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Ghayatha Family aug 16 2012 |
31 aug 2012
Boys ages 12 and 13 suspected of a firebomb attack are released to house arrest. They say they were threatened, denied food.
Police have released two boys suspected of involvement in a near-deadly firebomb attack to their homes in Bat Ayin. The boys, ages 12 and 13, were arrested on Sunday along with a friend, who was released earlier.
A court extended their remand twice, but on Thursday judge Yaron Mintkevitch ordered that they be released Friday due to the fact that no new evidence has been presented to justify their detention.
“As we said at every opportunity, the arrest of these children was random and unnecessary, false arrest,” said the boys’ attorney, David Halevy of the Honenu legal rights group. “Their release today proves this and speaks for itself.”
One of the boys said the arrest and detention had been highly unpleasant. On Sunday police barely gave them food, he said. Interrogations lasted for hours, he said, and often included shouting, threats, and even tugs on their sidelocks (payot).
Honenu accused the Israel Police of violating the children’s rights repeatedly. The group charged police with failing to allow an adult to be present during the boys’ questioning as required by law, delaying or denying them meetings with an attorney, ignoring their version of events, and more.
Attorney Halevy was only allowed to see the two after fellow Honenu attorney Adi Keidar filed an urgent appeal over the violations of their rights, sources in Honenu said.
Halevy said Friday, “The police conducted the investigation with brutality, severely violating my clients’ rights.”
The firebomb attack two weeks ago wounded six Arabs, including four members of one family. Two of the wounded were young children.
Many accused Jews in the Judea region of being behind the attack. Locals widely denied the charges, pointing out that the stretch of road on which the attack occurred is often attacked by Palestinian Authority terrorists.
Bat Ayin Rabbi Daniel Cohen has denounced the attack. Rabbi Cohen sent a letter to the community Thursday warning that the very fact that the town came under suspicion means soul-searching is needed. Attacks on Arabs show “a moral decline toward an abyss that does not differentiate between murder and defense,” he stated.
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(On 26 August 2012, three Israeli settler children, aged between 12 and 13 years, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack. One boy was conditionally released by a civilian judge on 29 August, and the other two were conditionally released the following day.
This case highlights the discriminatory nature of the legal systems applied by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank. Whilst settler children are processed through Israel’s juvenile justice system and generally released on bail, Palestinian children accused of similar offences are prosecuted in military courts which deny children bail in at least 87 percent [pdf] of cases, and have a conviction rate of 99.74 percent.)
Police have released two boys suspected of involvement in a near-deadly firebomb attack to their homes in Bat Ayin. The boys, ages 12 and 13, were arrested on Sunday along with a friend, who was released earlier.
A court extended their remand twice, but on Thursday judge Yaron Mintkevitch ordered that they be released Friday due to the fact that no new evidence has been presented to justify their detention.
“As we said at every opportunity, the arrest of these children was random and unnecessary, false arrest,” said the boys’ attorney, David Halevy of the Honenu legal rights group. “Their release today proves this and speaks for itself.”
One of the boys said the arrest and detention had been highly unpleasant. On Sunday police barely gave them food, he said. Interrogations lasted for hours, he said, and often included shouting, threats, and even tugs on their sidelocks (payot).
Honenu accused the Israel Police of violating the children’s rights repeatedly. The group charged police with failing to allow an adult to be present during the boys’ questioning as required by law, delaying or denying them meetings with an attorney, ignoring their version of events, and more.
Attorney Halevy was only allowed to see the two after fellow Honenu attorney Adi Keidar filed an urgent appeal over the violations of their rights, sources in Honenu said.
Halevy said Friday, “The police conducted the investigation with brutality, severely violating my clients’ rights.”
The firebomb attack two weeks ago wounded six Arabs, including four members of one family. Two of the wounded were young children.
Many accused Jews in the Judea region of being behind the attack. Locals widely denied the charges, pointing out that the stretch of road on which the attack occurred is often attacked by Palestinian Authority terrorists.
Bat Ayin Rabbi Daniel Cohen has denounced the attack. Rabbi Cohen sent a letter to the community Thursday warning that the very fact that the town came under suspicion means soul-searching is needed. Attacks on Arabs show “a moral decline toward an abyss that does not differentiate between murder and defense,” he stated.
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(On 26 August 2012, three Israeli settler children, aged between 12 and 13 years, were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack. One boy was conditionally released by a civilian judge on 29 August, and the other two were conditionally released the following day.
This case highlights the discriminatory nature of the legal systems applied by the Israeli authorities in the West Bank. Whilst settler children are processed through Israel’s juvenile justice system and generally released on bail, Palestinian children accused of similar offences are prosecuted in military courts which deny children bail in at least 87 percent [pdf] of cases, and have a conviction rate of 99.74 percent.)
30 aug 2012
A Palestinian woman whose husband and two young children were severely injured in an Israeli settler attack says the roadside firebombing had "turned our lives upside down."
