HEBRON, March 7, 2010 (WAFA)- Israeli soldiers detained Saturday three Palestinian children, two aged thirteen and one fourteen, who were gathering herbs in the village of At-Tuwani, in the South Hebron Hills.

The children were with members of Operation Dove on privately owned Palestinian land on Khelly Hill, near Ma'on's settlement, when soldiers arrived in a jeep. Three soldiers ran toward the children, took the shears they were using away and pushed them in the direction of the jeep.

The soldiers made the children kneel on the ground for about ten minutes and after a few minutes Ma'on's security chief arrived. The soldiers forced two of the children inside the jeep and the third one tried to run away. A soldier ran after him and unlocked his M16 and pointed it at the boy, who stopped immediately. The soldier put him inside the jeep with the other boys and drove the jeep away with the three of them inside.

Fifteen minutes later, members of Operation Dove saw the three children running toward them, down a hill on the other side of the settler only bypass road: the children reported that the soldiers drove them a short distance and then released them.

Settlers from Ma'on settlement are often supported by Israeli soldiers in their efforts to make Khelly Hill and Valley inaccessible to Palestinian land owners.

Since the 1st of February, members of Operation Dove and Christian Peacemaker Team working in At-Tuwani area have witnessed Palestinian men, women and children forced from their land, detained and arrested on multiple occasions.

The two organizations maintain a year-round presence in the village in order to provide accompaniement to Palestinian children and families, who live under threat of violence from Israeli settlers and the Israeli military.