Christian Activists and Shepherds Attacked by Israeli Soldiers

Israeli soldiers attack and injure Palestinian shepherds and Christians.

At-Tuwani is a 500-year-old Palestinian village of 150 people in the south Hebron Hills. The nearby Israeli settlers from Ma'on settlement and the Hill 833 outpost frequently harrass Palestinians in the area. CPT has shared a presence in the village since September 2004 with an Italian peace organization, Operation Dove. Map: ISM

(AT TUSANI, WEST BANK) - On the morning of Thursday 7 January 2010, Israeli soldiers attacked and injured Palestinian shepherds from the Musa Raba’i family, as they grazed their sheep in Humra valley, near the village of At-Tuwani in the South Hebron Hills. The soldiers also attacked the Christian Peacemakers Team (CPTers) accompanying the shepherds and broke a video camera. Before leaving the area, the soldiers arrested one of the shepherds, Musab Musa Raba’i. At around 10:30 a.m., Palestinian shepherds were grazing their sheep on Palestinian land, for which they have legally-recognized deeds of ownership, when they saw Israeli settlers observing them from the outpost of Havat Ma’on. A short time later, an Israeli army jeep came into the area. After stopping to speak with one of the settlers, three Israeli soldiers approached the shepherds and ordered them to leave the area. The shepherds explained that it was their land, but agreed to move further down into the valley. The soldiers followed them and grabbed at one of the shepherds, so they all tried to leave the area quickly with their sheep. A second army jeep came into the area, and a further three soldiers joined in the attack.