On Aug. 16, Israeli settlers firebombed a Palestinian taxi south of Bethlehem, injuring Jamila Hassan, her husband Ayman and their children Iman, 4, and Muhammad, 6, as well as the driver.
"We are lost, our life has turned upside down, the father, son and daughter are each in different worlds, our life is difficult and we’re miserable," Jamila told Ma'an at Haddassah Hospital, where Mohammad and Ayman are being treated.
Muhammad has severe burns on his back, hands, legs and face.
"Yesterday he had an operation and he came out screaming calling me to come in and scratch his back due the severe pain he felt, he screams from the pain a lot," his mother said.
Mohammad was due to start school in the first grade in September, but won't be attending as he'll need to stay in hospital for at least one month, Jamila said. "He will not buy a back pack, notebooks and will not go to school, they killed his dream."
Jamila was not allowed to see her husband in intensive care for several days after the attack. He suffered third degree burns on his face and 30 percent of his body.
She was able to see him when his condition stabilized.
"He spoke really softly, I could barely hear. I got close to him and he asked me about our two children and I reassured him they were fine. He asked me not to allow them in to see him in his condition. He said: 'I am afraid.'"
Four-year-old Iman is staying with her aunt, Fida, who said the girl is constantly in tears.
"Iman is living in constant fear especially at night and can't handle hearing sounds of cars. She refuses to leave the house. She spends most of her time talking about the fire and how the car was burned and asks where her father, mother and brother are … her situation is really difficult," her aunt told Ma'an.
Iman said: "I am afraid and I don’t want to ride the car … I am afraid a fire will start and burn everything."
She remembers seeing a person in "a hat and two braids of hair" throw the firebomb and flee.
Jamila told Ma'an the family was going shopping for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr when the attack happened.
"When we were driving we got near a settlement entrance. We saw a settler looking at us and all of a sudden he threw something at our car which turned into a huge fire and smoke surrounding us for a few minutes until we were able to leave the car," she said.
"We were sitting in the back seat which protected us somehow, because the Molotov hit the front seat where my husband and the driver were sitting. My daughter Iman had the least injuries because she fell between the seats and was protected."
Israeli police have arrested three children from Bat Ayin settlement suspected of carrying out the attack.
On Aug. 16, Israeli settlers firebombed a Palestinian taxi south of Bethlehem, injuring Jamila Hassan, her husband Ayman and their children Iman, 4, and Muhammad, 6, as well as the driver.
"We are lost, our life has turned upside down, the father, son and daughter are each in different worlds, our life is difficult and we’re miserable," Jamila told Ma'an at Haddassah Hospital, where Mohammad and Ayman are being treated.
Muhammad has severe burns on his back, hands, legs and face.
"Yesterday he had an operation and he came out screaming calling me to come in and scratch his back due the severe pain he felt, he screams from the pain a lot," his mother said.
Mohammad was due to start school in the first grade in September, but won't be attending as he'll need to stay in hospital for at least one month, Jamila said. "He will not buy a back pack, notebooks and will not go to school, they killed his dream."
Jamila was not allowed to see her husband in intensive care for several days after the attack. He suffered third degree burns on his face and 30 percent of his body.
She was able to see him when his condition stabilized.
"He spoke really softly, I could barely hear. I got close to him and he asked me about our two children and I reassured him they were fine. He asked me not to allow them in to see him in his condition. He said: 'I am afraid.'"
Four-year-old Iman is staying with her aunt, Fida, who said the girl is constantly in tears.
"Iman is living in constant fear especially at night and can't handle hearing sounds of cars. She refuses to leave the house. She spends most of her time talking about the fire and how the car was burned and asks where her father, mother and brother are … her situation is really difficult," her aunt told Ma'an.
Iman said: "I am afraid and I don’t want to ride the car … I am afraid a fire will start and burn everything."
She remembers seeing a person in "a hat and two braids of hair" throw the firebomb and flee.
Jamila told Ma'an the family was going shopping for the Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr when the attack happened.
"When we were driving we got near a settlement entrance. We saw a settler looking at us and all of a sudden he threw something at our car which turned into a huge fire and smoke surrounding us for a few minutes until we were able to leave the car," she said.
"We were sitting in the back seat which protected us somehow, because the Molotov hit the front seat where my husband and the driver were sitting. My daughter Iman had the least injuries because she fell between the seats and was protected."
Israeli police have arrested three children from Bat Ayin settlement suspected of carrying out the attack.
26 aug 2012
Two of the suspects in handcuffs
Judea and Samaria police arrested three Jewish youths Sunday on suspicion of throwing a fire bomb at an Arab taxi 10 days ago. The suspects are residents of the Etzion Bloc community of Bat Ayin, aged just 12 and 13, according to Jewish nationalist prisoners' rights group Honenu.
Six people were injured in the attack, two of them seriously. The taxi was carrying a family of five.
They were brought before a judge in the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court, who decided to extend their remand overnight. The court will decide what next to do with them in the morning.
