English

* On 29 September 2004 two international volunteers of the CPT weree attacked by veiled settlers near Maon farm, while escourting pupils from Tuba to the school in Twane. They wre beaten with metal chains, stones and wooden sticks, and needed hospitalisation. Chris Brown was hospitalised for six days because his lung was punctured, Kim Lamberty suffres from fractures in the knee and the elbow. One of the girls they wre escorting was hurt in the neck and treated on the spot. Police arrived to late. So far, as we know, no one was arrested. The police now states (after channel B radio interview with MK Avshalom Vilan) that the case is of an armed robbery since Kim's bag was stolen, with her money, passport and a cellular phone in it. Images.

* The following day the pupils were escorted by international volunteers and a police car without any problems.
Around noon they were stopped by a lieutenant Ofir of Lavi battalion, that threatened the activists that if theyuse the path again the results will be harsher than the day before. As a result the pupils were drove home by an inquierer of the human rights organisation B'tselem.

* On Saturday, 2 October, a group of Israeli and international activists went to escort the children. Again lieutenant Ofir waited on the trail to prevent the usage of the trail, too be used by Jews only, his words. Fortunately theree was a general strike in the Palestinian authority and thee children returned straight home and did not take the long bypass.

* On Sunday, 3 October, the activists and the children were blocked agin. Lieutenant Ofir presented a closed military zone warrant, for 72 hours, signed by the Hebron brigade commander, colonel Motti Baruch. After argument, that included calls to the major general of the centre, Ofir enabled the pupils go through the short path,
escorted by the police, but the activists had to take the bypass to their car in Twane.

* After the warrant became invalid, another group went to escourt thr pupils on Wednesday, 6 October. On the road to Twane, back from Tuba (after bringing back safely the children home) they encountered the security vehicle of Maon settlement. In the vehicle there was a middle aged man, probably the person in charge of security in the settlement, and an army officer. They tried to prevent the activists from using the trail and were rude. Meanwhile a group of veiled people started to throw stones from a nearby grove. The security people did nothing to stop them. It seemed like an ambush set be the settlers for the volunteers. Another vehicle from the settlement folloed them back to Twane after the attack.
Later an army jeep arrived, and then the police. The officer in the jeep, lieutenant Yuval of Lavi battalion, promised one of the activists that he'll arrive the next day, in the morning, with his soldiers to protect the children and those who accompany them, this was set with the Hebron police as well.
On Thursday, when the activists tried to accompany the pupils to school, the army stopped them again and said that it again declared the area a closed military zone, this time for a week, until 13 October. Lieutenant Yuval, the same one from thje day before, showed the activists the warrant. He said he'll let the children through, accompanied by the army, but not on the said trail (which he claimed is in the settlement, although it is outside the fences of the settlement), but via a bypass through the settlement Maon. This road is by far more dangerous, because it passes close to the illegal settlement  from which most of the attacks againt the original residents are initiated. The children's parents forbid them from going there, and they had to use the long bypass, again. The soldiers told the activists that there's no problem that the children will go through the trail, and that the violence started only after the activists' arrival and escort, and is directed towards them. (For the sake of historic accuracy, it should be noted that the escourts started after the pupils suffered from the settlers' violence when they walked alone to school. Where from these soldiers get their information? From the criminal attackers themselves?)
* On Friday, 8 October, a military jeep arrived in Twane, and told the village leader that the next day the children will be permitted to go in the road near Maon farm, the dangerous road, but no danger is forthcoming because the children and their escourt will be protected by the army. On Saturday morning two jeeps arrived and accompanied the children. The volunteers could not continue and went through the bypass.
In the afternoon the activists accompanied the pupils back home safely. Soldiers in an army jeep spotted them arriving in Tuba and knew they were returning to Twane. However, they did not wait. When the volunteers went near the Maon settlement, they saw a group of veiled settlers exiting a vehicle (it is unclear whether it was the secvurity vehicle of the settlement) and advancing towards them. After about 10 minutes a group of five settlers approached the volunteers, three others chased away and threw stoned at three Palestinians. The five settlers beaten the activists with sticks and rubber hoses. They severely attacked Adriano, and activist of the Italian organisation Operation Dove, who photographed what was happening, and took his video camera. After only half an hour an army jeep arrived with a police car. Adriano was evacuated to Soroka hospital with suspected fracture  in his arm and injured kidney. He was released that evening.

Over and over again, the settlers' violence is not dealt with at all by the army and police,
but turn the blind eye and do not take it seriously. The only reaction is the harassment of the activists by the imposition of a closed military zone. The objection of the army to the passage of the activists is caused by the pressure excerted by the settlers, (as was told by the soldiers, that it is the volunteers who disturb the settlers, although the volunteers did nothing to disturb them). The army, under the pressure of the settlers, demands that the pupils will go near the settlement, although it puts their life in danger. No authority takes responsibility for the children and offers a stable solution to the problem.