HEBRON, June 26, 2011 (WAFA) – 11 armed Jewish settlers Saturday morning attacked Palestinian shepherds grazing sheep and goats in Meshakha, a valley south of Hebron Hills, according to a press release by Operation Dove association.

The settlers, armed with stones and knives, came running towards the shepherds from Havat Ma’on, an illegal outpost south of Hebron. They stoned the Palestinians, yelled blasphemies against Islam and said that internationals were now not present to protect the shepherds, said the press release.

It added that one settler attacked a Palestinian’s donkey with a knife, and when the shepherd attempted to stop the attack and protect is donkey, he was stoned in the back and torso, resulting in a huge welt and bruising on his back. The shepherd called on the world, Europe and US to witness how the Palestinians are treated by settlers, and to know who the real aggressors are, according to the press release.

Sheep and goats were also pummeled with rocks while the shepherds were forced to run to protect their flock and were chased for several hundred meters, the press release added.

Palestinian shepherds said that Israeli army soldiers saw the incident and refused to get involved. After the attack, the soldiers were seen greeting and shaking hands with the settlers as they walked back into Havat Ma’on, said the press release.

According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Hague Regulations, the International Court of Justice, and several United Nations resolutions, all Israeli settlements and outposts in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal. Most settlement outposts, including Havat Ma'on, are considered illegal also under Israeli law.

R.Q.