12 June '08: Soldiers help settlers attack Palestinian putting out a fire near 'Asira al-Qibliya

On Saturday afternoon, 3 May 2008, fields belonging to residents of 'Asira al-Qibliya were torched, apparently by settlers. The fields lie south of the town, near the Yitzhar settlement. Testimonies given to B'Tselem indicate that residents of the town who reached the site managed to put out most of the fire by themselves, but settlers prevented them from reaching part of the area, which continued to burn. Several youths began throwing stones at the settlers who were blocking their way, to which the settlers responded by shooting in the air. The residents, who feared that the fire would spread to a nearby wheat field, called the fire squad.

Hamam a-Latif, 16, came to the site to help put out the fire. He told B'Tselem that soldiers who arrived on the scene of the confrontation beckoned several of the stone-throwing youths to come towards them, but the youths ran away and the soldiers chased them. The soldiers did not detain or arrest any of the settlers, despite their participation in the confrontation and the suspicion that they had torched the fields. Although he himself did not take part in the stone-throwing, soldiers ordered a-Latif to sit on the ground and stood guard over him. While he was being guarded, a settler came up and hit him on the forehead with a stone. A-Latif stood up and called for help, but the soldiers shouted at him to sit down and took no action against the settler. Later on, they treated his wound and put him in a Red Crescent ambulance, which took him to Refidiyah Hospital in Nablus for further treatment. While waiting for the ambulance, a-Latif gave his version of events to a policeman who arrived at the site.

Ribhi 'Asayeri, 44, told B'Tselem that firemen who came to the site asked the soldiers to move the settlers back, so they could put out the fire, but the soldiers did not comply. Seeing that the settlers were not moving, several of the town's residents, 'Asayeri among them, began walking towards them, but the soldiers ordered them to stop. One of the soldiers then came towards 'Asayeri and punched him in the stomach. Another soldier cuffed his hands behind his back with plastic cuffs, and a third soldier attacked him, beating him in the head and leg.

A few minutes later, several settlers came to the spot. One of them held a large rock and tried to use it to beat 'Asayeri's face. The soldiers made no effort to push the settlers back; instead, they tightened their hold on 'Asayeri and enabled the settler to strike him on the face. A soldier then pushed 'Asayeri to the ground, forcing him to lie with his face in the earth, his hands still cuffed. 'Asayeri told B'Tselem that in the following half hour, tens of the settlers made their way to the town and, as they passed by him, kicked or beat him. After that, several settlers tore his shirt, used it to blindfold him, and then repeatedly raised him from the ground and threw him back down on it forcefully. Once he heard the settlers' footsteps receding, 'Asayeri managed to partially remove his blindfold and saw soldiers and an armed settler standing close by. A few minutes later, the soldiers ordered 'Asayeri to walk with them towards the settlement, and released him a short while later. When he asked a soldier to first remove the plastic cuffs, the soldier refused. Another town resident took 'Asayeri to the Refidiyah Hospital in Nablus , where he received medical treatment.

B'Tselem wrote to the police and the army demanding that they investigate the suspicion of arson and the attacks on residents of the town by soldiers and settlers.