At-Tuwani - violent settlers and soldiers
Sunday, and as usual, there is more pressure at the checkpoint.
Abu Safi complained that settlers, Kaplan's shepherds, took over the water holes on his property and do not let his herds drink, and even chase the herd and scare them with an ATV. Later in the day I turned to Bassel from At-Tuwani, asking him to send Abu Safi help, from volunteers or locals.
He said he would try to help.
We arrived at At-Tuwani where we met Bassel.
After the events on Saturday, events recorded in the posts and article of Bassel himself:
The soldier demanded to see what he had photographed. Bassel told him it was not lawful. They handcuffed and blindfolded him, shouting at him, “You dog. Shut your mouth.” One of them asked him why he did not go to Jenin. Bassel Adra, a reporter for Siha Mekomit (Local Discussion), described what happened when a Palestinian reporter dares to report on something which the army does not want reported.
His report: near Havat Ma'on, there is a wheat field which has been sown, and settlers arrived there with their herd. Locals called Bassel to come and photograph and in the meantime people gathered from Mufaqara and other settlers as well as the security guard came in their cars, and threatened the locals with weapons.
Palestinian children threw stones at them, and both sides called the army and the police.
The army only went after the children, not the settlers. They arrived at At-Tuwani and began to search the houses, beat the activists, pushed an elderly man from the tractor (also documented in the posts).
Bassel was noticed as he was taking pictures, the soldiers asked for the phone. He did not agree to give it and after arguments, they arrested him, handcuffed him, blindfolded him, took him to the base near Susiya and left him like that in the sun for several hours. He was later released.