<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8">
</head>
<body text="#000000" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<div class="container font-size5 content-width3">
<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <font
size="-2"><a class="domain reader-domain"
href="http://imemc.org/article/report-settler-attacks-increased-by-60-in-2018/">http://imemc.org/article/report-settler-attacks-increased-by-60-in-2018/</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">Settler Attacks Increased by 60% in
2018</h1>
<div class="meta-data">
<div class="reader-estimated-time"><span>December 26, 2018</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="content">
<div class="moz-reader-content line-height4 reader-show-element">
<div id="readability-page-1" class="page">
<div id="post-95941">
<p><em>by Madeeha Araj, PNN</em></p>
<p>In its latest weekly report about Israeli settlements
activities in the occupied West Bank, including
Jerusalem, the National Bureau for the Defense of Land
stated as follows…</p>
<p>The course of hatred and attacks on the Palestinian
people continue and take a more dangerous curve
following the formation of more organized and
coordinated extremist groups, in the West Bank, that
launched calls under the title, “There’s operations, no
Arabs.”</p>
<p>Moreover, they called for gathering at road 60, which
extends from Hebron to Nablus, in order to prevent
Palestinians from using it. In their calls, the settlers
wrote to <a href="http://imemc.org/?s=netanyahu"
target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netanyahu</a> that, if
he fails to protect them, they will act themselves.
Bit-Eil settlement council head Bin Yashai told Israeli
army leaders that he and other settlers would prevent
the re-opening of the road.</p>
<p>According to Israeli information and reports, settler
attacks on Palestinians classified as hate crimes have
increased by 60%, from the previous year of 2017. Data
indicate that, in 2017, there were 79 cases of
aggression, but 2018 recorded 127 cases, which means
approximately one assault every three days, to include
the puncturing of car tires, the uprooting of trees,
racist slogans painted on walls, physical assault,
killing and assaulting animals. The highest number of
attacks was recorded in the villages of Nablus, Ramallah
and Hebron governorates.</p>
<p>The Israeli army guarantees the protection of settlers,
on the streets of the occupied West Bank, with concrete
cubes and other obstacles. The army has also reinforced
its numbers in several battalions throughout the West
Bank, to ensure the maximum protection of the
psychological and material rights of settlers. “It is
unreasonable to have an operation, and, the next day,
waiting to have the same,” said deputy president of the
Knesset Israel Yishlar, who called for the duplication
of checkpoints by adding 12 new ones.</p>
<p>Thus, the Israeli government has developed a way to
punish Palestinians through building more illegal
settlements, though violating international law and its
resolutions, the latest being resolution 2334 of 2016,
which condemns the Israeli settlement policy.</p>
<p>Within this context, the Gush Etzion settlement council
confirmed the completion of a plan to build of 14,864
new settlement units in the settlements of Gush Etzion,
located between Bethlehem and Hebron. The head of the
settlement council said that the new construction would
triple the number of settlers in Gush Etzion, adding
that the construction of settlement units has been
planned for a year and a half, with the construction of
1,100 settlement units in the settlement of Tzurim, 600
in the Magdal Oz settlement, 1,107 units in the
settlement of Ga’ot and 1,200 units between Beit Ayin
and Magdal Oz, to have a geographical connection. NIS
18.9 million was paid for the planning only.</p>
<p>In a related matter, in the city of Hebron in
particular, an internal report for the International
Monitoring Force found that the city was collapsing
under the burden of occupation and settlers, and that
Israel is breaking international law, as Palestinians
are regularly attacked, their freedom of movement and
their right to access places of worship violated.</p>
<p>“Hebron is more divided today than ever before because
of the actions of the Israeli government and the
settlers.” said the report, which also also stated that
Israel is constantly violating Article 49 of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, which prohibits the deportation of
persons under occupation, and “normal life” is not
available anywhere in the city, especially in the Old
Town area – located in Area H2. The report indicated
violations of road construction on Palestinian-owned
land, particularly at the Qiryat Arba settlement in
central Hebron, and the destruction of Palestinian homes
that were built since the Ottoman period.</p>
<p>The European Union expressed its deep concern over the
demolition of a school in the area of Al-Simeya, north
of Hebron, in Area C, on December 5th. The European
Union, in a statement issued by its representative,
said, “This is the 5th time that the Israeli authorities
demolish or confiscate school buildings or kindergartens
in the West Bank, in 2018.”</p>
<p>The total number of schools, in Area C and East
Jerusalem, which have been ordered demolished or left
unfinished in them, were 50, which led to the creation
of a compelling environment affecting more than 5,000
school children.</p>
<p><em>(edited for the IMEMC by c h r is @ i m e m c . o r
g)</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Opinion/Analysis 12/19/18 <a
href="http://imemc.org/article/palestinians-have-a-legal-right-to-armed-struggle/"
target="_blank" rel="bookmark noopener">Palestinians
Have A Legal Right To Armed Struggle</a></strong></em></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
Freedom Archives
522 Valencia Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415 863.9977
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://freedomarchives.org/">https://freedomarchives.org/</a>
</div>
</body>
</html>