Israeli police say that an American teenager who was detained and allegedly beaten during violent protests over the death of his Palestinian cousin has been brought before a court in an attempt to extent his period in custody.
The parents of 15-year-old Tariq Abu Khdeir, who goes to school in Florida, say their son was beaten by Israeli police during clashes over the killing of 16-year-old Mohammed Abu Khdeir, whom Palestinians say was killed by Israeli extremists in a revenge attack.
Police say Tariq Abu Khdeir resisted arrest, attacked officers and was carrying a slingshot for lobbing stones when he was arrested.
The U.S. State Department said it was 'profoundly troubled' by reports of his beating and demanded an investigation.
State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said an official from the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem visited Khdeir earlier this weekend.
'We...strongly condemn any excessive use of force,' Psaki said. 'We are calling for a speedy, transparent and credible investigation and full accountability for any excessive use of force.'
Meanwhile, Israel's military carried out airstrikes on 10 sites in the Gaza Strip early Sunday as tensions remained high following weekend clashes between Israeli police and demonstrators in Jerusalem and Arab towns in northern Israel.
The Israeli airstrikes targeted what it said were militant sites including rocket launchers and a weapons manufacturing site, following at least 29 other rockets and mortars fired from the Gaza Strip at Israel over the weekend, the army said.
Two of those rockets were aimed at Beersheba, a southern city deeper into Israel than any other attack in the current round of violence. The military says its 'Iron Dome' defense system intercepted the two rockets.
Also Sunday, the army arrested a Palestinian in the West Bank city of Hebron. His family identified him as Hossam Dufesh. The army would not elaborate on the arrest, but Israeli forces have concentrated its search for the killers of three Israeli teens on the Hebron area.
Tensions, which have been high since the three Israeli teens were abducted on June 12, spiked last week after Mohammed Abu Khdeir was seized from his home in east Jerusalem and his burned body was found in a forest. Police say they are still investigating the killing, but Palestinians say Israeli extremists killed the teenager to avenge the deaths of the three Israelis.
Protests spread Saturday from Jerusalem to Arab towns in northern Israel, with hundreds of people throwing rocks and fire bombs at officers who responded with tear gas and stun grenades, according to Israeli police. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said police had arrested 22 Arab Israelis in Saturday clashes with Israeli police.
Israeli Arabs, unlike Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, hold citizenship rights. But they often face discrimination and many identify with the Palestinians. Even so, violent riots like those that occurred on Saturday are rare.
Clashes mostly subsided by early Sunday, but tensions were still high. Samri said a Jewish woman was attacked and lightly wounded early Sunday by a group of Palestinians in Jerusalem's Old City. The woman's husband fired his weapon and the attackers fled, and police are searching for the attackers, Samri said.
http://ift.tt/1m1lLds contributed to this report. Entities 0 Name: Israeli Count: 7 1 Name: Israel Count: 5 2 Name: Jerusalem Count: 5 3 Name: Gaza Strip Count: 3 4 Name: Mohammed Abu Khdeir Count: 2 5 Name: West Bank Count: 2 6 Name: Hebron Count: 2 7 Name: Samri Count: 2 8 Name: Tariq Abu Khdeir Count: 2 9 Name: Palestinian Count: 1 10 Name: Psaki Count: 1 11 Name: Khdeir Count: 1 12 Name: Old City Count: 1 13 Name: Associated Press Count: 1 14 Name: State Department Count: 1 15 Name: Arab Count: 1 16 Name: U.S. Count: 1 17 Name: U.S. State Department Count: 1 18 Name: Luba Samri Count: 1 19 Name: Florida Count: 1 20 Name: Beersheba Count: 1 21 Name: Jen Psaki Count: 1 22 Name: Hossam Dufesh Count: 1 Related 0 Url: http://ift.tt/1on4ICn Title: State Dept. confirms US teen held by Israeli authorities; reports he was severely beaten Description: The State Department confirmed Saturday that American citizen Tariq Khdeir is being held by Israeli authorities in Jerusalem and called for an investigation into reports he was severely beaten while in police custody, amid escalating violence in the Middle East country. Agency spokeswoman Jen Psaki said an official from the U.S.
