IOF kidnaps 11 Palestinians, Israeli gov’t plans expansion of settlements

Israeli occupation forces violently quelled angry demonstrations by Palestinian citizens in Buwaira east of Al-Khalil and in Sa”ir town north of the city, media sources reported.

The sources said that citizens threw stones at the IOF troops who escorted bulldozers while demolishing water wells used by those citizens to irrigate their lands, which are threatened with IOF confiscation.

They said that the soldiers kidnapped five citizens including a lady for attempting to block the bulldozers from finishing their jobs.

In another similar incident the soldiers kidnapped four citizens including two minor brothers for confronting the IOF attempt to seize a house in Sa”ir town.

Witnesses said that the soldiers” excessive use of teargas led to the suffocation of many civilians while fire was started in one of the shops.

Two other Palestinians were kidnapped from Sorif town and Al-Khalil city.

At dawn Tuesday, the IOF command claimed that two Hamas operatives were detained in Al-Khalil and that a Kalashnikov rifle and bullets were found in their homes.

In Ashdod, the Hebrew radio reported that Israeli police detained four Palestinian workers and their driver after claiming that they were working without permit.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew paper “Ha”aretz” said that Israeli interior minister and leader of the Shas party Eli Yishai was planning to intensify settlement drive in the West Bank.

It said on Monday that the minister gave his orders to officials in his ministry to table proposals on means of increasing construction in those settlements.

Israeli court acquits settler after shooting Palestinians:

The Israeli TV channel 10 reported that the Israeli high court decided to drop all charges against an Israeli settler who fired at two Palestinians as the IOF soldiers were evacuating him from a house in Al-Khalil.

The settler claimed that he was acting in self defense when he shot at the father and his son, who were wounded in the incident.

The judge said in justifying his ruling that opening investigations into those matters “harms Israel”s security”!