Israel warns PA to put a lid on growing violence

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s diplomatic envoy, Yitzhak Molcho, on Sunday contacted senior Palestinian Authority officials with an Israeli demand to curtail the growing violence and protests by Palestinian activists across the West Bank. According to officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu has authorized the release and transfer of $100 million in PA taxes to bolster the PA.

The moves come as some 4,500 Palestinians in five Israeli prisons are holding a one-day hunger strike following the death of Palestinian prisoner, Arafat Jaradat, in Megiddo prison on Saturday.

The incident, in which Jaradat, a 39-year-old Palestinian detainee from the village of Sair, died from an apparent heart attack, raised concerns about a further escalation in violence, Israeli officials said.

According to the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), Jaradat fell ill while resting after lunch. Medics were unable to save his life. A Shin Bet spokesman told The Associated Press that Jaradat had not been beaten during interrogation.

Jaradat was arrested last week for suspected involvement in throwing stones and injuring an Israeli near Kiryat Arba. He admitted to the offenses and told investigators about similar acts he had taken part in during Operation Pillar of Defense in November.

Jaradat was known to suffer from back pain and in the past, he had been wounded in the leg by a rubber bullet and in the stomach by a gas canister.

The Shin Bet said Jaradat was checked by a doctor several times during his detention, most recently on Thursday. „During his interrogation … on Thursday, Jaradat was examined numerous times by a doctor. No health problems were found in these examinations and the interrogation continued,” the Shin Bet said.

Israeli security officials talked with their Palestinian Authority counterparts on Saturday night and said they could participate in Jaradat’s autopsy.

Israel Radio reported that members of Jaradat’s family said they saw signs of blood on his body and didn’t believe that he had died of a heart attack. Jaradat’s uncle told Israel Radio that the Shin Bet was responsible for Jaradat’s death.

Palestinian Authority officials on Saturday demanded an international investigation into Jaradat’s death, with Jaradat’s family saying he was in good health before his arrest, the Maan News Agency reported Sunday. „Our information was that Jaradat was being interrogated and then he died. Therefore we call for an international investigation into his death, that may have resulted from torture,” Palestinian Authority Minister of Detainees Issa Qaraqe told Maan.

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad called for the „true reasons” for Jaradat’s death to be disclosed as soon as possible.

The Israel Defense Forces was prepared for the possibility of continued unrest in Judea and Samaria on Sunday, in light of Jaradat’s death as well the ongoing hunger strikes being conducted by some Palestinian prisoners.

Heavy clashes broke out on Saturday afternoon between settlers from the Esh Kodesh outpost near Shilo and Palestinians from the village of Qusra. This area has been a source of friction for some time. On Saturday, Palestinians came to the hills near the outpost’s vineyards and began to confront settlers. According to settlers, Palestinians tried to knock down the fence that surrounds the outpost. Around 25 settlers from the outpost approached the Palestinians and both sides began to throw stones at each other. IDF soldiers arrived at the scene to try to separate the two sides but were unsuccessful.

In the Qusra skirmish, Helmi Abdul-Aziz, 24, was shot in the stomach by Israelis, Palestinian demonstrators said. They said settlers also shot Mustafa Hilal, 14, in the foot. An Israeli military official confirmed to The Associated Press that two Palestinians had been shot, apparently by settlers, since the Israeli military forces there were not using live ammunition.

The IDF used crowd-dispersal means against the Palestinians, including tear gas and rubber bullets. The clashes lasted until it was dark.

Around 10 Palestinians were reportedly injured, one seriously. The Palestinians said that two people were injured by live fire.

„The settlers fired at us with live fire and the army ignored this,” a Qusra resident told Israel Hayom.

The IDF is investigating whether settlers opened fire with live bullets. An Esh Kodesh spokesperson said that no residents of the outpost used live fire. However a photograph taken at the event, and distributed afterward to the media by the left-wing Rabbis for Human Rights group, shows an Israeli aiming a handgun at Palestinians.

Some 10 settlers were injured by stones during the clashes.

On Friday, dozens of Palestinians were reportedly injured in unrest in Judea and Samaria. The main flash point was in Hebron, where hundreds of Palestinians clashed with soldiers after a memorial rally for the 29 Palestinians killed in the 1994 Cave of the Patriarchs massacre by Jewish terrorist Baruch Goldstein. The Palestinian demonstrators demanded that the IDF reopen Shuhada Street in Hebron.

There were also smaller demonstrations on Friday in Nabi Saleh, Kedum and Ein Fuar.

In the Jalama area, around 300 Palestinians demonstrated and threw stones. Some 17 Palestinian rioters were arrested, including two carrying knives and one carrying a slingshot.

In Beitunia and Hebron, soldiers fired live bullets at the legs of demonstration instigators.

There was also unrest in Jerusalem on Friday. Following the conclusion of Friday prayers on the Temple Mount, young Arabs began cursing and throwing stones at police forces. Police entered the Temple Mount area and dispersed the rioters with stun grenades. In response, rioters shot fireworks at the police. One rioter was arrested.

Later in the afternoon, dozens of young Arabs began throwing stones at border policemen at the entrance to the Issawiya neighborhood of Jerusalem. Five rioters were arrested in this incident.

Senior Palestinian officials in Ramallah told Israel Hayom on Saturday that despite the recent uptick in violent demonstrations, the chances of a third intifada breaking out are low.

Palestinians are placing high hopes on U.S. President Barack Obama’s upcoming visit to the region and the influence it will have on the resumption of the diplomatic process.

However, a Palestinian official called the situation volatile.

„If the worst-case scenario materializes, this will be the worst intifada,” the official said.

Former GOC Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Mizrahi said on Saturday that there has been a dramatic recent increase in attempts by Palestinian groups to kidnap IDF soldiers.

„Since November, we have thwarted 18 attempts by Hamas and Fatah personnel to abduct Israelis,” Mizrahi told Channel 2 on Saturday.

Despite this, Mizrahi said he believes the chances of a third intifada erupting are low.

„There is neither the interest nor the fuel on the other side that would set this in motion,” he said.