Palestinian foreign ministry condemns collective punishment against Hebron

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the closure clamped by Israeli armed forces on Hebron area, after a Palestinian teen from Bani Naim town snuck into an illegal Israeli settlement and stabbed an Israeli teen to death.

The army cordoned off Hebron and the surrounding villages and towns, imposed major restrictions on movement to and from the Hebron area, and announced a mass revocation of work permits for residents of Bani Na’im, where Ariel’s murderer lived, according to WAFA News Agency on Sunday.

The ministry said in a press release that such policies are not new and have no grounds as Israel resorts to these policies and measures on daily basis in an attempt to dampen the current unrest.

Warning against such measures, the ministry said collective punishment will only inflame the situation and push for more escalation and confrontation.

“Collective punishment is a representation of the Israeli government’s political bankruptcy.”

It held the Israeli government full responsibility for the outcome of the army’s arbitrary policies and use of force in dealing with unarmed Palestinians.

The ministry further called upon the international community, world countries, and human rights organizations to move swiftly and pressure Israel to lift its closure and freeze settlements’ activities.

Source : MENA