Honenu reported last week that Shin Bet and special Yasam police forces entered the homes of several Bat Ayin residents on the night after the firebomb attack, but arrested no one that night. They reportedly went to the homes of three teenage boys ages 13-14 and issued stern warnings to the teens, telling them, “We know what you’re doing.”
Last week, a youth from Bat Ayin was arrested and freed several hours later. The youth and his parents said that he was suspected of throwing the firebomb.
Etzion bloc residents noted that the site of the attack is one where Arabs often attack Jewish vehicles with rocks and firebombs, and said the assumption that the attackers were Jews is unjustified. Other observers noted that taxis serving Palestinian Authority Arabs are painted a distinctive yellow and that it is unlikely an Arab terrorist would have mistaken the taxi for a vehicle carrying Jews.
The wounded Arab woman said she saw a Jewish attacker with a kippah and sidelocks.
Judea and Samaria police arrested three Jewish youths Sunday on suspicion of throwing a fire bomb at an Arab taxi 10 days ago. The suspects are residents of the Etzion Bloc community of Bat Ayin, aged just 12 and 13, according to Jewish nationalist prisoners' rights group Honenu.
Six people were injured in the attack, two of them seriously. The taxi was carrying a family of five.
They were brought before a judge in the Jerusalem Magistrates' Court, who decided to extend their remand overnight. The court will decide what next to do with them in the morning.
Honenu reported last week that Shin Bet and special Yasam police forces entered the homes of several Bat Ayin residents on the night after the firebomb attack, but arrested no one that night. They reportedly went to the homes of three teenage boys ages 13-14 and issued stern warnings to the teens, telling them, “We know what you’re doing.”
Last week, a youth from Bat Ayin was arrested and freed several hours later. The youth and his parents said that he was suspected of throwing the firebomb.
Etzion bloc residents noted that the site of the attack is one where Arabs often attack Jewish vehicles with rocks and firebombs, and said the assumption that the attackers were Jews is unjustified. Other observers noted that taxis serving Palestinian Authority Arabs are painted a distinctive yellow and that it is unlikely an Arab terrorist would have mistaken the taxi for a vehicle carrying Jews.
The wounded Arab woman said she saw a Jewish attacker with a kippah and sidelocks.
21 aug 2012
The Palestine News Network (PNN) reported that resident Ayman Hasan Ghayatha, 36, who was wounded along with his family by a firebomb hurled by extremist Israeli settlers at a Palestinian taxi near Bethlehem on Thursday, is now in a serious condition at the Hadassah Israeli hospital in Jerusalem.
Resident Ribhi Ghayatha told the PNN that Ayman was directly hit by the firebomb in his abdomen leading to serious injuries; Mohammad is currently at the Intensive Care Unit in Hadassah Israeli Hospital in Jerusalem.
Ribhi added Ayman suffered several serious injuries, in addition to an injury that led to a hole close to his heart.
Head of the Emergency Department of the Red Crescent in Bethlehem, Abdul-Halim Ja’afra, reported that wounded residents were identified as Bassam (cab driver) Mahmoud Ghayatha, 55, Ayman Hassan Ghayatha, 35, his wife Jamila Abdul-Hai, 28, their children; Mohammad, 5, and Eman, 4, and Hasan Mohammad Hasan Ghayatha, 26.
As for the family members, Ribhi said that their health conditions are gradually deteriorating due to severe injuries and fourth degree burns, the worst degree of burns as the flesh is burnt to the bone.
The settlers who hurled the firebomb apparently mixed it with chemicals to inflict maximum harm, medical sources reported.
Jamila Ghayatha, the wife of Ayman, is currently facing several health complications. The Taxi driver, Bassam Mahmoud Ghayatha, is also in a serious condition.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sent letters to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister, Salaam Fayyad, informing them that his government will apprehend the assailants.
On Monday, Israel arrested five Israeli teenage settlers who participated in a lynch mob attack against a 17-year-old Palestinian youth, in Jerusalem on Friday, causing serious injuries that landed him at the Intensive Care Unit.
The Israeli Police said that intends to conduct more arrests as the investigation continues.
Chanting 'Death to Arabs', the settlers attacked three young Palestinians, nearly killing one and severely wounding the other two.
PNN reported that resident Jamal Julani was left fighting for his life after being attacked in “Zion Square” in Jerusalem. He was surrounded by approximately a dozen young settlers who kept beating and kicking him even after he fell unconscious.
Resident Ribhi Ghayatha told the PNN that Ayman was directly hit by the firebomb in his abdomen leading to serious injuries; Mohammad is currently at the Intensive Care Unit in Hadassah Israeli Hospital in Jerusalem.
Ribhi added Ayman suffered several serious injuries, in addition to an injury that led to a hole close to his heart.
