Rioting, Violence Rage In Chevron And Elsewhere On Palestinian ‘Prisoners Day’

Riots and violent clashes flared up on Thursday as Palestinian protesters attacked Israeli soldiers and border police officers in Chevron.

In Chevron, nearly 2,000 Palestinians turned out to mark “Prisoners Day” in solidarity of Palestinians being held in Israeli prisoners. But several dozen demonstrators began throwing rocks at Israeli soldiers and border police officers that man a checkpoint separating the Palestinian Authority-controlled area with the Jewish section.

The violence took place as Jews visited the Meoras Hamachpeilah on Chol Hamoed Pesach.

Palestinian protesters also took to the streets of Nablus and Ramallah to call for the release of Palestinian prisoners. In total, there are 5,300 Palestinian security prisoners in Israeli jails, with many held on terrorism charges.

The protests come as the Israeli-Palestinian peace talks have stalled. Israel delayed the release of the last round of 26 Palestinian terrorist prisoners late last month after the Palestinians demanded that the Jewish state free Israeli Arabs as part of the release, in violation of Israeli sovereignty. Israel then officially canceled the prisoner release after the Palestinians applied for 15 international conventions, in violation of the parameters of the peace talks.

JNS.ORG

{Matzav.com Israel}