Vatik (right) near the scene of the riot, with Samaria governor Yossi Dagan (left)
Vatik (right) near the scene of the riot, with Samaria governor Yossi Dagan (left)Roi Hadi

Following Thursday night's events in the village of Jit in Samaria, Kedumim mayor Uziel Vaitk spoke today with Nasser Sida, head of the neighboring village of Jit.

The two agreed that the residents of the area should continue to live in peace and without violence on both sides. Vatik asked Sidah to ensure that no terror events emanate from the village, including stone-throwing, in light of the recent increase in terror incidents on nearby Route 446.

Vatik stated that the army and law enforcement agencies must act with an iron hand against stone-throwers and terrorist organizations in the area, and maintain security on the roads.

Vatik denied responsibility for the events of last night in Jit, and Siddah in turn thanked the Kedumim settlement for the good neighborliness over the years and for the stability in the area. The two agreed to continue to maintain regular contact for the sake of maintaining stability and security in the area.

On Thursday night, a group of Israelis entered Jit, attacked residents with stones and clubs, and burned houses, vehicles, and trees. Israeli forces attempted to disperse the crowd by firing in the air and using crowd-control munitions. By the time the riot was stopped, it had grown to approximately 100 Israelis.

Palestinian accounts of the incident claim that several of the Israelis used live fire against Palestinian civilians. One Palestinian man was fatally shot, and a woman was hospitalized due to tear gas inhalation.

Israeli political activists posted extensively on social media following the incident to insist that the riot was in response to a stone-throwing attack near Jit. A security source says that the IDF received no such report.

Similarly, the source denied claims by the activists that the Palestinian who was shot was a known supporter of terrorist groups online.

The riot was condemned by numerous political figures from the coalition and opposition, as well as the heads of local authorities.

One Israeli was arrested in the riot. The ISA is reportedly involved in the investigation of the incident.