Head of the Emergency Department of the Red Crescent in Bethlehem, Abdul-Halim Ja’afra, reported that wounded residents were identified as Bassam (cab driver) Mahmoud Ghayatha, 55, Ayman Hassan Ghayatha, 35, his wife Jamila Abdul-Hai, 28, their children; Mohammad, 5, and Eman, 4, and Hasan Mohammad Hasan Ghayatha, 26.
As for the family members, Ribhi said that their health conditions are gradually deteriorating due to severe injuries and fourth degree burns, the worst degree of burns as the flesh is burnt to the bone.
The settlers who hurled the firebomb apparently mixed it with chemicals to inflict maximum harm, medical sources reported.
Jamila Ghayatha, the wife of Ayman, is currently facing several health complications. The Taxi driver, Bassam Mahmoud Ghayatha, is also in a serious condition.
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, sent letters to Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, and Prime Minister, Salaam Fayyad, informing them that his government will apprehend the assailants.
On Monday, Israel arrested five Israeli teenage settlers who participated in a lynch mob attack against a 17-year-old Palestinian youth, in Jerusalem on Friday, causing serious injuries that landed him at the Intensive Care Unit.
The Israeli Police said that intends to conduct more arrests as the investigation continues.
Chanting 'Death to Arabs', the settlers attacked three young Palestinians, nearly killing one and severely wounding the other two.
PNN reported that resident Jamal Julani was left fighting for his life after being attacked in “Zion Square” in Jerusalem. He was surrounded by approximately a dozen young settlers who kept beating and kicking him even after he fell unconscious.
18 aug 2012
For first time, U.S. State Department defines settler violence as terrorism
In annual report on terrorism in foreign countries, U.S. government report defines so-called 'price-tag' attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank as acts of terror.
A report by the U.S. State Department defines, for the first time, violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank as acts of terrorism.
The Country Reports on Terrorism, which under U.S. law is produced annually by the State Department and presented to the U.S. Congress, was published two weeks ago. It contained a chapter on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
A section of the report entitled "Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism" addressed so-called "price-tag" attacks, which are committed primarily against Palestinians and their property by West Bank settlers.
The report mentions an attack on the Israel Defense Forces Ephraim Brigade Headquarters against the IDF's Efraim Regional Brigade headquarters in the West Bank.
That attack "sparked a public debate in Israel on the phenomenon of settler violence; political and security officials pledged to implement several steps to curb and punish these violent attacks," according to the report.
The report also notes that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak labeled such attacks as having the characteristics of terrorist acts. Former IDF Head of Central Command Avi Mizrahi is also mentioned describing attacks against Palestinians and against their property as "terror."
During 2011, the report says, ten mosques in the West Bank and in Jerusalem were set on fire – a dramatic increase compared to past years, following "six such incidents in 2010 and one in 2009." The report also states that Israeli authorities believe that the attacks were "perpetrated by settlers."
Under the title "2011 Terrorist Incidents," the report describes the main terrorist attacks carried out in the West Bank in the Gaza Strip in that year.
Alongside rocket attacks from Gaza, the report mentions seven incidents, three of which were considered "price-tag" attacks - the spraying of hate graffiti on Muslim graves at the Mamilla Cemetery in Jerusalem, the burning of a Jerusalem mosque and the vandalizing of a mosque in the West Bank village of Burqa.
Over the weekend, the State Department issued a statement condemning the attack on a Palestinian taxi on Thursday, which was suspected to have been carried out by extremist settlers.
"The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms yesterday’s attack on a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank," State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, said.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, among them children, and we hope for their speedy recovery. We note that the Government of Israel has also condemned this heinous attack and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice. We look to Israeli law enforcement officials to do so expeditiously. We urge all parties to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of violence."
On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told a Palestinian radio station that the attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians are "being carried out under the cover of the Israeli occupation army and must cease.
Abbas noted that, if the IDF so desired, such attacks could be prevented. "This is happening in front of their eyes and they are not batting an eyelid," Abbas said. "This is evidence of the racist policy still nesting in the army and the settlers' mentality.
Following Thursday's attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent reassuring messages to Abbas, apparently fearing the attack might spark violence in the West Bank.
The Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu's envoy Yitzhak Molcho called Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, assuring them Netanyahu had ordered Israel's security forces to do everything in their power to locate and arrest whoever was responsible for the attack.
Netanyahu's message to Abbas was considered unusual, as the premier usually makes do with condemning such events.
US condemns attack on Palestinian taxi in W. Bank
Jewish extremists believed behind attack that hurts 6 Palestinians in W. Bank; Netanyahu to Abbas: J'lem not taking incident lightly.
The United States on Friday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Thursday's attack on a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank, which left six people lightly to moderately wounded, including two children.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, among them children, and we hope for their speedy recovery. We note that the Government of Israel has also condemned this heinous attack and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice," the US State Department said in a statement.
"We look to Israeli law enforcement officials to do so expeditiously. We urge all parties to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of violence," the statement continued.
Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Police Inspector General Yochanan Danino vowed to bring to justice the unknown assailants who threw a Molotov cocktail at the taxi outside the Gush Etzion settlement of Bat Ayin on Thursday night.
