In an assault that they claimed was ‘in revenge’ for the killing of eight Israelis on Thursday by unknown gunmen, a group of around fifteen Israeli settlers in the West Bank surrounded a Palestinian child and beat him nearly to death. They also attacked three farmers, injuring them badly.The attacks took place on Saturday near the settlement outpost Ramat Migron, near Ramallah. Eyewitnesses report that a gang of masked teens and adults carrying iron bars came running through Palestinian farmland looking for Palestinians to attack.
They first beat three farmers in their fields before they came across the 10-year old boy, who they beat severely in the head and body. He was identified as Bassam Hadlin, 10, from a Bedouin family, near Ramallah.
The boy was taken to the hospital in critical condition, suffering from serious head wounds and brain trauma, according to medical sources.
Israeli media sources report that thirteen settlers, mainly teenagers, were arrested by Israeli police in relation to the incident. According to the report, the youth refused to cooperate with the Israeli police.
In a separate incident, a gang of Israeli settlers came out of the walled Aish Kodesh settlement into a Palestinian olive grove owned by farmers from Qasra village. Eyewitnesses report seeing the settlers uproot eighty olive trees before returning to their settlement. No arrests have been made in relation to that incident.
