A mob of Palestinians ambushed a group of Israeli children hiking during a field trip in Samaria, leading one of the group’s armed escorts to shoot and kill one of the assailants.
The 25 boys, with two fathers armed and acting as security guards, were on a hike to celebrate a bar mitzvah. According to Israel National News, the planned hike, which left from the Jewish community of Migdalim, had been approved by the IDF beforehand.
At one point outside of an Arab village, dozens of Palestinians ambushed the group, throwing rocks and boulders and forcing the hikers to seek refuge along a steep cliff face. One of the parents escorting the group opened fire, shooting into the crowd in an attempt to stop the attack. A 48-year-old Palestinian farmer among the mob was killed, but the assault continued.
“Our lives were in danger, as [the Palestinians] threw rocks and boulders at us,” the parent said, Times of Israel reported.
The group was able to find a cave in the area, where they hid until the IDF arrived. The Palestinian media claimed that the Arab men were holding the kids hostage, tweeting a video of the Jewish group hiding in the cave with the Arabic caption, “Citizens in the town of Qusra south of Nablus are holding a number of settlers inside a cave after a citizen was shot dead by settlers shortly before.”
مواطنون في بلدة قصرة جنوب نابلس يحتجزون عددا من المستوطنين داخل أحد الكهوف بعد اسشهاد مواطن برصاص المستوطنين قبل قليل . pic.twitter.com/HXMWrqHi6Z
— Pal.Info.Center (@PalinfoAr) November 30, 2017
IDF forces and police arrived soon after the clash began to break up the mob and extract the Jewish group. It was found that one of the escort’s guns had been stolen by the Palestinians, as well as wallets and cell phones.
Three boys in the Jewish group were lightly injured by rocks and had to be treated, and one of the escorts suffered a light head injury.
#صورة مستوطن أصيب بجراح بعد رشقه بالحجارة خلال اقتحام القطعان لقرية قصرة جنوب نابلس . pic.twitter.com/xZsxodCOKE
— Pal.Info.Center (@PalinfoAr) November 30, 2017
According to a statement by the Samaria Regional Council, there were approximately 100 Palestinians in the group that attacked the children.
Council head Yossi Dagan praised the parents’ quick response, saying, “I give my support to the escorts, who were resourceful and protected the students’ lives with determined action against the rioters.”