Results from an initial investigation raised fears that Jewish extremists could have perpetrated the attack.
Netanyahu sent a message to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Friday, saying that he viewed the firebomb attack as a "very serious" offense and that all efforts would be made to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Netanyahu's special envoy Yitzhak Molcho called PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat with the message for Abbas and Fayyad.
The prime minister added that he would ensure the Palestinian victims of the attack were receiving proper medical treatment.
During a briefing held at the Temple Mount complex on the occasion of the last Friday of Ramadan, Danino referred to the Molotov cocktail attack as "a very severe incident" and said he has instructed police to do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. Danino added that Israel Police "won't allow extremist criminals to disrupt and inflame daily life across Israel, in particular in areas that are especially sensitive.
Judea and Samaria Commander Brigadier General Hagai Mordechai said Thursday that the incident could compromise security and stability in the West Bank.
On Thursday night Mordechai increased IDF presence along friction points on West Bank roads.
A security source said that it would have been obvious to the assailants that they were targeting a Palestinian taxi, because the attack occurred in day light in a place with good visibility.
The yellow vehicle with a green Palestinian license plate, typically of West Bank Palestinian taxis, could not have been mistaken for any other kind of vehicle, the security source said.
But, the source added, that the investigation was still in its initial stages.
According to the police, the taxi flipped and burst into flames after the Molotov cocktail hit it. Paramedics evacuated all six wounded to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital shortly thereafter.
Police said they found a second, ready-to-use Molotov cocktail near the site of the firebombing. They would not comment as to whether or not Jewish extremists firebombed the taxi, saying they are still in the initial stages of the investigation.
The Shin Bet joined police and IDF troops in the search for the assailants, which is currently ongoing in the West Bank.
The Shin Bet had initially refused to comment on whether or not they consider the incident a “Price Tag” attack, the name given to attacks by Jewish extremists against Palestinians in order to protest government policies, saying that the investigation is still in its initial phase. The Shin Bet also placed a gag order on details of the attack.
The Tag Meir group condemned the attack in a statement released by the organization's chairman Dr. Gadi Gvaryahu, saying "We must not allow such Price Tag attacks to become commonplace." Gvaryahu added: "The security apparatus must do everything in its power to arrest those responsible for attacking an innocent Palestinian family."
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
A report by the U.S. State Department defines, for the first time, violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank as acts of terrorism.
The Country Reports on Terrorism, which under U.S. law is produced annually by the State Department and presented to the U.S. Congress, was published two weeks ago. It contained a chapter on Israel, the West Bank and Gaza.
A section of the report entitled "Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism" addressed so-called "price-tag" attacks, which are committed primarily against Palestinians and their property by West Bank settlers.
The report mentions an attack on the Israel Defense Forces Ephraim Brigade Headquarters against the IDF's Efraim Regional Brigade headquarters in the West Bank.
That attack "sparked a public debate in Israel on the phenomenon of settler violence; political and security officials pledged to implement several steps to curb and punish these violent attacks," according to the report.
The report also notes that Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak labeled such attacks as having the characteristics of terrorist acts. Former IDF Head of Central Command Avi Mizrahi is also mentioned describing attacks against Palestinians and against their property as "terror."
During 2011, the report says, ten mosques in the West Bank and in Jerusalem were set on fire – a dramatic increase compared to past years, following "six such incidents in 2010 and one in 2009." The report also states that Israeli authorities believe that the attacks were "perpetrated by settlers."
Under the title "2011 Terrorist Incidents," the report describes the main terrorist attacks carried out in the West Bank in the Gaza Strip in that year.
Alongside rocket attacks from Gaza, the report mentions seven incidents, three of which were considered "price-tag" attacks - the spraying of hate graffiti on Muslim graves at the Mamilla Cemetery in Jerusalem, the burning of a Jerusalem mosque and the vandalizing of a mosque in the West Bank village of Burqa.
Over the weekend, the State Department issued a statement condemning the attack on a Palestinian taxi on Thursday, which was suspected to have been carried out by extremist settlers.
"The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms yesterday’s attack on a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank," State Department spokeswoman, Victoria Nuland, said.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, among them children, and we hope for their speedy recovery. We note that the Government of Israel has also condemned this heinous attack and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice. We look to Israeli law enforcement officials to do so expeditiously. We urge all parties to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of violence."
On Friday, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas told a Palestinian radio station that the attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians are "being carried out under the cover of the Israeli occupation army and must cease.
Abbas noted that, if the IDF so desired, such attacks could be prevented. "This is happening in front of their eyes and they are not batting an eyelid," Abbas said. "This is evidence of the racist policy still nesting in the army and the settlers' mentality.
Following Thursday's attack, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent reassuring messages to Abbas, apparently fearing the attack might spark violence in the West Bank.
The Prime Minister's Office said Netanyahu's envoy Yitzhak Molcho called Abbas and Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, assuring them Netanyahu had ordered Israel's security forces to do everything in their power to locate and arrest whoever was responsible for the attack.
