31 mar 2011
Israeli settlers Kill Palestinian man by running him over
Occupied Jerusalem- A Palestinian citizen was killed in a cold blood when Israeli extremist settler ran over him with his car in the occupied city of Jerusalem Thursday March 31, 2011.
Israel radio said that "the car ran over a Palestinian and killed him immediately," while the victim's identity is still unknown until this moment.
Palestinian sources said that the Palestinian victim is in the thirties of age.
Israeli extremist settlers escalated their attacks against Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem during the last period, especially after the killing of an Israeli family at the hands of unknown persons in the illegal settlement of "Itamar" in mid-March, 2011.
These extremist settlers - deemed illegal by all standards of international law - are most religious fanatics who routinely kill Palestinians and destroy their property, and even attack Israeli troops in the cause to expel more and more Arabs and secure more and more land to Jews. They have no regard for any sense of rule of law or humanitarian compassion, instead they are infused with a fanatical ideology of hate and colonialism.
http://bit.ly/ggZEbf
Occupied Jerusalem- A Palestinian citizen was killed in a cold blood when Israeli extremist settler ran over him with his car in the occupied city of Jerusalem Thursday March 31, 2011.
Israel radio said that "the car ran over a Palestinian and killed him immediately," while the victim's identity is still unknown until this moment.
Palestinian sources said that the Palestinian victim is in the thirties of age.
Israeli extremist settlers escalated their attacks against Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem during the last period, especially after the killing of an Israeli family at the hands of unknown persons in the illegal settlement of "Itamar" in mid-March, 2011.
These extremist settlers - deemed illegal by all standards of international law - are most religious fanatics who routinely kill Palestinians and destroy their property, and even attack Israeli troops in the cause to expel more and more Arabs and secure more and more land to Jews. They have no regard for any sense of rule of law or humanitarian compassion, instead they are infused with a fanatical ideology of hate and colonialism.
http://bit.ly/ggZEbf
Indictment suggests two teens sought revenge for Itamar massacre, set Arab students' cars on fire. Meanwhile, settlers outraged over police early morning raids.
Two teens from Safed have been indicted for torching two vehicles belonging to Arab students as revenge for theItamar massacre in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death.
According to the indictment, Yonatan Iluz, 18, and a minor arrived at the dorms of a Safed college on March 16 and set two cars which they knew belonged to Arab students on fire and fled the scene.
Students who noticed the fire put it out, but one car was badly damaged and the tires of the other were burned.
According to the indictment, the background to the act was the terror attack in Itamar. Graffiti reading "Kahane was right" "revenge" and "price tag" were apparently sprayed in Safed after the attack.
The two deny the allegations and their attorney noted that the prosecution's case is based on circumstantial evidence.
"These are normative kids, without criminal records and from good families," Attorney Ram Shacham said.
Police raids in Itamar, Elon Moreh
Two teens from Safed have been indicted for torching two vehicles belonging to Arab students as revenge for theItamar massacre in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death.
According to the indictment, Yonatan Iluz, 18, and a minor arrived at the dorms of a Safed college on March 16 and set two cars which they knew belonged to Arab students on fire and fled the scene.
Students who noticed the fire put it out, but one car was badly damaged and the tires of the other were burned.
According to the indictment, the background to the act was the terror attack in Itamar. Graffiti reading "Kahane was right" "revenge" and "price tag" were apparently sprayed in Safed after the attack.
The two deny the allegations and their attorney noted that the prosecution's case is based on circumstantial evidence.
"These are normative kids, without criminal records and from good families," Attorney Ram Shacham said.
Police raids in Itamar, Elon Moreh
Also Thursday, police detectives raided settler houses in Itamar trying to locate weapons used to fire a Palestinian man in a nearby village two months ago.
Officers also arrested Elon Moreh's secretariat director Seria Ademsky, a reserve officer. The settlers claim the police behaved insensitively and should have used better judgment. It is also claimed that a summons to the police station would have sufficed instead of early morning raids.
Shomron Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika called on Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to intervene and discipline the police. "The police is losing control over itself," he noted and cited other incidents such as police violence in Givat Ronen and clashes in Havat Gilad.
"Samaria residents are not second rate citizens and we shall not tolerate this behavior."
MK Tzipi Hotovely demanded an urgent debate on the matter be held at the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee.
Officers also arrested Elon Moreh's secretariat director Seria Ademsky, a reserve officer. The settlers claim the police behaved insensitively and should have used better judgment. It is also claimed that a summons to the police station would have sufficed instead of early morning raids.
Shomron Regional Council Head Gershon Mesika called on Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch to intervene and discipline the police. "The police is losing control over itself," he noted and cited other incidents such as police violence in Givat Ronen and clashes in Havat Gilad.
"Samaria residents are not second rate citizens and we shall not tolerate this behavior."
MK Tzipi Hotovely demanded an urgent debate on the matter be held at the Knesset's Internal Affairs Committee.
29 mar 2011
The deputy mayor of Awarta and two of his brothers were detained along with dozens of others Tuesday morning by Israeli forces. Officials say the detained men are being given DNA tests and questioned by soldiers.
The detentions come as the investigation into the murders of five Israeli settlers - including two children and an infant - enters its third week. More than 40 had been detained from the village in the first week of the investigation, and foreign workers in the settlement were said to have been questioned.
Awarta, the closest Palestinian village to the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar, where the murders occurred, has been the center of the investigation. It was placed under military curfew twice, the first time for five days.
While a third curfew was not imposed overnight, Israeli troops forcibly entered homes, detaining an unknown number of residents estimated to be in the dozens. Forty had already been detained during earlier arrest raids, including a Voice of Palestine radio journalist.
An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed military activity in the village overnight, but said she could not comment on whether or not villagers had been arrested, or the nature of their arrests. Israel placed details of the investigation under a gag order, and while political leaders pointed the finger at Palestinian militants, no suspect has been publicly identified.
Awarta Mayor Qays Awwad told Ma'an on Tuesday morning that the men and boys who had been detained during the first round of arrests in the village were taken to the Israeli military base at Huwwara, where they were subjected to DNA testing and fingerprinted.
"They took samples for DNA tests, and were fingerprinted before being interrogated. Some were released but more are being kept in custody," the mayor said, adding that his deputy mayor Hasan Awwad and two of his brothers were among those rounded up overnight.
Palestinian militant groups, leaders and civil society organizations condemned the Itamar murders, in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death in their beds shortly before midnight on March 11. Settler leaders released pictures of the grisly murders, and officials blamed Palestinians, intensifying a wave of settler violence.
Since the end of February, seven Palestinians have been injured by settler gunfire, two have been stabbed, two have been beaten, seven have been injured by stones, at least six cars have been torched. Meanwhile, dozens of acts of vandalism and harassment have been reported.
An escalation in violent attacks began after the Israeli government dismantled an illegal settlement outpost on February 28. Under a professed "price tag" policy, settlers make Palestinians "pay" for each evacuation of outposts. In the past, the "price" has included arson, shootings, beatings, burning fields, uprooting trees and poisoning water wells belonging to Palestinians.
The scale of the attacks redoubled after Palestinians were accused in the Itamar murders before investigations began
The detentions come as the investigation into the murders of five Israeli settlers - including two children and an infant - enters its third week. More than 40 had been detained from the village in the first week of the investigation, and foreign workers in the settlement were said to have been questioned.
