Land of Israel activists say an IDF officer fired shots in their direction Friday after they tried to establish a new Jewish neighborhood outside the town of Hashmonaim.
About 15 activists made their way just outside the Samaria community of Hashmonaim and prepared to spend the Sabbath on a hilltop outside the Partition Fence. They were approached by a group of soldiers who claimed it was a closed military zone, began destroying the tent they had set up and told them they had ten minutes to leave.
The activists refused to leave and one of the officers lost his temper, firing rounds from his weapon and yelling, “I’ll shoot you... you don’t know me,” an eyewitness told Arutz-7’s Uzi Baruch. He added that one of the shots was quite low and “could easily have hit one of us.” The Border Police officer later told the press that the young men had tried to snatch his gun – a claim the activists vehemently deny.
Six of the activists were arrested and their detention was extended by a judge Saturday night. They were released Sunday morning.
Judea and Samaria police announced that officers had responded to a reported breach in the security fence, and had arrested several youths. The young men are being charged with interfering with police, illegal gathering and damage to property. No mention was made of the reported gunfire.
Following an Arutz-7 inquiry, the IDF Spokesman's Office says it is looking into whether the officer is being investigated or will have his weapon taken away.