Netanyahu's message to Abbas was considered unusual, as the premier usually makes do with condemning such events.
US condemns attack on Palestinian taxi in W. Bank
Jewish extremists believed behind attack that hurts 6 Palestinians in W. Bank; Netanyahu to Abbas: J'lem not taking incident lightly.
The United States on Friday condemned "in the strongest possible terms" Thursday's attack on a Palestinian taxi in the West Bank, which left six people lightly to moderately wounded, including two children.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, among them children, and we hope for their speedy recovery. We note that the Government of Israel has also condemned this heinous attack and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice," the US State Department said in a statement.
"We look to Israeli law enforcement officials to do so expeditiously. We urge all parties to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation of violence," the statement continued.
Earlier Friday, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Police Inspector General Yochanan Danino vowed to bring to justice the unknown assailants who threw a Molotov cocktail at the taxi outside the Gush Etzion settlement of Bat Ayin on Thursday night.
Results from an initial investigation raised fears that Jewish extremists could have perpetrated the attack.
Netanyahu sent a message to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and PA Prime Minister Salam Fayyad on Friday, saying that he viewed the firebomb attack as a "very serious" offense and that all efforts would be made to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Netanyahu's special envoy Yitzhak Molcho called PA chief negotiator Saeb Erekat with the message for Abbas and Fayyad.
The prime minister added that he would ensure the Palestinian victims of the attack were receiving proper medical treatment.
During a briefing held at the Temple Mount complex on the occasion of the last Friday of Ramadan, Danino referred to the Molotov cocktail attack as "a very severe incident" and said he has instructed police to do whatever it takes to bring the perpetrators to justice as soon as possible. Danino added that Israel Police "won't allow extremist criminals to disrupt and inflame daily life across Israel, in particular in areas that are especially sensitive.
Judea and Samaria Commander Brigadier General Hagai Mordechai said Thursday that the incident could compromise security and stability in the West Bank.
On Thursday night Mordechai increased IDF presence along friction points on West Bank roads.
A security source said that it would have been obvious to the assailants that they were targeting a Palestinian taxi, because the attack occurred in day light in a place with good visibility.
The yellow vehicle with a green Palestinian license plate, typically of West Bank Palestinian taxis, could not have been mistaken for any other kind of vehicle, the security source said.
But, the source added, that the investigation was still in its initial stages.
According to the police, the taxi flipped and burst into flames after the Molotov cocktail hit it. Paramedics evacuated all six wounded to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital shortly thereafter.
Police said they found a second, ready-to-use Molotov cocktail near the site of the firebombing. They would not comment as to whether or not Jewish extremists firebombed the taxi, saying they are still in the initial stages of the investigation.
The Shin Bet joined police and IDF troops in the search for the assailants, which is currently ongoing in the West Bank.
The Shin Bet had initially refused to comment on whether or not they consider the incident a “Price Tag” attack, the name given to attacks by Jewish extremists against Palestinians in order to protest government policies, saying that the investigation is still in its initial phase. The Shin Bet also placed a gag order on details of the attack.
The Tag Meir group condemned the attack in a statement released by the organization's chairman Dr. Gadi Gvaryahu, saying "We must not allow such Price Tag attacks to become commonplace." Gvaryahu added: "The security apparatus must do everything in its power to arrest those responsible for attacking an innocent Palestinian family."
Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
17 aug 2012
Jamila Riada, who was injured along with her husband and three children in what police called a 'Jewish nationalist attack,' says she saw assailant. Netanyahu instructs Shin Bet to bring perpetrators to justice
"We were driving up Gush Etzion's hill, when someone threw a Molotov cocktail at us from a wooded area. I saw his face and clothes. He had side-locks and was wearing a large kippah. When the bottle was thrown there was a big boom, and the car caught fire.
I opened the door and pulled the children out," recounted Jamila Riada (30), the Palestinian woman who was injured Thursday evening along with her husband and three children when a firebomb was hurled at the taxi they were travelling in.
The taxi driver was also hurt in the attack, which occurred as the cab was travelling between the West Bank settlements Bat Ayin and Gvaot.
Two of the Palestinians suffered severe injuries; three others sustained moderate wounds, and a young girl was lightly hurt in what a senior police official called a "Jewish nationalist attack."
IDF forces scoured the area and found a second, unlit Molotov cocktail bottle.
Brigadier General Hagai Mordechai, commander of the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division, has ordered army and Border Guard forces in the area boost their presence along main roads in the area and in known points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. He said the incident could potentially undermine stability in the region.
The members of the Palestinian family who were injured in the attack were treated at Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Yusuf, a relative, said "this was an attempt to murder little children. Had it been the other way around, and the attack would have targeted Israelis, they would have sealed off the entire area and not allowed Palestinian vehicles to pass."
