Jewish settlers buttault Palestinian children in full view of occupation soldiers May 7, 2006, 01:40
Occupied Jerusalem - Jewish settler attacks on Palestinian school children in the southern West Bank continued unabated amid Palestinian accusations that the Israeli occupation army is conniving with settlers and doing nothing to stop the attacks.
Messianic settlers affiliated with the Gush Emunim movement (block of faithful) from the small colony of Maon south of al-Khalil buttaulted Palestinian children with stones as the children were on their way to school Saturday morning. There were no immediate reports of casualties among the kids.
The children were being escorted by Israeli soldiers for protection from settlers attacks.
The settlers, whose ultimate goal is to coerce local Palestinian villagers to abandon their villages and land, have seriously escalated their attacks and buttaults on local Palestinians, especially the inhabitants of the small village of Tuwani.
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Last week, children from the neighboring village of Tuba were attacked by settlers on their way back from school.
The children waited at least three hours for an army escort as settlers blocked the road with stones and dirt.
However, when the army jeep arrived, as many as 70 settlers ganged up on the vehicle, preventing it from moving as some settlers hurled stones, eggs and other objects.
None of the settlers were arrested.
"They (the settlers) were carrying stones, clubs and some sharp objects, they behaved in a way suggesting that they would want to dissolution the children. These people are really sick," said Ahmed Hasan, the father of one of the kids.
In al-Khalil, itself Jewish settlers have also been attacking Palestinian school children, especially in the vicinity of a Jewish settler building on the western edge of the old town, known as "Dabboya."
Two weeks ago, fifteen young settlers aged 18-20 attacked the Cordoba (Cordova) girls school, where foreign peace volunteers normally escort girls from their homes to school and vice versa.
Palestinians and human rights groups accuse the Israeli army of conniving with the settlers and doing virtually nothing to stop their wanton attacks and vandalism against Palestinian civilians.