Awarta, the closest Palestinian village to the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar, where the murders occurred, has been the center of the investigation. It was placed under military curfew twice, the first time for five days.
While a third curfew was not imposed overnight, Israeli troops forcibly entered homes, detaining an unknown number of residents estimated to be in the dozens. Forty had already been detained during earlier arrest raids, including a Voice of Palestine radio journalist.
An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed military activity in the village overnight, but said she could not comment on whether or not villagers had been arrested, or the nature of their arrests. Israel placed details of the investigation under a gag order, and while political leaders pointed the finger at Palestinian militants, no suspect has been publicly identified.
Awarta Mayor Qays Awwad told Ma'an on Tuesday morning that the men and boys who had been detained during the first round of arrests in the village were taken to the Israeli military base at Huwwara, where they were subjected to DNA testing and fingerprinted.
"They took samples for DNA tests, and were fingerprinted before being interrogated. Some were released but more are being kept in custody," the mayor said, adding that his deputy mayor Hasan Awwad and two of his brothers were among those rounded up overnight.
Palestinian militant groups, leaders and civil society organizations condemned the Itamar murders, in which five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death in their beds shortly before midnight on March 11. Settler leaders released pictures of the grisly murders, and officials blamed Palestinians, intensifying a wave of settler violence.
Since the end of February, seven Palestinians have been injured by settler gunfire, two have been stabbed, two have been beaten, seven have been injured by stones, at least six cars have been torched. Meanwhile, dozens of acts of vandalism and harassment have been reported.
An escalation in violent attacks began after the Israeli government dismantled an illegal settlement outpost on February 28. Under a professed "price tag" policy, settlers make Palestinians "pay" for each evacuation of outposts. In the past, the "price" has included arson, shootings, beatings, burning fields, uprooting trees and poisoning water wells belonging to Palestinians.
The scale of the attacks redoubled after Palestinians were accused in the Itamar murders before investigations began
22 mar 2011
Israeli forces re-entered the northern West Bank village of Awarta at sunrise on Tuesday morning, announcing via loudspeaker that the community was being placed under curfew, for a second time.
The village had been under a military curfew from 12-16 March, as Israeli police, military and intelligence forces searched the area for evidence relating to a knife attack which saw five settlers murdered in the adjacent illegal settlement community of Itamar.
An as yet unknown attacker or attackers stabbed five members of the Fogel family, including two children and an infant. Israeli leaders immediately pointed the finger at Palestinian militant groups, and put a total gag order on the investigation for the Israeli press.
A military spokeswoman confirmed that there was a curfew put in place, but said she could not disclose how long it would remain on the village. She said the search was in relation on the ongoing investigation into the Itamar murders, and that troops were trying not to disrupt normal life in the village.
Head of the Awarta village council Qays Awwad told Ma'an that a large number of Israeli forces entered the town and set up checkpoints at all of its entrances.
Villagers were told that they were prohibited to leave their homes and enter the streets.
"So far, we have not been informed about the motive behind the incursion," the Awwad said.
The last closure of the village prevented patients in need of medical treatment from getting to hospital, with villagers reporting at least two children suffering bites from sniffer dogs, and teens with broken bones after attempting to stave off a settler attack, when Itamar residents walked to the village in an apparent protest, which turned violent when the group began throwing rocks and bottles at Awarta homes.
Official accusations of Palestinians, despite denial of involvement from militant groups in the West Bank, sparked a string of settler attacks against Palestinian civilians.
On Monday, one settler in the southern West Bank opened fire on a funeral procession in Beit Ummar, injuring one man critically and hospitalizing a second with moderate injuries from a gunshot wound to the thigh.
Further south, a settler from the Ma'on outpost stabbed a Palestinian man on a donkey en route to a local clinic for treatment.
Two Palestinians were stabbed earlier in the week as they went to work in the industrial area of the Shilo settlement.
Tens of acts of vandalism and harassment have also been reported.
The village had been under a military curfew from 12-16 March, as Israeli police, military and intelligence forces searched the area for evidence relating to a knife attack which saw five settlers murdered in the adjacent illegal settlement community of Itamar.
An as yet unknown attacker or attackers stabbed five members of the Fogel family, including two children and an infant. Israeli leaders immediately pointed the finger at Palestinian militant groups, and put a total gag order on the investigation for the Israeli press.
A military spokeswoman confirmed that there was a curfew put in place, but said she could not disclose how long it would remain on the village. She said the search was in relation on the ongoing investigation into the Itamar murders, and that troops were trying not to disrupt normal life in the village.
Head of the Awarta village council Qays Awwad told Ma'an that a large number of Israeli forces entered the town and set up checkpoints at all of its entrances.
Villagers were told that they were prohibited to leave their homes and enter the streets.
"So far, we have not been informed about the motive behind the incursion," the Awwad said.
The last closure of the village prevented patients in need of medical treatment from getting to hospital, with villagers reporting at least two children suffering bites from sniffer dogs, and teens with broken bones after attempting to stave off a settler attack, when Itamar residents walked to the village in an apparent protest, which turned violent when the group began throwing rocks and bottles at Awarta homes.
Official accusations of Palestinians, despite denial of involvement from militant groups in the West Bank, sparked a string of settler attacks against Palestinian civilians.
On Monday, one settler in the southern West Bank opened fire on a funeral procession in Beit Ummar, injuring one man critically and hospitalizing a second with moderate injuries from a gunshot wound to the thigh.
Further south, a settler from the Ma'on outpost stabbed a Palestinian man on a donkey en route to a local clinic for treatment.
Two Palestinians were stabbed earlier in the week as they went to work in the industrial area of the Shilo settlement.
Tens of acts of vandalism and harassment have also been reported.
Since the end of February, seven Palestinians have been injured by settler gunfire, two have been stabbed, two have been beaten, seven have been injured by stones, at least six cars have been torched, and dozens of acts of vandalism and harassment have been reported.
An escalation in violent attacks began after the Israeli government dismantled an illegal settlement outpost on February 28. Under a professed "price tag" policy, settlers make Palestinians "pay" for each evacuation of outposts. In the past, the "price" has included arson, shootings, beatings, burning fields, uprooting trees and poisoning water wells belonging to Palestinians.
Harassment and vandalism escalated further following the murder of five residents of Itamar settlement by unknown attackers on March 11. But many of the incidents causing hospitalization occurred before.
Below is a summary of reported settler violence over the past month.
23 Feb
-Villagers say settlers torched two cars in Burin, south of Nablus, and threw a Molotov Cocktail at a home east of the area.
26 Feb
-PA monitor says settlers attempt to burn down a Palestinian home in Burin and torched a car. Israeli forces arrive and send the settlers away.
27 Feb
-Medics say an 11-year-old girl is run over by a settler car at the Beit Ainun junction in Hebron. She is transferred for treatment in Israel.
28 Feb
-Israeli forces dismantle illegal outpost. Israeli government puts through law to demolish six outposts, while legalizing dozens of others.
-Settlers block streets in West Bank, clash with Israeli police.
-A warning is issued to Palestinians to avoid areas where settlers gather for their own safety.
