war not only on us, but on our daily bread, our livelihood,” Masha’la said, “They repeatedly attack our lands and orchards, my orchards, my cousins, and many other villagers; this is a systematic policy.”
“We really do not know what to do; this is an ongoing war, ongoing aggression," he added, “We appeal our officials to intervene, and expose the Israeli crimes.”
Resident Mahmoud Masha’la, a teacher in a local school in Husan nearby town, said the villagers depend on their orchards as their main source of livelihood, the Quds News has reported.
“This if the fifth attack in a row, they are waging a war not only on us, but on our daily bread, our livelihood,” Masha’la said, “They repeatedly attack our lands and orchards, my orchards, my cousins, and many other villagers; this is a systematic policy.”
“We really do not know what to do; this is an ongoing war, ongoing aggression," he added, “We appeal our officials to intervene, and expose the Israeli crimes.”
7 apr 2015
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Tuesday continued tightening up the security measures including search operations and military deployment in the Old City of al-Khalil under the pretext of Jewish holidays.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that dozens of IOF soldiers were deployed in the vicinity of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi Mosque and in the alleys of the Old City as well as Martyrs Street amid settlers’ incursions into the area.
The IOF claimed that the tight security measures, search operations and obstruction of traffic aim at protecting settlers during Jewish holidays.
A state of security alert continued in the vicinity of al-Khalil city with IOF military checkpoints established on the main entrances of the city. Military vehicles were also spread in the streets and gates of the towns and residential areas.
Eyewitnesses told the PIC reporter that dozens of IOF soldiers were deployed in the vicinity of al-Haram al-Ibrahimi Mosque and in the alleys of the Old City as well as Martyrs Street amid settlers’ incursions into the area.
The IOF claimed that the tight security measures, search operations and obstruction of traffic aim at protecting settlers during Jewish holidays.
A state of security alert continued in the vicinity of al-Khalil city with IOF military checkpoints established on the main entrances of the city. Military vehicles were also spread in the streets and gates of the towns and residential areas.
Sheikh Kamal al-Khatib, deputy head of the Islamic Movement in the 1948 occupied lands, has warned that the Israeli right-wing would escalate its violations against Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque after its victory in the Knesset election.
"The control of the right-wing and religious parties over the largest bloc in the Knesset will be reflected in a form of escalatory practices and violent positions against Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque in particular, and such practices will be more dangerous than ever," Sheikh Khatib stated in an interview conducted by the news website Arabi 21.
He said that the Israeli right-wing parties' electoral platforms were mainly about their positions towards the future of Jerusalem, warning that Benjamin Netanyahu would seek during the coming period to fulfil his stated dream of turning the holy city into Israel's eternal capital.
He also criticized the Palestinian Authority for its passive position towards Israel's violations in Jerusalem and against the Aqsa Mosque.
"I believe that the Palestinian side has played with every card in its hands and dropped all the eggs in its basket without achieving a breakthrough in the issue of Jerusalem," he said.
"The control of the right-wing and religious parties over the largest bloc in the Knesset will be reflected in a form of escalatory practices and violent positions against Jerusalem and the Aqsa Mosque in particular, and such practices will be more dangerous than ever," Sheikh Khatib stated in an interview conducted by the news website Arabi 21.
He said that the Israeli right-wing parties' electoral platforms were mainly about their positions towards the future of Jerusalem, warning that Benjamin Netanyahu would seek during the coming period to fulfil his stated dream of turning the holy city into Israel's eternal capital.
He also criticized the Palestinian Authority for its passive position towards Israel's violations in Jerusalem and against the Aqsa Mosque.
"I believe that the Palestinian side has played with every card in its hands and dropped all the eggs in its basket without achieving a breakthrough in the issue of Jerusalem," he said.
A group of peaceful Muslim sit-inners, chanting “a nation whose Prophet is Muhammad (PBUH) would never kneel down,” rallied in the plazas and corridors of the holy al-Aqsa Mosque in protest at Israeli desecration break-ins.
