On the morning of the 24th December, a settler youth attacked a Palestinian man outside the Beit Hadassah settlement in Hebron.
The man, who works as a caretaker at the Palestinian Qurtuba School, was running an errand in to the city centre. On returning he saw a settler boy around 12 years old chatting with the soldier on duty at the checkpoint. When he passed them the kid sprayed him with some liquid from a syringe. He protected himself with a piece of paper. Despite his efforts some of it hit his face, burning it.
When we asked the soldier why he didn’t interfere, he replied, “I didn’t notice it”.
Qurtuba School in the Tel Rumeida neighbourhood is constantly subjected to violent attacks of settlers. The settlers are known for using their minor kids who don’t risk any penalties, when they attack the school, the staff and pupils. This attack occurred during the Jewish Hanukkah when the settler kids don’t go to school and therefore have more time to harass the Palestinians.
The Israeli army has declared a closed military zone around Qurtuba school, which effectively prevents international human rights observers from entering it. The activists from ISM whom keep a presence around the school work under a constant threat of being arrested.