-PA monitor says settlers set fire to a Palestinian home, injuring two children, and attack Palestinian cars around Nablus.
-Near Ramallah, clashes erupt in Nabi Salih after Hallamish settlers tried to enter the village, locals said. Residents set fire to rubber tires to stop the settlers entering. Israeli forces intervene and the settlers return to the settlement, officials say.
1 March
-In Hebron's Old City, a settler hits a child with his car and flees the scene, witnesses say. The boy is evacuated to the Al-Mizan Hospital in Hebron where medics said his wounds are moderate.
3 March
-Settler-supporters block roads, train tracks outside of Jerusalem. West Bank on high alert as Israeli forces fear settler violence after groups announce "day of rage."
-Settler youth groups hand out pamphlets to diplomats to "go home" and ""Face the facts! We never will make peace with Palestinian terrorists!
-"You are guests in our country! You are standing on the Holy Land! Of the Jewish nation! Do not interfere with the building of our country: The meddling by the American government and by the European Union, is putting your stay at risk!"
4 March
-Some 500 olive trees chopped down in the village of Qusra, in the northern West Bank region of Nablus, PA monitor says. Villagers believe residents of the illegal Shvut Rachel are behind the vandalism.
6 March
-Hundreds of settlers gather near the central West Bank village of An-Nabi Saleh in the Ramallah district, locals report, adding that villagers set fire to used tires at the village entrance fearing settlers might enter. Israeli forces deploy in the area to intervene.
7 March
-Three injured by settler fire in the As-Sawiya village south of Nablus, PA monitor says. Dozens of residents of the illegal Yesh Adam outpost attack the village, according to the report, and open fire. Palestinian ambulances unable to reach the village as settlers block the roads.
-At least ten Palestinians and an Israeli settler are wounded when settlers enter the northern West Bank village of Qusra and fire on residents. A 13-year-old boy is shot in his torso and badly injured.
11 March
-Shortly before midnight, five members of the Fogel family are killed in their beds in the illegal West Bank settlement of Itamar. Israeli forces blame Palestinian militant groups, though none claim responsibility for the murders.
-Among the dead are two children and an infant.
12 March
-An unknown number of residents from the village of Awarta are injured as Israeli forces lock down the area under a military curfew that will last five days.
-Ambulance crews admitted to the area say they treated at least two for dog bites, several from broken bones following a settler attack, and some say they were beaten by Israeli forces.
-Also in the Nablus region, scores of settlers enter the home of one Burin resident and attempt to kidnap two children, residents say.
-Local officials blame residents of the illegal Bracha settlement.
-In the Nablus region, Huwwara residents are harassed by settlers who attempt to enter village.
-South of Hebron, police say settlers threw rocks at a Palestinian Authority civil defense vehicle, smashing the wind screen and injuring the driver.
-In the central West Bank village of Beitillu, residents say settlers hand out leaflets threatening residents that their lives are at risk.
13 March
-Settler harassment and vandalism are reported in the following villages:
-Hebron district: Tel Rumeida, Beit Ummar , Al-Arrub refugee camp.
-Central: Nabi Salih
-North: Jerusalem Nablus road, Huwwara
-Za'tara checkpoint south of Nablus is closed, and the main road between Nablus and Qalqiliya is shut down after dozens of settlers attack Palestinian cars. The Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem closes in both directions for "security reasons," Israeli authorities say.
March 14
-Settlers seen setting fire to an agricultural field north of Ramallah, while a mob enters a town east of Qalqiliya and sets fire to civilian vehicles.
-In the central West Bank town of Dura Al-Qar%u2019a north of Ramallah, two more vehicles are reported to have been torched.
-Masked settlers enter Awarta village, throw bottles, rocks at residents.
15 March
-Some 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrate on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars. Similar incidents are reported in two other areas of the northern West Bank.
-Settlers torch two Palestinian cars just north of Al-Bireh near Ramallah.
-South of Hebron, an Israeli settler guns down a Palestinian car on the road near Bani Na'im causing severe damage to the car but no injuries.
17 March
-Two Palestinian construction workers are stabbed by masked settlers in the Shilo settlement, en route to work in the area's industrial zone.
-Acts of vandalism reported in Nablus district.
18 March
-A 35-year-old Huwwara resident is hospitalized in Nablus after being beaten by residents of the Yitzhar settlement, he says.
-A taxi driver says settlers stone him near Nablus.
19 March
-A man is dragged from his car and beaten by settlers near Nablus. The incident occurs near the Yitzhar settlement. He is hospitalized.
21 March
-A 32-year-old from the south Hebron hills is stabbed in the chest while en route to a clinic in Yatta. Witnesses say the perpetrator is a settler from the Havat Ma'on settlement.
--Two Palestinians are shot in the southern West Bank town of Beit Ummar, when a settler opens fire on a funeral procession.
22 March
Settlers uproot hundreds of newly planted seedlings and destroy water wells on land belonging to Aqraba villagers in Nablus, agricultural union says.
An escalation in violent attacks began after the Israeli government dismantled an illegal settlement outpost on February 28. Under a professed "price tag" policy, settlers make Palestinians "pay" for each evacuation of outposts. In the past, the "price" has included arson, shootings, beatings, burning fields, uprooting trees and poisoning water wells belonging to Palestinians.
Harassment and vandalism escalated further following the murder of five residents of Itamar settlement by unknown attackers on March 11. But many of the incidents causing hospitalization occurred before.
Below is a summary of reported settler violence over the past month.
23 Feb
-Villagers say settlers torched two cars in Burin, south of Nablus, and threw a Molotov Cocktail at a home east of the area.
26 Feb
-PA monitor says settlers attempt to burn down a Palestinian home in Burin and torched a car. Israeli forces arrive and send the settlers away.
27 Feb
-Medics say an 11-year-old girl is run over by a settler car at the Beit Ainun junction in Hebron. She is transferred for treatment in Israel.
28 Feb
-Israeli forces dismantle illegal outpost. Israeli government puts through law to demolish six outposts, while legalizing dozens of others.
-Settlers block streets in West Bank, clash with Israeli police.
-A warning is issued to Palestinians to avoid areas where settlers gather for their own safety.
-PA monitor says settlers set fire to a Palestinian home, injuring two children, and attack Palestinian cars around Nablus.
-Near Ramallah, clashes erupt in Nabi Salih after Hallamish settlers tried to enter the village, locals said. Residents set fire to rubber tires to stop the settlers entering. Israeli forces intervene and the settlers return to the settlement, officials say.
1 March
-In Hebron's Old City, a settler hits a child with his car and flees the scene, witnesses say. The boy is evacuated to the Al-Mizan Hospital in Hebron where medics said his wounds are moderate.
3 March
-Settler-supporters block roads, train tracks outside of Jerusalem. West Bank on high alert as Israeli forces fear settler violence after groups announce "day of rage."
-Settler youth groups hand out pamphlets to diplomats to "go home" and ""Face the facts! We never will make peace with Palestinian terrorists!
-"You are guests in our country! You are standing on the Holy Land! Of the Jewish nation! Do not interfere with the building of our country: The meddling by the American government and by the European Union, is putting your stay at risk!"
4 March
-Some 500 olive trees chopped down in the village of Qusra, in the northern West Bank region of Nablus, PA monitor says. Villagers believe residents of the illegal Shvut Rachel are behind the vandalism.
