Teen charged with attacking police in Yitzhar

A 17-year-old resident of Jerusalem was indicted Sunday at the Lod District Court for attacking police last week near the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar.

According to Hebrew media, the suspect was the only one remaining in custody of the eight originally arrested on suspicion of destroying an IDF encampment outside Yitzhar, located near the city of Nablus.

The suspect, whose name has not been published, is accused of endangering human lives, disturbing an on-duty police officer, and unlawful possession of a knife.

On Friday, four suspects were released and instructed to stay away from Yitzhar. Three others were let go on Thursday.

The same day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called settlers who attacked and destroyed an army post in Yitzhar “a bunch of barbarians,” and said he was personally involved in the decision to close down a yeshiva at the West Bank settlement and declare it a military zone.

On Thursday night, a Border Police company took over the Od Yosef Chai yeshiva building in the settlement, as security forces continued to take steps against violent acts originating from the community.

According to the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit, the structure was selected “based on security needs to prevent violence and vandalism targeting security personnel and the adjacent villages originating from the yeshiva.”

Classes in the yeshiva building were suspended indefinitely.

A source from the yeshiva called the move “a desecration of a holy place,” according to Israel National News.

“The yeshiva has been kicked out of Joseph’s Tomb in the past, but its voice is growing stronger despite the government’s ongoing harassment,” the source said.

The move, approved by Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon, came after three days of increasingly violent confrontations between residents of the settlement and security forces that culminated early Tuesday morning in residents destroying an IDF command post near the settlement after security forces pulled down a number of illegal buildings.

Army reservists stationed in the settlement failed to turn back a rioting mob of dozens of settlers, who demolished their post and equipment in a violent predawn incident.

The settlers were protesting the overnight demolition of five illegal buildings in the West Bank community. The attack began just after the five structures were demolished by soldiers and policemen, according to police spokeswoman Luba Samri.

Some 50 Jewish rioters then attacked the military headquarters in the settlement in an attempt to tear the structure down. They also hurled stones, burned tires and slashed tires on vehicles, police said.

During the melee the settlers threatened the soldiers, all reservists, telling them to stand aside to avoid getting hurt. They then began to destroy army property in the settlement.

Eight people, including six Border Police guards, were injured. All of the military equipment at the site was destroyed, including tents, heating equipment, a toilet, and a water tank.

Police responded with “riot dispersal means,” injuring two settlers, Samri said.