On the same day that the United Nations Secretary General was in Bethlehem's Aida Refugee Camp, Israeli forces contravened UN resolutions by continuing the occupation. They also invaded southern Bethlehem's town of Beit Fajar. Soldiers broke into several homes and forced residents into the streets before tearing through their belongings.
Eyewitnesses report that seven patrols of Israeli military jeeps raided the town early this morning as residents slept. They brought in trained dogs as they dragged screaming children out into the streets.
The dogs were set loose inside the homes in what was described as “deliberate provocation.” During the attack seven young men were blindfolded and bound. Israeli soldiers beat them with their fists and rifle butts before putting them into the back of jeeps. Their current whereabouts are unknown, but it is expected that after several days they will be registered in the Israeli prison system.
An Israeli military spokesperson said that the seven young men, aged between 17 and 23 years old, were “wanted for security questioning.” He said that five of them are affiliated with Hamas and two with Islamic Jihad.