6 March
-Hundreds of settlers gather near the central West Bank village of An-Nabi Saleh in the Ramallah district, locals report, adding that villagers set fire to used tires at the village entrance fearing settlers might enter. Israeli forces deploy in the area to intervene.
7 March
-Three injured by settler fire in the As-Sawiya village south of Nablus, PA monitor says. Dozens of residents of the illegal Yesh Adam outpost attack the village, according to the report, and open fire. Palestinian ambulances unable to reach the village as settlers block the roads.
-At least ten Palestinians and an Israeli settler are wounded when settlers enter the northern West Bank village of Qusra and fire on residents. A 13-year-old boy is shot in his torso and badly injured.
11 March
-Shortly before midnight, five members of the Fogel family are killed in their beds in the illegal West Bank settlement of Itamar. Israeli forces blame Palestinian militant groups, though none claim responsibility for the murders.
-Among the dead are two children and an infant.
12 March
-An unknown number of residents from the village of Awarta are injured as Israeli forces lock down the area under a military curfew that will last five days.
-Ambulance crews admitted to the area say they treated at least two for dog bites, several from broken bones following a settler attack, and some say they were beaten by Israeli forces.
-Also in the Nablus region, scores of settlers enter the home of one Burin resident and attempt to kidnap two children, residents say.
-Local officials blame residents of the illegal Bracha settlement.
-In the Nablus region, Huwwara residents are harassed by settlers who attempt to enter village.
-South of Hebron, police say settlers threw rocks at a Palestinian Authority civil defense vehicle, smashing the wind screen and injuring the driver.
-In the central West Bank village of Beitillu, residents say settlers hand out leaflets threatening residents that their lives are at risk.
13 March
-Settler harassment and vandalism are reported in the following villages:
-Hebron district: Tel Rumeida, Beit Ummar , Al-Arrub refugee camp.
-Central: Nabi Salih
-North: Jerusalem Nablus road, Huwwara
-Za'tara checkpoint south of Nablus is closed, and the main road between Nablus and Qalqiliya is shut down after dozens of settlers attack Palestinian cars. The Qalandia checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem closes in both directions for "security reasons," Israeli authorities say.
March 14
-Settlers seen setting fire to an agricultural field north of Ramallah, while a mob enters a town east of Qalqiliya and sets fire to civilian vehicles.
-In the central West Bank town of Dura Al-Qar%u2019a north of Ramallah, two more vehicles are reported to have been torched.
-Masked settlers enter Awarta village, throw bottles, rocks at residents.
15 March
-Some 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrate on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars. Similar incidents are reported in two other areas of the northern West Bank.
-Settlers torch two Palestinian cars just north of Al-Bireh near Ramallah.
-South of Hebron, an Israeli settler guns down a Palestinian car on the road near Bani Na'im causing severe damage to the car but no injuries.
17 March
-Two Palestinian construction workers are stabbed by masked settlers in the Shilo settlement, en route to work in the area's industrial zone.
-Acts of vandalism reported in Nablus district.
18 March
-A 35-year-old Huwwara resident is hospitalized in Nablus after being beaten by residents of the Yitzhar settlement, he says.
-A taxi driver says settlers stone him near Nablus.
19 March
-A man is dragged from his car and beaten by settlers near Nablus. The incident occurs near the Yitzhar settlement. He is hospitalized.
21 March
-A 32-year-old from the south Hebron hills is stabbed in the chest while en route to a clinic in Yatta. Witnesses say the perpetrator is a settler from the Havat Ma'on settlement.
--Two Palestinians are shot in the southern West Bank town of Beit Ummar, when a settler opens fire on a funeral procession.
22 March
Settlers uproot hundreds of newly planted seedlings and destroy water wells on land belonging to Aqraba villagers in Nablus, agricultural union says.
19 mar 2011
During the five-day curfew in the village of Awarta, south of Nablus, the Israeli military raided homes and detained around 300 people, the youngest 14 years old. Some of the men were taken to the local boy school where they had to leave their fingerprints and DNA and some were taken to the military base at Huwwra checkpoint. According to the mayor, Qays Awwad, 55 men are still in Israeli custody. Some of the detainees reported that they had been abused by the soldiers while they were detained and handcuffed.
It has been reported that a 75-year-old woman was handcuffed and had to sit on the ground while the soldiers went through her home, and that an 80-year-old woman was beaten by soldiers.
Three Scandinavian ISM activists were in Awarta during the five-day curfew, from Saturday afternoon until Wednesday noon. From the roofs of people’s houses they witnessed how the Israeli soliders went into homes, arrested men and made the families wait outside while they raided their homes, resulting in large scale damage to property. The ISM activists also visited homes that soldiers had searched to find broken windows, cut fuse-cables, smashed furniture, and polluted drinking water caused by Israeli soldiers.
Hundreds of soldiers entered the village in military vehicles early on the morning of the 12th of March, following the murder of five members of a settler family in the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar. According to the soldiers, they were searching for the murderer and would continue until they found one. One soldier told ISM activists, ”We will search this village until we find someone.” In the process of ”searching” the houses, the soldiers damaged framed pictures, furniture, TV sets, gas heaters, smashed holes in floors and walls, stole money and jewlery, and poured liquids over computers.
The Israeli forces occupied around 30 houses to sleep in during the four nights they remained in Awarta. In some of the houses they evicted the families, who had to seek shelter outdoors or in neighbour’s homes during the night; in others they forced the families to stay in one room as the soldiers occupied the rest of the house. In occupied houses the soldiers defecated in the rooms and used the families’ bed sheets as toilet paper.
A lot of the houses were ”searched” and wrecked up to three times over five days. The soldiers did not seem to follow any apparent pattern when choosing which house to search or whom to arrest; ”It all looked very random ” one activist said. In at least one case, on Monday the 14th of March, the soldiers still did not know the name of the man that they had previously arrested and had to ask his family for it. The man that they had arrested was village council member Salim Qawaric. Approximately 25 soliders entered his house, causing severe damage on the family’s property while the family had to wait in the backyard. The following day the soldiers came back and searched the home once again, resulting in further damage to the family’s home and property.
The ISM activists were not allowed to take pictures, and when they did it anyway, the soldiers pointed their guns at them shouting: ”Do not take pictures!” One of the activists had her memory card stolen by a soldier who took her camera from her by force.
During the curfew, many families ran short of gas, food, water and medicine.
There have been numerous reports of physical abuse. According to eyewitnesses, Mashmod Zaqah, 28, had his hands cuffed behind his back and was blindfolded before he was beaten by at least six soldiers during a period of two hours; periodically he lost consciousness and couldn’t feel his legs or fingers. His family managed to smuggle him to Rafidia hospital in Nablus. He suffered a dislocated shoulder, back injuries, and a badly twisted ankle.
Accourding to eyewitnesses, around 300 Israeli settlers, of whom some were masked, entered the village on Saturday the 12th of March and threw stones at windows, injuring two Awarta residents by breaking their arms. Villagers tried to protect homes while Israeli soldiers responded by shooting teargas at the villagers.
It has been reported that children were bitten by the Israeli military dogs that the soldiers had with them. A young physically disabled man was bitten by a dog which resulted in his hospitalisation. Loay Medjet Abdet is now scared to go inside his own home because he believes the dogs will attack him again.
