A horde of extremist Jewish settlers assaulted on Saturday Palestinian farmers in al-Khalil under military protection.

According to local sources settlers escorted by soldiers verbally and physically attacked olive pickers in Tel Rumeida area in central al-Khalil.

Settlers from the illegal settlement of Beit Hadassah had assaulted Palestinian farmers and wreaked havoc on their olive groves in central al-Khalil several times before.

In a separate incident a Palestinian young man was injured by live ammunition and others suffered from their exposure to tear gas during clashes last night with the Israeli occupation forces at the entrance of Arroub refugee camp in northern al-Khalil.

In east Jerusalem Israeli police forces kidnaped a young man from Silwan district after severely beating him in al-Ein street.

Violent clashes also broke out last night between Jerusalemite youths and police forces in Silwan.

AL-KHALIL (PIC)– Israeli settlers on Saturday attacked Palestinian farmers in Beit Ummar village south of the West Bank city of al-Khalil.

Muhammad Awad spokesman for the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Beit Ummar said that around 15 Israeli settlers from the settlement of Beit Ayin attacked the farmer Muhammad al-Salibi and his sons while they were working in their land located near the settlement

He added that the Israelis hurled rocks at the farmers and that Israeli occupation forces came to the scene and forced Muhammad and his sons to leave the area.

Awad pointed out that the settlers have kept on attacking Palestinian citizens and their properties under the protection of the occupation army which poses a great danger to the lives of farmers.