Scores of non-violent Muslim worshipers have been flocking to the Mosque since the early morning hours Tuesday and voiced firm rejection of the desecration assaults carried out by bunches of Israeli settlers, escorted by police squads.
The Muslim congregation stood on their guards to the settler break-ins, forcing the Israeli vandals to run away via al-Maghareba Gate.
The worshipers further foiled the settlers’ attempts to perform provocative religious rituals at the Mosque, chanting Allah the Greatest as they drove them out.
Earlier, on Monday, the Israeli occupation police banned member of the al-Aqsa supervision personnel, Issa al-Rajabi, from entering the Mosque for 15 days and sentenced another to a one-week house arrest, the Qudsuna center reported.
Al-Rajabi, serving as a guard for the holy site for 15 years, said the Israeli police summoned him for interrogation last Thursday and interrogated him exhaustively on his activity at the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Rajabi, 36, received the deportation order on Sunday as he was re-summoned for interrogation by the Israeli policemen.
He said the order is the third of its kind, as he was barred from entering the Mosque a couple of times before, for one month and, later, for one full year.
Al-Rajabi slammed such an arbitrary ban, dubbing it a “biased” policy pursued by the Israeli occupation against the Muslim worshipers and the servants of the Mosque.
The Israeli cops further stormed the house of another guard, identified as 28-year-old Mahdi Amin al-Abassi, and handed him an order sentencing him to house arrest for seven days.
Scores of non-violent Muslim worshipers have been flocking to the Mosque since the early morning hours Tuesday and voiced firm rejection of the desecration assaults carried out by bunches of Israeli settlers, escorted by police squads.
The Muslim congregation stood on their guards to the settler break-ins, forcing the Israeli vandals to run away via al-Maghareba Gate.
The worshipers further foiled the settlers’ attempts to perform provocative religious rituals at the Mosque, chanting Allah the Greatest as they drove them out.
Earlier, on Monday, the Israeli occupation police banned member of the al-Aqsa supervision personnel, Issa al-Rajabi, from entering the Mosque for 15 days and sentenced another to a one-week house arrest, the Qudsuna center reported.
Al-Rajabi, serving as a guard for the holy site for 15 years, said the Israeli police summoned him for interrogation last Thursday and interrogated him exhaustively on his activity at the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Al-Rajabi, 36, received the deportation order on Sunday as he was re-summoned for interrogation by the Israeli policemen.
He said the order is the third of its kind, as he was barred from entering the Mosque a couple of times before, for one month and, later, for one full year.
Al-Rajabi slammed such an arbitrary ban, dubbing it a “biased” policy pursued by the Israeli occupation against the Muslim worshipers and the servants of the Mosque.
The Israeli cops further stormed the house of another guard, identified as 28-year-old Mahdi Amin al-Abassi, and handed him an order sentencing him to house arrest for seven days.
A group of settlers intercepted and held a children's school bus till late hours on Monday near Yitzhar settlement to the south east of Nablus.
Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian official in charge of settlements file at the Palestinian Authority in the northern part of the West Bank, said that the settlers had stopped the school bus while on its way back from a school trip under the pretext that one of the children had extended his hand out of an open window.
The bus was returning to Ramallah from a school trip. The children are students at Shuhadaa Silwad School in Ramallah.
The settlers held the bus for four hours, and confiscated its driver and teachers' identity cards and prevented them from using their mobile phones.
Israeli Extremists Detain Palestinian Children Near Nablus
A group of extremist Israelis held, on Monday at night, a Palestinian school bus for several hours, near the Yitzhar illegal colony, built on Palestinian lands, southeast of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Head of the Military District Coordination Office in Nablus, Osama Mansour, said the fanatics attacked the Palestinian bus, carrying children back home after a day trip in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
The children are from the Silwad Elementary School, in Silwad town, in the central West Bank district of Ramallah.
Mansour said the fanatics held the children from seven in the evening until eleven at night.
He added that the fanatics asked the soldiers to stop the bus allegedly after a child “threw trash from his window,” and that the Israelis confiscated the ID card of the bus driver, his keys, and the teachers’ ID cards.