For the activists, it was clear that the repression against Awarta was only a form of collective punishment. When one activist asked: ”Why do you have to punish all this people?” The solider responded with: ”We have to punish these people so they will understand.”
Even though this kind of systematic collective punishment is illegal according to International law, is it frequently used by the Israeli military all over the West Bank and in Gaza.
When medical vehicles tried to access the area they were stopped by Israeli forces. ISM activists went to the checkpoint near Awarta on March 15 and reported that ambulances were being held several hours before they could enter the village. As an occupying force, Israel is obligated under article 56 of the Geneva Conventions not to hinder the work of medical personnel in a conflict zone.
It has been reported that a 75-year-old woman was handcuffed and had to sit on the ground while the soldiers went through her home, and that an 80-year-old woman was beaten by soldiers.
Three Scandinavian ISM activists were in Awarta during the five-day curfew, from Saturday afternoon until Wednesday noon. From the roofs of people’s houses they witnessed how the Israeli soliders went into homes, arrested men and made the families wait outside while they raided their homes, resulting in large scale damage to property. The ISM activists also visited homes that soldiers had searched to find broken windows, cut fuse-cables, smashed furniture, and polluted drinking water caused by Israeli soldiers.
Hundreds of soldiers entered the village in military vehicles early on the morning of the 12th of March, following the murder of five members of a settler family in the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar. According to the soldiers, they were searching for the murderer and would continue until they found one. One soldier told ISM activists, ”We will search this village until we find someone.” In the process of ”searching” the houses, the soldiers damaged framed pictures, furniture, TV sets, gas heaters, smashed holes in floors and walls, stole money and jewlery, and poured liquids over computers.
The Israeli forces occupied around 30 houses to sleep in during the four nights they remained in Awarta. In some of the houses they evicted the families, who had to seek shelter outdoors or in neighbour’s homes during the night; in others they forced the families to stay in one room as the soldiers occupied the rest of the house. In occupied houses the soldiers defecated in the rooms and used the families’ bed sheets as toilet paper.
A lot of the houses were ”searched” and wrecked up to three times over five days. The soldiers did not seem to follow any apparent pattern when choosing which house to search or whom to arrest; ”It all looked very random ” one activist said. In at least one case, on Monday the 14th of March, the soldiers still did not know the name of the man that they had previously arrested and had to ask his family for it. The man that they had arrested was village council member Salim Qawaric. Approximately 25 soliders entered his house, causing severe damage on the family’s property while the family had to wait in the backyard. The following day the soldiers came back and searched the home once again, resulting in further damage to the family’s home and property.
The ISM activists were not allowed to take pictures, and when they did it anyway, the soldiers pointed their guns at them shouting: ”Do not take pictures!” One of the activists had her memory card stolen by a soldier who took her camera from her by force.
During the curfew, many families ran short of gas, food, water and medicine.
There have been numerous reports of physical abuse. According to eyewitnesses, Mashmod Zaqah, 28, had his hands cuffed behind his back and was blindfolded before he was beaten by at least six soldiers during a period of two hours; periodically he lost consciousness and couldn’t feel his legs or fingers. His family managed to smuggle him to Rafidia hospital in Nablus. He suffered a dislocated shoulder, back injuries, and a badly twisted ankle.
Accourding to eyewitnesses, around 300 Israeli settlers, of whom some were masked, entered the village on Saturday the 12th of March and threw stones at windows, injuring two Awarta residents by breaking their arms. Villagers tried to protect homes while Israeli soldiers responded by shooting teargas at the villagers.
It has been reported that children were bitten by the Israeli military dogs that the soldiers had with them. A young physically disabled man was bitten by a dog which resulted in his hospitalisation. Loay Medjet Abdet is now scared to go inside his own home because he believes the dogs will attack him again.
For the activists, it was clear that the repression against Awarta was only a form of collective punishment. When one activist asked: ”Why do you have to punish all this people?” The solider responded with: ”We have to punish these people so they will understand.”
Even though this kind of systematic collective punishment is illegal according to International law, is it frequently used by the Israeli military all over the West Bank and in Gaza.
When medical vehicles tried to access the area they were stopped by Israeli forces. ISM activists went to the checkpoint near Awarta on March 15 and reported that ambulances were being held several hours before they could enter the village. As an occupying force, Israel is obligated under article 56 of the Geneva Conventions not to hinder the work of medical personnel in a conflict zone.
16 mar 2011
A Palestinian man was injured on Tuesday in the flashpoint village of Awarta near Nablus after he was mauled by a dog let loose by Israeli police, sources told the Palestinian Information Center.
An elderly man was beaten by Israeli armed forces in the same town after refusing to comply with a recently enforced curfew.
The northern West Bank town of Awarta has been under fire since the killing of a family of Jewish settlers in nearby Itamar five days ago.
Military has partially withdrawn from some neighborhoods there noon Tuesday, and has gathered at the village's main entrances and closed off roads and key junctions with sand barriers.
But it is still carrying out intense house-to-house searches with some houses having been searched three times so far.
They turned back ambulances that arrived to transport kidney patients and elderly to the hospital.
There has also been a sharp food shortage because of the curfew.
Meanwhile, Jewish settlers have been throwing stones in the village amid threats and anti-Arab slogans as police stand and watch.
Bulldozers have entered the village and tore down the walls of one home there.
Sources said that the army has begun digging up vast areas of farmland in the northeastern part of the village paving the way for two new pre-fabricated homes, which are commonly used by settlers in outposts.
The curfew has caused Awarta's schools to close stopping studies for 1,642 students taught by 102 teachers. Their access to the school has been cut off.
Other schools in Nablus province have been partially closed due to settler violence.
An elderly man was beaten by Israeli armed forces in the same town after refusing to comply with a recently enforced curfew.
The northern West Bank town of Awarta has been under fire since the killing of a family of Jewish settlers in nearby Itamar five days ago.
Military has partially withdrawn from some neighborhoods there noon Tuesday, and has gathered at the village's main entrances and closed off roads and key junctions with sand barriers.
But it is still carrying out intense house-to-house searches with some houses having been searched three times so far.
They turned back ambulances that arrived to transport kidney patients and elderly to the hospital.
There has also been a sharp food shortage because of the curfew.
Meanwhile, Jewish settlers have been throwing stones in the village amid threats and anti-Arab slogans as police stand and watch.
Bulldozers have entered the village and tore down the walls of one home there.
Sources said that the army has begun digging up vast areas of farmland in the northeastern part of the village paving the way for two new pre-fabricated homes, which are commonly used by settlers in outposts.
The curfew has caused Awarta's schools to close stopping studies for 1,642 students taught by 102 teachers. Their access to the school has been cut off.
Other schools in Nablus province have been partially closed due to settler violence.
Israeli forces withdrew Wednesday morning from the West Bank village of Awarata, following four and a half days of military curfew and home-to-home searches.
Israeli officials said troops were searching for suspects in the murder five members of a settler family from the nearby settlement of Itamar.
By the time the closure was lifted, forty men from the village had been detained, and residents reported mass damages to homes and buildings.
In the final hours of the military closure, town residents said soldiers had been searching for cameras, photos and images of destroyed houses.
