International Solidarity Movement Nonviolence. Justice. Freedom.
Sunday, January 27, 2008.
This morning at around 10:30am, settlers from Beit Hadassah Settlement in Hebron city rained stones, bottles, urine and dirty water on their Palestinian neighbours. The attack continued sporadically for the next hour and a half.
Shopkeepers on Old Shalalah St in the Bab Iz-Zawiyye neighbourhood reported that a number of youths began throwing things, and when the shopkeepers approached soldiers to report this, they were told that the settlers were allowed to be in the settlement and could do as they liked. A family whose home overlooks the settlers schoolyard showed Human Rights Workers (HRWs) their bathroom, which was filled with stones and rocks. The family report that over the last four days stones have been thrown constantly from the schoolyard by boys as young as 5 or 6. Settlers frequently use children to do their dirty work because of Israeli laws preventing prosecution of minors. HRWs were able to photograph and video the stone throwing.
At 4pm HRWs passing the area were taken to the same house where settler boys were again throwing stones into the bathroom from the schoolyard.
Beit Hadassah settlement overlooks Hebron’s old market and old city, and such attacks have been a feature of life for Palestinians in the area for many years. Metal grills and canvas have been hung over the street to protect people below. In addition to stones and urine, settlers have been known to throw dirty nappies, metal objects and oil.
