Tuesday 15 March 2011

12 Palestinians arrested Tuesday morning as search goes on for Itamar killer

Abbas: Settlement Killings Inhuman, Immoral!

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Not only Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas decided to “condemn” another heroic operation carried out by the Resistance fighters, but he even decided to stand at the side of the enemy and slam the operation as inhuman and immoral.

Abbas claimed on Monday the killing of a settler couple and three of their children was "inhuman" and told the Israeli enemy he was determined to help catch those responsible.

"This was inhuman and immoral. We deplore this incident, without a doubt. It is an abomination," Abbas told Israel Radio. "I can't imagine a four-month-old child murdered," he said, speaking in Arabic. "Children, of all things ... Any person who has a sense of humanity would be pained and driven to tears by such sights."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had complained that Abbas's administration insufficiently condemned the attack and even encouraged such bloodshed through "incitement" in official Palestinian forums.

Netanyahu said on Sunday that "alarming incitement in Palestinian schools, mosques and media" had prepared the ground for the Itamar attack. But Abbas rejected the allegation, saying his Palestinian Authority was "the only place in the Arab and Muslim world" where the government set weekly guidelines for mosque sermons. "If a sermon is incitement, it is stopped. If it is not incitement, they can go ahead," he said.

Abbas said he had telephoned Netanyahu to offer “condolences” as well as help from in solving the Itamar attack. "Had we had advance intelligence, we would have prevented this," he said. "We want to know who did this. We hope to get results and identify the perpetrator and bring him to justice."

12 Palestinians arrested Tuesday morning as search goes on for Itamar killer

[ 15/03/2011 - 04:46 PM ]

WEST BANK, (PIC)-- The Israeli army arrested at least 12 Palestinians in the West Bank on Tuesday morning as authorities become more desperate to find clues leading to the killer of a five-member family of Jewish settlers in Itamar four days back.

The IOF has enforced a curfew and taken other desperate measures in the Awarta village overlooking Itamar near Nablus city in the northern West Bank.

Soldiers have arrested three Palestinian men at a roadblock set up at the Halhoul Bridge leading into Al-Khalil city from the north, sources told the PIC.

Another man was arrested in Al-Khalil city after police raided his home. Where he was taken has not been identified.

Eight other men were arrested the same morning during intense search raids in Bethlehem, Israeli Army Radio reported.

They were taken to Etzion for questioning.

New evidence suggests the culprit in the Itamar killings was an Asian worker angered over not receiving wages after working for the head of the deceased family.

The military has been patroling the Awarta village north of Nablus to enforce a strict curfew, and are telling locals to stay in their homes.

They have been searching house-to-house and even shops hoping to find clues.

Locals have reported that military has ordered all Palestinians in the village to head to the local school to give fingerprints to see if there is a match.

Concerns rise as the curfew has caused a food shortage and has burdened the village's patients.

Security has been tightened at checkpoints around Nablus, and military is checking for identification and searching vehicles.

Locals have reported that soldiers have set up random checkpoints near the Shafi Shimron settlement.

Angered Jewish settlers have been stoning cars particularly on the roads linking Qalqalya and Ramallah with Nablus.
One Palestinian man narrowly escaped after settlers opened fire at his vehicle while he was passing near the Etzion settlement.

Settlers have increased attacks and were reported to have been breaking car and house windows in the Buwaira district in southern Al-Khalil in response to incitement campaigns targeting Palestinians in the Israeli media.

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