Details of the investigation have remained under gag order in Israel, with officials saying only that a search was ongoing, and that "in general, is a terrorist attack," according to Israel's police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
Foreign workers in the settlement were questioned, Ma'an learned on Monday, and among those detained from Awarta were two officers with the Palestinian security forces and a village council member.
Awarta Mayor Qays Awwad told Ma'an by phone Wednesday, that he was informed of the end of the military curfew by Palestinian liaison officials early in the morning.
Awwad said checkpoints remain installed around the eastern side of the village.
He added that residents were only beginning to catalog the damages sustained to homes and village infrastructure, calling it "huge."
The village was put under closure on Saturday morning, when Israeli police began an investigation into the death of five members of the Fogel family, including two children and a three-month-old infant.
In the wake of the murders, settlers living illegally in the West Bank unleashed a string of attacks on Palestinians, in apparent revenge for the killings, which no Palestinian faction has claimed to have committed.
Settlers from Itamar, where the Foguls resided until their deaths, erected an illegal outpost in honor of the family.
The outpost was built on lands privately owned by Awarta residents, and others in the nearby city of Nablus.
Officials from Israel's Civil Administration did not answer calls seeking comment on whether the outpost would be permitted to stand, erected as it was one week after the Israeli government said three similar outposts built on private Palestinian lands would be demolished because they were illegal.
In the wake of the killings, Israel also announced the construction of hundreds of new settlement homes in the West Bank.
Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, building settlements on occupied land is illegal.
Awarta residents said they feared continued attack from Itamar settlers, following a violent protest carried out by the residents, which saw rocks and bottles thrown at Palestinian homes in the village.
Because Awarta remained under curfew during the attack, residents were helpless to defend themselves. When some men from the village left their homes to drive the settlers away, Israeli military forces enforcing the curfew drove them indoors with tear-gas canisters and sound bombs.
Residents moved women and children into homes of the western side of the village fearing further attacks.
PLO: Israel has exploited Itamar murders
The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "waging a vicious campaign" against Palestinians in the wake of the Itamar murders.
The attitude of Netanyahu and his government in the wake of the killings, secretary of the PLO body Yasser Abed Rabbo told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday, "aimed at destroying all political efforts aimed at reviving the peace process."
Israeli officials immediately branded the murder of the Fogel family in the Itamar settlement a terrorist attack, sparking waves of settler violence and accusations from Palestinians that Israeli soldiers were doing little to stop the tide.
Netanyahu announced, in retaliation for the attack, the construction of hundreds of new settler homes in the West Bank, adding to half a dozen illegal settlements.
Abed Rabbo, speaking after the PLO meeting which was chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinian leadership "reject the attempts to take advantage" of the killings, and called for "Israeli public opinion not to be dragged by attempts of its government to slander the Palestinians."
The course of action taken by Netanyahu, he said, was effectively "abuse to the future of the Palestinian cause."
The official urged on youth groups protesting in Ramallah and Gaza City, saying their calls for unity must be heeded as a first step on the Palestinian political sphere in a move that would ultimately "confront settlements and the brutal Israeli crimes carried out against the Palestinians."
Israeli officials said troops were searching for suspects in the murder five members of a settler family from the nearby settlement of Itamar.
By the time the closure was lifted, forty men from the village had been detained, and residents reported mass damages to homes and buildings.
In the final hours of the military closure, town residents said soldiers had been searching for cameras, photos and images of destroyed houses.
Details of the investigation have remained under gag order in Israel, with officials saying only that a search was ongoing, and that "in general, is a terrorist attack," according to Israel's police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
Foreign workers in the settlement were questioned, Ma'an learned on Monday, and among those detained from Awarta were two officers with the Palestinian security forces and a village council member.
Awarta Mayor Qays Awwad told Ma'an by phone Wednesday, that he was informed of the end of the military curfew by Palestinian liaison officials early in the morning.
Awwad said checkpoints remain installed around the eastern side of the village.
He added that residents were only beginning to catalog the damages sustained to homes and village infrastructure, calling it "huge."
The village was put under closure on Saturday morning, when Israeli police began an investigation into the death of five members of the Fogel family, including two children and a three-month-old infant.
In the wake of the murders, settlers living illegally in the West Bank unleashed a string of attacks on Palestinians, in apparent revenge for the killings, which no Palestinian faction has claimed to have committed.
Settlers from Itamar, where the Foguls resided until their deaths, erected an illegal outpost in honor of the family.
The outpost was built on lands privately owned by Awarta residents, and others in the nearby city of Nablus.
Officials from Israel's Civil Administration did not answer calls seeking comment on whether the outpost would be permitted to stand, erected as it was one week after the Israeli government said three similar outposts built on private Palestinian lands would be demolished because they were illegal.
In the wake of the killings, Israel also announced the construction of hundreds of new settlement homes in the West Bank.
Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, building settlements on occupied land is illegal.
Awarta residents said they feared continued attack from Itamar settlers, following a violent protest carried out by the residents, which saw rocks and bottles thrown at Palestinian homes in the village.
Because Awarta remained under curfew during the attack, residents were helpless to defend themselves. When some men from the village left their homes to drive the settlers away, Israeli military forces enforcing the curfew drove them indoors with tear-gas canisters and sound bombs.
Residents moved women and children into homes of the western side of the village fearing further attacks.
PLO: Israel has exploited Itamar murders
The Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of "waging a vicious campaign" against Palestinians in the wake of the Itamar murders.
The attitude of Netanyahu and his government in the wake of the killings, secretary of the PLO body Yasser Abed Rabbo told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday, "aimed at destroying all political efforts aimed at reviving the peace process."
Israeli officials immediately branded the murder of the Fogel family in the Itamar settlement a terrorist attack, sparking waves of settler violence and accusations from Palestinians that Israeli soldiers were doing little to stop the tide.
Netanyahu announced, in retaliation for the attack, the construction of hundreds of new settler homes in the West Bank, adding to half a dozen illegal settlements.
Abed Rabbo, speaking after the PLO meeting which was chaired by President Mahmoud Abbas, said the Palestinian leadership "reject the attempts to take advantage" of the killings, and called for "Israeli public opinion not to be dragged by attempts of its government to slander the Palestinians."
The course of action taken by Netanyahu, he said, was effectively "abuse to the future of the Palestinian cause."
The official urged on youth groups protesting in Ramallah and Gaza City, saying their calls for unity must be heeded as a first step on the Palestinian political sphere in a move that would ultimately "confront settlements and the brutal Israeli crimes carried out against the Palestinians."
15 mar 2011
It’s easier to put the blame on a Palestinian than reveal the truth. How else can settlement expansion be justified to the world?
It is noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Press Report: Itamar culprit an Asian worker
An Asian worker is suspected of the murder of the Fogel family, a settler family from Itamar settlement near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to Palestinian press sources.
Quds Net news quoted local residents from the area that he was infuriated with an Israeli settler for not paying him his wages carried out the killing of the settler’s family in Itamar, Palestinian press sources reported.
Quds Net news agency on Monday quoted a Palestinian family from Awarta village next to the settlement as saying that Mr. Fogel refused to pay 10,000 shekels in wages which he owed an Asian worker he hired. The worker threatened to kill the settler and his family.
