Israeli authorities impose fines on three Palestinians near Bethlehem

BETHLEHEM: Israeli occupation authorities Monday imposed financial fines on three Palestinians from the village of Kisan, east of Bethlehem merely for walking in an area Israel defines as an 'Israeli nature reserve,' The secretary of the Fatah movement in Rashayda, Fawaz Rashayda, told WAFA that the so-called 'Israeli Nature Protection' detained him and others with him while they were in the area adjacent to the Dead Sea, and imposed a fine on each person amounting to NIS1050 under the pretext that they were walking in an Israeli nature reserve, and were not following the 'tourist route.' Al-Rashayda confirmed that the lands they were walking on belong to Palestinian citizens, and are not protected as Israel claims, adding that the occupation's attacks got to the point where they are now seizing any camel in the area, noting that 22 camels were seized and transported to Al-Jiftlik area at the expense of their owners, and a fine of NIS4000 was imposed for each camel, adding that the occupation forces shot an d killed one of the camels. He pointed out that the occupation threatened them that no one would be present in the area again, and the same would be the case for camels, otherwise they would be subjected to sanctions. Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA