Settlers attack Palestinians, internationals in Hebron hills

Settlers from an outpost in the south Hebron hills have attacked a group of Palestinians and international volunteers two days in a row, a peace group said. On Friday, a group of settlers from Havat Maon outpost attacked a Palestinian man and four volunteers with slingshots as they were crossing a valley in the south Hebron hills, Operation Dove said. Later in the day, two masked settlers attacked the same group of international volunteers accompanying a Palestinian man. "One settler launched some stones towards the volunteers, the other one ran after them with a stick," a statement from Operation Dove said on Saturday. No injuries were reported. On Saturday, video footage uploaded by the At-Tuwani project showed two settlers from Havat Maon attacking a Palestinian shepherd and four international volunteers. The settlers can be seen throwing rocks at the man and verbally abusing him in the presence of Israeli soldiers, who intervened at the end of the confrontation, Operation Dove said. An Israeli army spokesman said he was looking into the incident. Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Teams have maintained an international presence in At-Tuwani and the South Hebron Hills since 2004. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are illegal. Havat Maon is also considered illegal under Israeli law, as are several outposts in the West Bank. Settlers in the West Bank routinely attack local Palestinians, destroying their property and agricultural land. In 2011, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that settler attacks had increased by 50 percent on the previous year.