The worker is suspected of committing the crime after midnight Friday using a knife then fleeing the scene to nearby Palestinian villages, the report added.
It noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Meanwhile, de facto Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the murder crime in the strongest words, describing it as “despicable”.
Speaking at an interview with radio Israel on Monday, Abbas pledged to extend all necessary assistance leading to unveiling the mystery of the crime, adding that he relayed this position to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Saturday shortly after the crime was reported.
He also invited Israel and the USA to discuss with his authority in Ramallah the curriculums being studied in Palestinian schools in the West Bank to make sure that they do not contain any “incitement”.
Abbas, however, failed to mention the Israeli settlers’ unruly behavior and the army’s collective punishment against Palestinian in Nablus villages following the crime despite the fact that no concrete evidence was found incriminating any Palestinian party in the act.
It is noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Press Report: Itamar culprit an Asian worker
An Asian worker is suspected of the murder of the Fogel family, a settler family from Itamar settlement near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to Palestinian press sources.
Quds Net news quoted local residents from the area that he was infuriated with an Israeli settler for not paying him his wages carried out the killing of the settler’s family in Itamar, Palestinian press sources reported.
Quds Net news agency on Monday quoted a Palestinian family from Awarta village next to the settlement as saying that Mr. Fogel refused to pay 10,000 shekels in wages which he owed an Asian worker he hired. The worker threatened to kill the settler and his family.
The worker is suspected of committing the crime after midnight Friday using a knife then fleeing the scene to nearby Palestinian villages, the report added.
It noted that the Israeli army knows of the information leading to the suspect but refuse to announce or deal with it for political as well as security reasons.
Meanwhile, de facto Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas condemned the murder crime in the strongest words, describing it as “despicable”.
Speaking at an interview with radio Israel on Monday, Abbas pledged to extend all necessary assistance leading to unveiling the mystery of the crime, adding that he relayed this position to Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu in a telephone conversation on Saturday shortly after the crime was reported.
He also invited Israel and the USA to discuss with his authority in Ramallah the curriculums being studied in Palestinian schools in the West Bank to make sure that they do not contain any “incitement”.
Abbas, however, failed to mention the Israeli settlers’ unruly behavior and the army’s collective punishment against Palestinian in Nablus villages following the crime despite the fact that no concrete evidence was found incriminating any Palestinian party in the act.
Awarta village remains under an Israeli military curfew for the fourth day in a row Tuesday, as residents report constant door-to-door searches, with some homes targeted at least three times.
Witnesses said soldiers could be seen dotting the hilltops around the village, as armored vehicles patrolled the streets.
An early morning food delivery from the municipality of Nablus appears not to have been delivered to all residents of the town, which according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has over 5,000 inhabitants.
Dutch journalist Lydia de Leew, traveling with medics from the Union of Health Care Committees, told Ma'an that they were waiting for permission to enter the village, after hearing reports that an Israeli sniffer dog had attacked a child.
Clashes with settlers from the northern West Bank were reported near the town of Huwwara, about four kilometers southwest of Awarta. There have been no reports of injuries.
Awarta has remained under closure since Israeli forces began the search for those behind the murder of five members of the Fogel family, settlers from the nearby Itamar settlement who were stabbed to death in their beds on Friday night, Israeli reports said.
Israeli officials immediately pointed the finger at Palestinians, calling the murders a "terrorist attack."
Palestinian officials said two members of the security services were detained by Israeli forces from the village, but Israel has put a gag order on details of the investigation.
Residents say the situation in Awarta is deteriorating, as the village remains on lock down.
Muhammad Raja Awwad told Ma'an on Tuesday afternoon, that a search of his home resulted in the destruction of the family's furniture, and caused thousands of shekels in damages.
"My wife and children were pushed into one room, and they brought in dogs," Awwad said.
Continued settler violence raises concerns
As villagers in Awarta reported hundreds of settlers protesting and throwing rocks at homes, elsewhere in the West Bank reports flooded in of settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
An estimated 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrated on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars.
To the east of Nablus, witnesses reported seeing settlers throwing stones from their parked cars at passing traffic.
Settlers reported stones thrown by Palestinians at Israeli traffic near Nablus and close to the Shiloh settlement, near Ramallah. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Overnight, settlers torched two Palestinian cars just north of El-Bireh, also near Ramallah, residents said. They said the two vehicles, which were set alight before dawn near Beit El settlement, were totally gutted.
Both the Israeli military and the police say they remain on alert, fearing a wave of revenge attacks in response to the killings, pictures of which were widely circulated by the settler leadership.
Amnesty International called on Israel to halt the settler attacks, which are posed as reprisal attacks against Palestinians, who Israeli officials blamed for the death of a settler family in Itamar, next to Awarta.
Five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death in their home on Friday night. Israeli police have said that the killings were a "terrorist attack," while Palestinians have called the judgment hasty, and militant groups have come out in condemnation of the murders. which included the stabbing death of an infant.
Condemning the murder of the settler family, AI said the incident was not justification for attacks on Palestinian civilians.
'We utterly condemn the killing of the Fogel family in Itamar. There must be a prompt and effective investigation to identify those suspected of involvement and ensure that they are brought to justice in a fair trial," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa in a statement.
"The Israeli security forces must act to prevent reprisals against Palestinian civilians by armed Israeli settlers.and bring those responsible to justice."
AFP contributed to this report.
Hamas denounces 'collective punishment' in Awarta
Hamas has condemned the collective punishment befalling the village of Awarta near Nablus city, referring to strict security measures and settler attacks that followed the knife attack that left five family members dead in nearby Itamar.
A strict curfew has since the incident been enforced in the village east of Nablus in the northern West Bank as well as a campaign of arrests, house raids and patrols.
The curfew has caused a shortage in the village's food supply and has prevented the sick from receiving treatment.
Hamas has said it holds Israel responsible for the attacks and also denounced the participation of the security forces of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The movement has called on the PA to desist from the arrest campaign in Awarta as well as all other forms of security coordination with Israel.
It has also called on rights groups to act urgently to protect the Palestinians against blatant humanitarian violations and settler attacks.
Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish settlers from Itamar have infiltrated and attacked Palestinian homes inside the Awarta village.
Medics reported that stones thrown by the assailants have broken the hand of a villager.
Locals said the Israeli army made no attempt to stop the settler attacks.
Earlier, Jews from the same settlement had marched inside the village raising banners and shouting anti-Arab remarks, such as death to Arabs and death to Awarta.
Itamar settlers have erected an outpost of pre-fabricated homes in the village.
Witnesses said soldiers could be seen dotting the hilltops around the village, as armored vehicles patrolled the streets.
An early morning food delivery from the municipality of Nablus appears not to have been delivered to all residents of the town, which according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has over 5,000 inhabitants.
Dutch journalist Lydia de Leew, traveling with medics from the Union of Health Care Committees, told Ma'an that they were waiting for permission to enter the village, after hearing reports that an Israeli sniffer dog had attacked a child.
Clashes with settlers from the northern West Bank were reported near the town of Huwwara, about four kilometers southwest of Awarta. There have been no reports of injuries.
Awarta has remained under closure since Israeli forces began the search for those behind the murder of five members of the Fogel family, settlers from the nearby Itamar settlement who were stabbed to death in their beds on Friday night, Israeli reports said.