Yusuf, who drove behind the taxi, said "at first I thought it was an accident, but then the driver told me someone hurled a Molotov cocktail and fled the scene. They were hysterical. It was a miracle they got out of it alive. The road was empty. I immediately called the rescue services, and Magen David Adom ambulances arrived, as did IDF forces."
The taxi driver's brother also arrived at the hospital. "He suffered injuries to his hands and back and is in terrible pain," the brother said.
Another family member said, "This is not the first time Palestinians are attacked. We believe the (authorities) know exactly who was behind the attack."
"We were driving up Gush Etzion's hill, when someone threw a Molotov cocktail at us from a wooded area. I saw his face and clothes. He had side-locks and was wearing a large kippah. When the bottle was thrown there was a big boom, and the car caught fire.
I opened the door and pulled the children out," recounted Jamila Riada (30), the Palestinian woman who was injured Thursday evening along with her husband and three children when a firebomb was hurled at the taxi they were travelling in.
The taxi driver was also hurt in the attack, which occurred as the cab was travelling between the West Bank settlements Bat Ayin and Gvaot.
Two of the Palestinians suffered severe injuries; three others sustained moderate wounds, and a young girl was lightly hurt in what a senior police official called a "Jewish nationalist attack."
IDF forces scoured the area and found a second, unlit Molotov cocktail bottle.
Brigadier General Hagai Mordechai, commander of the IDF's Judea and Samaria Division, has ordered army and Border Guard forces in the area boost their presence along main roads in the area and in known points of friction between Israelis and Palestinians. He said the incident could potentially undermine stability in the region.
The members of the Palestinian family who were injured in the attack were treated at Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. Yusuf, a relative, said "this was an attempt to murder little children. Had it been the other way around, and the attack would have targeted Israelis, they would have sealed off the entire area and not allowed Palestinian vehicles to pass."
Yusuf, who drove behind the taxi, said "at first I thought it was an accident, but then the driver told me someone hurled a Molotov cocktail and fled the scene. They were hysterical. It was a miracle they got out of it alive. The road was empty. I immediately called the rescue services, and Magen David Adom ambulances arrived, as did IDF forces."
The taxi driver's brother also arrived at the hospital. "He suffered injuries to his hands and back and is in terrible pain," the brother said.
Another family member said, "This is not the first time Palestinians are attacked. We believe the (authorities) know exactly who was behind the attack."
16 aug 2012
Six Palestinians were wounded, three seriously, when Israeli settlers hurled a cocktail bomb at the car they were riding on the Bethlehem-Hebron road on Thursday.
Palestinian media sources reported that settlers from Beit Ayin settlement in the Etzion settlment bloc threw a cocktail bomb at the van en route to wounding the driver and five members of Ghayatha family, including two children.
Israeli ambulance arrived at the scene and evacuated the wounded to Hadasa hospital in Jerusalem. Three of the wounded suffer second degree burns.
The car drove for around hundred meter after the attack before it flipped over on the side of the road. Traces of the fire bomb and a lighter were found on the road side.
Israeli police also arrived at the scene and closed the road on both ways for around two hours, eyewitnesses reported.
Settler violence increased since 2005 when Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip and moved out all its settlers.
Most of the settler attacks against Palestinians are not followed up by Israeli police.
Father, Mother And Children Injured By Settlers Firebomb
Palestinian medical sources in Bethlehem reported Thursday that a cab driver, a Palestinian father, mother and their children, from Nahhalin town, near Bethlehem, suffered moderate to severe injuries after fundamentalist Israeli settlers hurled a firebomb at the Palestinian cab.
The attack took place when the Palestinian Taxi was driving near the illegal Bat Ayin and Gavot illegal settlements, close to the Gush Etzion settlement block, south the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Medical sources reported that a cab driving a Palestinian family was attacked by extremist settlers who also hurled a firebomb at it leading to six injuries; the wounded six family members received initial treatment in Bethlehem before being moved to the Hadassah Israeli hospital in Jerusalem due to the seriousness of their injuries.
Head of the Emergency Department of the Red Crescent in Bethlehem, Abdul-Halim Ja’afra, reported that wounded residents were identified as Bassam (cab driver) Mahmoud Ghayatha, 55, Ayman Hassan Ghayatha, 35, his wife Jamila Abdul-Hai, 28, their children; Mohammad, 5, and Eman, 4, and Hasan Mohammad Hasan Ghayatha, 26.
Residents Ayman, Jamila and Hasan suffered second and third-degree burns, while the children, Mohammad and Eman suffered first-degree burns.
The Israeli police reported that the attack was carried out by Jewish settlers, and that the assault was nationally motivated.
According to the Maan News Agency, the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement denouncing the attack and stating that he instructed the Internal Security Services to act decisively and apprehend the assailants.
Extremist settler groups in the occupied West Bank are behind hundreds of attacks against the Palestinians, their lands and property, leading to dozens of casualties and significant damages.
