6 settler youths arrested during demolition of illegal outpost structure
Attorney representing the minors says he hopes the security forces weren’t ‘retaliating’ for settler siccing dog at police during evacuation of same outpost earlier this week
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
Israel Police arrested six settler youths during the demolition of an illegally built structure in a northern West Bank outpost on Thursday, police said.
Police said in a statement that the detainees had assaulted the officers and refused to evacuate the area south of the Har Bracha settlement in the northern West Bank where a “closed military zone order” had recently been placed.
The settler youth had been rebuilding a structure that security forces had seized on Sunday in the illegal outpost.
During that demolition, one of the settlers present sicced his dog on a Border Police officer who had to be evacuated to a nearby hospital for treatment.
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The dog’s owner fled the scene and was caught and arrested after a short foot chase, police said.
Two other officers were lightly injured during the violent protests against the demolition. They were treated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.
פינוי מבנה אחד כעת בגבעת "מגיני ארץ" באזור הר ברכה. נוכחים מדווחים על כמה עשרות שוטרים במקום ועל כעשרים מתבצרים במבנה. הפינוי ה2 בגבעה השבוע pic.twitter.com/LMamCC5wrN
— Carmel Dangor כרמל דנגור (@carmeldangor) September 28, 2017
In addition, one of the settlers sustained moderate injuries when the roof of the structure being evacuated collapsed on top of him. He was among two arrested at Sunday’s demolition, but was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. Both suspects have since been released.
“I hope this wasn’t a retaliation by security forces,” said Nati Rom, the attorney representing the minors told The Times of Israel on Thursday, referring to the dog-bite incident earlier this week.
Rom referred to the event as a “planned evacuation” by security forces who arrived with a bus to transport the teens who were all residents of the illegal outpost. The attorney also said that a number were “brutally assaulted” by secrurity forces.
Police did not say if any officers were injured during the evacuation.
מג״ב:כוחות הביטחון רואים בחומרה פגיעה מכל סוג שהיא בכוחות הממלאים תפקידם ומגנים על תושבי האזור.כוחות הביטחון ימשיכו לפעול לאכיפת החוק והסדר. pic.twitter.com/SJot7Ys85D
— Or Heller אור הלר (@OrHeller) September 24, 2017
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