The Central District Court ordered the administrative detention of two of the suspects in last week's riot in Huwara shortened,
Yesterday, the court shortened the detention of the older suspect from four months to three, and today (Monday), the court shortened the detention of the 17-year-old suspect to under two months.
The Honenu legal organization called the court's decision to shorten the suspect's detention a historic precedent. Honenu attorney Adi Keidar, who represents the suspects, said that the organization would appeal to the Supreme Court to secure their release.
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant ordered the two suspects held under administrative detention minutes after the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court had ordered them and six other suspects released due to lack of evidence,
The eight were arrested on suspicion of taking part in the riot in the Arab village of Huwara in Samaria hours after the terrorist attack in which two Jewish brothers were murdered in the village.
The defense minister's decision to order the suspects to be held for four months, just minutes after a court had ordered them released, prompted National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to attempt to contact Gallant to receive a clarification on the issue. Gallant refused to respond to Ben-Gvir on the grounds that the content of their previous conversations had been leaked to the press.
Ben-Gvir said: "Gallant does not answer calls. He chooses to ignore the senior partners in the coalition. It's the same with the evacuation of the outpost [which was erected] in memory of Rabbi Druckman, the same with regard to the evacuation of the vineyard [in the Shiloh Valley], the same with regard to the fact that I contacted him about the fact that every night there are thousands of gunshots in Hebron, the same with the evacuation of the settlement of Evyatar and the same regarding the administrative detainees."
Adv. Adi Keidar told Israel National News following the order to hold the suspects: ""We received administrative orders for two young friends, one a minor, who allegedly where involved in the Huwara incidents, and there isn't a bit of evidence that can bring them to a criminal trial, the Defense Minister, based on info which we claim is false and biased, decided to administratively detain them for four months. Punishment and detention without trial and without any ability to defend themselves. That's what's happening with this unfortunate situation."