Such attacks included the burning of mosques and churches in occupied Palestine, torching Palestinian farmlands, destroying Palestinian wells and property, and uprooting hundreds of trees, in addition to flooding Palestinian farmlands with sewage.
Palestinian media sources reported that settlers from Beit Ayin settlement in the Etzion settlment bloc threw a cocktail bomb at the van en route to wounding the driver and five members of Ghayatha family, including two children.
Israeli ambulance arrived at the scene and evacuated the wounded to Hadasa hospital in Jerusalem. Three of the wounded suffer second degree burns.
The car drove for around hundred meter after the attack before it flipped over on the side of the road. Traces of the fire bomb and a lighter were found on the road side.
Israeli police also arrived at the scene and closed the road on both ways for around two hours, eyewitnesses reported.
Settler violence increased since 2005 when Israel unilaterally withdrew from the Gaza Strip and moved out all its settlers.
Most of the settler attacks against Palestinians are not followed up by Israeli police.
Father, Mother And Children Injured By Settlers Firebomb
Palestinian medical sources in Bethlehem reported Thursday that a cab driver, a Palestinian father, mother and their children, from Nahhalin town, near Bethlehem, suffered moderate to severe injuries after fundamentalist Israeli settlers hurled a firebomb at the Palestinian cab.
The attack took place when the Palestinian Taxi was driving near the illegal Bat Ayin and Gavot illegal settlements, close to the Gush Etzion settlement block, south the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Medical sources reported that a cab driving a Palestinian family was attacked by extremist settlers who also hurled a firebomb at it leading to six injuries; the wounded six family members received initial treatment in Bethlehem before being moved to the Hadassah Israeli hospital in Jerusalem due to the seriousness of their injuries.
Head of the Emergency Department of the Red Crescent in Bethlehem, Abdul-Halim Ja’afra, reported that wounded residents were identified as Bassam (cab driver) Mahmoud Ghayatha, 55, Ayman Hassan Ghayatha, 35, his wife Jamila Abdul-Hai, 28, their children; Mohammad, 5, and Eman, 4, and Hasan Mohammad Hasan Ghayatha, 26.
Residents Ayman, Jamila and Hasan suffered second and third-degree burns, while the children, Mohammad and Eman suffered first-degree burns.
The Israeli police reported that the attack was carried out by Jewish settlers, and that the assault was nationally motivated.
According to the Maan News Agency, the office of Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, issued a statement denouncing the attack and stating that he instructed the Internal Security Services to act decisively and apprehend the assailants.
Extremist settler groups in the occupied West Bank are behind hundreds of attacks against the Palestinians, their lands and property, leading to dozens of casualties and significant damages.
Such attacks included the burning of mosques and churches in occupied Palestine, torching Palestinian farmlands, destroying Palestinian wells and property, and uprooting hundreds of trees, in addition to flooding Palestinian farmlands with sewage.
Vehicle travelling in West Bank catches fire after being hit by Molotov cocktail; parents, children, driver suffer moderate to serious wounds. Police: Jews behind attack
Five Palestinians sustained moderate to serious injuries Thursday evening when the taxi they were travelling in was hit by a Molotov cocktail and caught fire.
The vehicle was struck as it was travelling between the West Bank settlements of Bat Ayin and Gvaot, in the Gush Etzion region, and overturned. The injured Palestinians were evacuated to Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital for treatment.
A police official said the attack was carried out by Jews and was nationalistically-motivated.
IDF forces were scouring the area in search of the assailants, whose identity remains unclear. During the search, another firebomb was found, but it was not lit.
Most of the wounded Palestinians are members of the same family from the Nahalin village, near Bethlehem. Red Cross officials in Bethlehem identified the injured Palestinians as a 35-year-old man, his wife, 27, and their children, aged four and five. The driver was also hurt.
The parents are suffering from second and third-degree burns, while the children are suffering from first-degree burns, the Red Cross said.
Osama Shakarneh, head of the Nahalin council, told Ynet that village residents travelling to Bethlehem along the same road are frequently attacked with stones
Five Palestinians sustained moderate to serious injuries Thursday evening when the taxi they were travelling in was hit by a Molotov cocktail and caught fire.
The vehicle was struck as it was travelling between the West Bank settlements of Bat Ayin and Gvaot, in the Gush Etzion region, and overturned. The injured Palestinians were evacuated to Jerusalem's Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital for treatment.
A police official said the attack was carried out by Jews and was nationalistically-motivated.
IDF forces were scouring the area in search of the assailants, whose identity remains unclear. During the search, another firebomb was found, but it was not lit.
Most of the wounded Palestinians are members of the same family from the Nahalin village, near Bethlehem. Red Cross officials in Bethlehem identified the injured Palestinians as a 35-year-old man, his wife, 27, and their children, aged four and five. The driver was also hurt.
The parents are suffering from second and third-degree burns, while the children are suffering from first-degree burns, the Red Cross said.
Osama Shakarneh, head of the Nahalin council, told Ynet that village residents travelling to Bethlehem along the same road are frequently attacked with stones
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