RAMALLAH: At least 14 demonstrators were arrested by Israeli military forces in the South Hebron Hills on Saturday, Ma'an News Agency reports. Among those detained were activists and farmers. The demonstration took place in the small village of Al-Qawawis, and aimed to protest against Israel's intentions to confiscate agricultural land. They were blocked and arrested by the military before they could reach the area, known as Um Al-Arayes. The Israeli military stated that the area was declared a closed military zone and entrance was therefore illegal, Palestinian media sources report. Similar protests, conducted by Palestinian, Israeli and international activists, took place in the South Hebron Hills on Friday, and five were arrested. According to a press release from the Popular Struggle Coordination Committee, a total of 19 people were arrested on Friday and Saturday, including an 18-months-old child and her mother. Another three detainees were minors, and another man is over 80-years-old. Of the 15 arrested on Saturday, 10 were Palestinian and five Israeli. The statement said, “The last few months have seen an escalation in the Israeli military's policy to expel Palestinians and control access to their private lands in the South Hebron Hills. This is contrary to the Israeli High Court and Military Legal Advisor's claim that they will facilitate easy access by Palestinian landowners to their land." In recent years, the South Hebron Hills has become a focal point for Palestinian and international activists as its Palestinian residents have been subjected to a sharp uptick in expulsions, housing demolitions, and land confiscations. Last fall, Nasser Khawaja, a resident of nearby Susiya village, told BikyaNews.com that neighboring settlers often poison their water wells and kill their animals, on which they depend for their income. They attack late at night and have the protection of the army, he added. BN
