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The Palestinian village of Al Twani, from where the group of children were coming when attacked by Israeli settlers. (photos: Christian Peacemakers Team)27 July 2008
Today (27 July) at
approximately 1.45 pm, two Israeli settlers attacked a group of 20 Palestinian
children, who were accompanied by members of the Christian Peacemaker Team
(CPT), in the Hebron area near the village of Yatta. The small children, ages 6-12,
were terrified by the shouting and chasing of the two Israeli settlers while
CPT member Joel Gulledae was physically attacked and suffered head injuries. Luckily,
CPT member Janet Envie was able to shepherd the children to safety.
Gulledae and Envie,
from the United States and Scotland respectively, were accompanying 20 Palestinian
children from the village
of Tuwani to Tuba. These
children, from the villages of Tuba and Maghaer Al Apeet, go to Tuba everyday to
attend a summer camp. Although the Israeli army is obligated to protect these
children when they pass near the Havat Maon outpost, illegal even under Israeli
law and from where numerous violent attacks against Palestinians and
internationals have occurred in the past, for several days already the army has
not been accompanying the children as required.
This afternoon the
Israeli settlers, dressed all in black, began shouting and chasing after the
group of children. The CPT accompaniers started to run with the children, but
the settlers reached the group and began beating Gulledae, who was protecting
the children from the rear. The settlers
threw rocks at Gulledae, who fell to the ground, and proceeded to punch and
kick him before taking his own video camera and smashing it on his head.
Members of Operation Dove, an Italian peace group working with CPT, called the
Israeli police.
Gulledae was taken to
the Yatta Hospital and treated for head injuries
before being released a short while ago.
This coming Saturday, 2
August, the Christian Peacemakers Team will be conducting a walk from Twane to
Tuba, “precisely to highlight the problem of settler violence,” said Janet Envie.
“Palestinians, Israelis and internationals in the region are most encouraged to
attend.”
Additionally, a
festival will be held on Saturday 9 August to celebrate the end of the
children’s summer camp. Again, Palestinians, Israelis and internationals are most
invited. Following the festival, the CPT will be conducting a press conference
in cooperation with Operation Dove and the local villages. At the press
conference the groups will release a joint report compiled about settler
attacks on local Palestinian children in the past school year, in addition to
the international escorts required for the safety of the children.
“Children should not
require a military escort to attend summer camp” said Janet Envie with a sigh.
“Today is yet another psychological trauma for them. The Israeli government is
ultimately to blame, and children are paying the price.”
For additional
information, including about the actions on 2 and 9 August, please contact the
Christian Peacemakers Team on: 054 253 1323.
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