Police arrest 5 Palestinian youths for rock-throwing attacks in Jerusalem

Minors pelt police vehicle in a-Tur and Egged bus near Old City’s Damascus Gate, no injuries reported.

By DANIEL K. EISENBUD
Updated: DECEMBER 11, 2015 05:53
Palestinian rock-throwers attack Israeli troops near Bethlehem (photo credit: REUTERS)
Palestinian rock-throwers attack Israeli troops near Bethlehem
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Five Palestinian minors under the age of 16 were arrested throwing rocks in separate attacks on police and an Egged bus in Jerusalem Thursday afternoon.
According to police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the first incident took place in the flashpoint Arab neighborhood of A-Tur, when a group of masked Arab youths bombarded a police patrol car with rocks.
“Officers were patrolling the area in the late afternoon, when a group of Palestinian youths threw stones at a police vehicle,” said Rosenfeld.
“None of the officers was injured and three arrests were made of boys between the ages of 14 and 15.”
Following the attack, he said an Egged bus traveling to the Old City’s Damascus Gate was pelted by rocks thrown by another group of Arab youths, forcing the bus to pull over. Although the bus sustained minor damage, Rosenfeld said none of the passengers was wounded.
“Border policemen in the area responded immediately and arrested two youths, 13 and 14, who live in east Jerusalem,” he said, adding that police will continue to operate at the highest level of alert until peace is restored to the city.
“Multiple units are patrolling different neighborhoods to ensure no further incidents take place,” he said, noting that all five suspects are being arraigned at Jerusalem Magistrate’s Court.
In response to ongoing rock attacks carried out by Palestinian youths throughout the capital, the Knesset last month overwhelmingly passed a temporary law mandating a minimum three-year prison sentence for rock-throwing.