Israeli officials immediately pointed the finger at Palestinians, calling the murders a "terrorist attack."
Palestinian officials said two members of the security services were detained by Israeli forces from the village, but Israel has put a gag order on details of the investigation.
Residents say the situation in Awarta is deteriorating, as the village remains on lock down.
Muhammad Raja Awwad told Ma'an on Tuesday afternoon, that a search of his home resulted in the destruction of the family's furniture, and caused thousands of shekels in damages.
"My wife and children were pushed into one room, and they brought in dogs," Awwad said.
Continued settler violence raises concerns
As villagers in Awarta reported hundreds of settlers protesting and throwing rocks at homes, elsewhere in the West Bank reports flooded in of settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
An estimated 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrated on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars.
To the east of Nablus, witnesses reported seeing settlers throwing stones from their parked cars at passing traffic.
Settlers reported stones thrown by Palestinians at Israeli traffic near Nablus and close to the Shiloh settlement, near Ramallah. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Overnight, settlers torched two Palestinian cars just north of El-Bireh, also near Ramallah, residents said. They said the two vehicles, which were set alight before dawn near Beit El settlement, were totally gutted.
Both the Israeli military and the police say they remain on alert, fearing a wave of revenge attacks in response to the killings, pictures of which were widely circulated by the settler leadership.
Amnesty International called on Israel to halt the settler attacks, which are posed as reprisal attacks against Palestinians, who Israeli officials blamed for the death of a settler family in Itamar, next to Awarta.
Five members of the Fogel family were stabbed to death in their home on Friday night. Israeli police have said that the killings were a "terrorist attack," while Palestinians have called the judgment hasty, and militant groups have come out in condemnation of the murders. which included the stabbing death of an infant.
Condemning the murder of the settler family, AI said the incident was not justification for attacks on Palestinian civilians.
'We utterly condemn the killing of the Fogel family in Itamar. There must be a prompt and effective investigation to identify those suspected of involvement and ensure that they are brought to justice in a fair trial," said Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa in a statement.
"The Israeli security forces must act to prevent reprisals against Palestinian civilians by armed Israeli settlers.and bring those responsible to justice."
AFP contributed to this report.
Hamas denounces 'collective punishment' in Awarta
Hamas has condemned the collective punishment befalling the village of Awarta near Nablus city, referring to strict security measures and settler attacks that followed the knife attack that left five family members dead in nearby Itamar.
A strict curfew has since the incident been enforced in the village east of Nablus in the northern West Bank as well as a campaign of arrests, house raids and patrols.
The curfew has caused a shortage in the village's food supply and has prevented the sick from receiving treatment.
Hamas has said it holds Israel responsible for the attacks and also denounced the participation of the security forces of the Palestinian Authority, which governs the West Bank.
The movement has called on the PA to desist from the arrest campaign in Awarta as well as all other forms of security coordination with Israel.
It has also called on rights groups to act urgently to protect the Palestinians against blatant humanitarian violations and settler attacks.
Meanwhile, dozens of Jewish settlers from Itamar have infiltrated and attacked Palestinian homes inside the Awarta village.
Medics reported that stones thrown by the assailants have broken the hand of a villager.
Locals said the Israeli army made no attempt to stop the settler attacks.
Earlier, Jews from the same settlement had marched inside the village raising banners and shouting anti-Arab remarks, such as death to Arabs and death to Awarta.
Itamar settlers have erected an outpost of pre-fabricated homes in the village.
An Israeli settler gunned down a Palestinian car on the road near Bani Na'im village on Tuesday afternoon, causing severe damage to the car but no injuries, the victim reported.
The incident occurred north of Hebron, driver Muhammad An-Najjar from the town of Yatta told Ma'an.
"The settler car passed me and just opened fire," he said, describing punctured tires and car doors riddled with bullets.
An-Najjar said he was contacted by Israel's Civil Administration shortly after the incident, and asked for details on the attack.
He said he returned to the scene of the attack with police and gave several statements.
A representative of the Civil Administration could not be reached for comment.
The attack is just the latest in a stream of settler violence that has seen dozens injured as roving mobs of settlers enter Palestinian villages, throwing stones and bottles, spray painting property, burning fields and cars and launching Molotov Cocktails at civilians.
Villagers in Awarta, which has remained on an Israeli military lockdown since Saturday, reported hundreds of settlers protesting and throwing rocks at homes, elsewhere in the West Bank reports flooded in of settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
An estimated 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrated on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars.
To the east of Nablus, witnesses reported seeing settlers throwing stones from their parked cars at passing traffic.
Settlers reported stones thrown by Palestinians at Israeli traffic near Nablus and close to the Shiloh settlement, near Ramallah. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Overnight, settlers torched two Palestinian cars just north of El-Bireh, also near Ramallah, residents said. They said the two vehicles, which were set alight before dawn near Beit El settlement, were totally gutted.
Both the Israeli military and the police say they remain on alert, fearing a wave of revenge attacks in response to the killings of five members of the Fogel family, residents of the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar in the Nablus district.
Five out of eight members of the Fogel family were stabbed in their beds on Friday night, pictures of their bodies were widely circulated by settler leadership.
Amnesty International called on Israel to halt the settler attacks, which are posed as reprisal attacks against Palestinians, who Israeli officials blamed for the death of a settler family in Itamar, next to Awarta.
The incident occurred north of Hebron, driver Muhammad An-Najjar from the town of Yatta told Ma'an.
"The settler car passed me and just opened fire," he said, describing punctured tires and car doors riddled with bullets.
An-Najjar said he was contacted by Israel's Civil Administration shortly after the incident, and asked for details on the attack.
He said he returned to the scene of the attack with police and gave several statements.
A representative of the Civil Administration could not be reached for comment.
The attack is just the latest in a stream of settler violence that has seen dozens injured as roving mobs of settlers enter Palestinian villages, throwing stones and bottles, spray painting property, burning fields and cars and launching Molotov Cocktails at civilians.
Villagers in Awarta, which has remained on an Israeli military lockdown since Saturday, reported hundreds of settlers protesting and throwing rocks at homes, elsewhere in the West Bank reports flooded in of settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
An estimated 200 settlers from the Kedumim settlement, five kilometers west of Nablus, demonstrated on the main road leading north, hurling stones at passing Palestinian cars.
To the east of Nablus, witnesses reported seeing settlers throwing stones from their parked cars at passing traffic.
Settlers reported stones thrown by Palestinians at Israeli traffic near Nablus and close to the Shiloh settlement, near Ramallah. No casualties were reported in any of the incidents.
Overnight, settlers torched two Palestinian cars just north of El-Bireh, also near Ramallah, residents said. They said the two vehicles, which were set alight before dawn near Beit El settlement, were totally gutted.
Both the Israeli military and the police say they remain on alert, fearing a wave of revenge attacks in response to the killings of five members of the Fogel family, residents of the illegal Israeli settlement of Itamar in the Nablus district.
Five out of eight members of the Fogel family were stabbed in their beds on Friday night, pictures of their bodies were widely circulated by settler leadership.
Amnesty International called on Israel to halt the settler attacks, which are posed as reprisal attacks against Palestinians, who Israeli officials blamed for the death of a settler family in Itamar, next to Awarta.
