B’Tselem says field director arrested south of Hebron

A senior activist in the human rights group B’Tselem was arrested overnight Tuesday near the West Bank village of Susya, south of Hebron.

Police confirmed the activist was linked to two other left-wing activists arrested this month on suspicion of informing on Palestinians who sold property to settlers.

An investigative report earlier this month by Channel 2 showed footage of left-wing activists boasting of helping Palestinian authorities carry out death sentences against Palestinians who attempted to sell land to Jews.

Selling land to Israelis is viewed as treason by the Palestinians, and carries a penalty of life imprisonment. In several cases alleged vendors have been killed by vigilantes.

B’Tselem said family members of the man, a Palestinian, claimed the police had used unnecessary violence during the arrest.

“We stand by [him] and his family and await the end of the investigation,” the group said in a statement.

On January 11, police arrested a Jewish Israeli described as a “far-left activist,” as he sought to depart from Ben Gurion International Airport, without naming him.

Media reports said he was suspected of handing over details of land vendors to the Palestinian security forces, as described in the Channel 2 report.

On Tuesday a second activist, also Jewish, connected to the first detainee was arrested.

Details of the investigation, including the identities of the arrested activists, remain under a court-imposed gag order.

AFP contributed to this report.