The fanatics then forced all the children in the bus, and held them for approximately four hours, demanding the child who allegedly threw the trash “to surrender" the detained Palestinians were released at eleven before midnight.
Ghassan Douglas, a Palestinian official in charge of settlements file at the Palestinian Authority in the northern part of the West Bank, said that the settlers had stopped the school bus while on its way back from a school trip under the pretext that one of the children had extended his hand out of an open window.
The bus was returning to Ramallah from a school trip. The children are students at Shuhadaa Silwad School in Ramallah.
The settlers held the bus for four hours, and confiscated its driver and teachers' identity cards and prevented them from using their mobile phones.
Israeli Extremists Detain Palestinian Children Near Nablus
A group of extremist Israelis held, on Monday at night, a Palestinian school bus for several hours, near the Yitzhar illegal colony, built on Palestinian lands, southeast of the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
Head of the Military District Coordination Office in Nablus, Osama Mansour, said the fanatics attacked the Palestinian bus, carrying children back home after a day trip in the northern West Bank city of Nablus.
The children are from the Silwad Elementary School, in Silwad town, in the central West Bank district of Ramallah.
Mansour said the fanatics held the children from seven in the evening until eleven at night.
He added that the fanatics asked the soldiers to stop the bus allegedly after a child “threw trash from his window,” and that the Israelis confiscated the ID card of the bus driver, his keys, and the teachers’ ID cards.
The fanatics then forced all the children in the bus, and held them for approximately four hours, demanding the child who allegedly threw the trash “to surrender" the detained Palestinians were released at eleven before midnight.
6 apr 2015
IDF had launched massive manhunt in West Bank after Eran Nagauker reported Niv Asraf missing; he was later found hiding nearby with sleeping bag and canned goods.
Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday ordered the conditional release of Niv Asraf and Eran Nagauker, both suspected of faking Asraf's kidnapping last week in the West Bank, which sparked a massive manhunt.
Asraf and Nagauker are suspected of conspiracy to commit a crime, fabricating evidence, obstruction of justice, disturbing the peace and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Judge Chen Avital ruled that each will be required to deposit NIS 3,000 in cash and sign a bail agreement of NIS 10,000.
Israeli security forces were first alerted to Asraf's disappearance on Friday, when Nagauker called the police at around 4pm, saying the two had become stranded with a flat tire on their way to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs. Nagauker said Asraf went to find tools to replace the tire but never returned.
But when the IDF arrived at the scene, troops found no flat tires and after determining there were holes in Nagauker's story, he was taken for questioning. Asraf was located hours later in a nearby wadi, equipped with a sleeping bag and canned food.
The police had asked the court to release the two to house arrest for one week, and ban them from the West Bank for three months. The judge ruled that they could be released under those restrictions, and also barred them from leaving the country until May 6.
Jerusalem Magistrate's Court on Monday ordered the conditional release of Niv Asraf and Eran Nagauker, both suspected of faking Asraf's kidnapping last week in the West Bank, which sparked a massive manhunt.
Asraf and Nagauker are suspected of conspiracy to commit a crime, fabricating evidence, obstruction of justice, disturbing the peace and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Judge Chen Avital ruled that each will be required to deposit NIS 3,000 in cash and sign a bail agreement of NIS 10,000.
Israeli security forces were first alerted to Asraf's disappearance on Friday, when Nagauker called the police at around 4pm, saying the two had become stranded with a flat tire on their way to pray at the Cave of the Patriarchs. Nagauker said Asraf went to find tools to replace the tire but never returned.
But when the IDF arrived at the scene, troops found no flat tires and after determining there were holes in Nagauker's story, he was taken for questioning. Asraf was located hours later in a nearby wadi, equipped with a sleeping bag and canned food.
The police had asked the court to release the two to house arrest for one week, and ban them from the West Bank for three months. The judge ruled that they could be released under those restrictions, and also barred them from leaving the country until May 6.