Israeli military forces, along with undercover units, arrested 8 participants in a weekly non-violent protest, including four international activists, in Beit Ummar village near Hebron on Saturday.The protest was organized by the National Committee Against the Wall and Settlements in cooperation with the Palestinian Solidarity Project.
Mohammad Awad, a media spokesman for the Palestinian Solidarity Project, stated that Israeli special units infiltrated among the demonstrators and abducted three Palestinians. The abductees were identified as Jihad Abu Maria, 20, Hussein Sliebe,18, and an unknown male youth.
Awad added that the Israeli army kidnapped Zaid Awad, 28, and four peace activists from different countries. Troops also fired CS gas and other unknown military-grade tear gases at the non-violent demonstrators. The military also assaulted a group of journalists and confiscated their cameras, according to eyewitnesses.
During the protest the army detained Awad and took him inside the gate of the settlement of Karmi Tsur. He was subsequently attacked and beaten by Israeli settlers who said he was trespassing on Israeli settlement land – despite the fact that it was Israeli soldiers who placed him there. According to Awad, the soldiers watched the beating, but did nothing.
