Wave of stone throwing; Police raised alert

Stone throwing and demonstrations in the Galilee, riots in Jerusalem too: Two people were injured this evening (Saturday night) from stones thrown at an Egged bus on Route 65, in front of the Iron police station. Police force began searching for those involved and the bus continued driving to Afula.

So too, a 3 year old was slightly wounded in the head by stones thrown at a car he was in, on Route 60 near the intersection of Shiloh. Magen David Adom paramedics evacuated him to Hadassah Ein Kerem.

In Samaria too stones were thrown at a bus on Route 5 near Barkan in Samaria. The bus hit the safety rail, and three passengers were injured. Magen David Adom medics provided medical care to the wounded and evacuated them to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

The demonstrations in the Galilee spread to Haifa too and in Haifa's German Colony, about 200 Arabs are protesting. A number of Likud activists gathered against the Arab demonstration.

Riots in Jerusalem continue, and Arabs stoned the light rail several times at Beit Hanina in Jerusalem. Damage was done to the train. No one was injured. In Shu'afat two residents were arrested.

Dozens of Arabs threw rocks and shot fireworks at police force in A-Tur. The rioters were dispersed with riot control measures. One protester was arrested.

Chief of Police, Lt. Yohanan Danino, held an assessment of the situation which featured top brass, in which it was decided to raise the alert by the police and move to special activity on level III. Danino referred to the shooting incident in Kfar Qana, saying: "I saw the baseless and irresponsible attackes towards the Border Israeli police today, and I say here in no uncertain terms - the police command which I head gives full backing to the fighters, police officers and volunteers of the Israel Police."

Thousands of Arabs demonstrated in Kfar Qana, in protest against the death of a villager, Hir Hamdan, 22. The young man was shot to death after threatening police with a knife. He died at Ha'emek Hospital in Afula.

The funeral was held this evening with the participation of thousands. The funeral was attended by senior officials of the Arab sector in Israel.

Representatives of the Higher Arab Monitoring Committee in Israel called upon the participants to take part in the Arab sector strike tomorrow.

Northern District Police stress that the police is holding an investigation into the incident and that the Northern District Police Department will cooperate fully with the investigation into the incident.

It was reported that the District Commander Zohar Dvir, ordered to reinforce the police forces in Kfar Qana in the coming days "while communicating with the leadership in the Arab sector in order to prevent disturbances and rioting by young people and aim at returning life to normal and regaining a sense of security to civilians in the village and in the North."

The residents claim that the shooting took place when Hamdan withdrew, and turned his back on the police.

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!