Violence flares in West Bank as Palestinians stone Israeli car, masked rioters attack olive harvest

An Israeli driver was lightly hurt when Palestinians threw rocks at a car near Hebron on Saturday, and five Palestinians were wounded when masked rioters attacked an olive harvest nearby.

Palestinians threw rocks at an Israeli vehicle near the West Bank village of Beit Umar, north of Hebron, on Saturday, according to Israeli media outlets.

The rocks smashed the vehicle’s windshield, and the driver was lightly injured by the broken glass. Israeli security forces set up roadblocks in the area and immediately began searching for the attackers, according to the reports.

Masked Jews arrive with clubs to disrupt Palestinian olive harvesting

Also on Saturday, masked Jewish Israelis armed with clubs were reportedly seen traveling in a pickup truck near the village of Beit Fajar, a short distance from Beit Umar. Their aim, according to Israeli media reports, was to attack Palestinians who had come to the area to harvest olives.

The rioters smashed a Palestinian car before Israeli security forces arrived on the scene, Army Radio reported, citing the IDF. Five Palestinians were wounded in the incident, KAN reported.

The area was then declared a closed military zone, and the Palestinians were able to continue harvesting, according to Israeli media citing an IDF statement.

Dozens more masked rioters arrived after that but fled before additional security forces reached the area, the IDF told Army Radio. While en route, security forces spotted two suspicious vehicles and fired shots into the air, after which the vehicles fled toward an illegal settlement outpost nearby, the IDF said. Further investigation revealed that one of the vehicles the rioters were using was stolen, it added.

Police arrest four in east Jerusalem suspected of throwing rocks at a bus, smashing window

Later in the day, police arrested four minors suspected of throwing stones at a bus in Jerusalem’s Har Homa neighborhood, smashing its rear window.