The Border Police has suspended a soldier who was documented taking a Palestinian girl’s bicycle from her and throwing it into nearby bushes.
Anwar Burqan, an eight year old Palestinian girl, lives in a-Salaimeh neighborhood in Hebron, near the Cave of the Patriarchs.
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On Monday of last week, she was playing with her siblings on a road not far from her home that is meant for the exclusive use of Jews and that Palestinians are barred from entering.
The Border Policeman is seen in the video running towards the girl, an act that scared her, leading her to get off her bike. He is heard asking her “What are you doing here?” causing the girl to burst out in tears.
The Border Policeman is seen stepping over the bicycle, preventing the girl from taking it. When another Border Policeman arrives, the girl is seen running away in tears, leaving her bicycle behind.
One of the Border Policemen is then seen picking up the bike and throwing it into nearby bushes.
“He ran towards me, tried to take my bike away and then told us to leave, ” Anwar said.
The girl’s mother said Anwar ran back home, and later one of the family members returned to the road to retrieve the bicycle.
Raed Abu Ramileh, who lives nearby, documented the incident for B’Tselem. “The policemen took her bicycle away and threw them aside, but they didn’t hit or hurt the girl, ” he said. “On this road there is complete separation between Palestinians and Jews for a few months now, after a roadblock was set up.”
The Border Police said in response that it “views the incident gravely and regrets it. At the end of an initial investigation, the Border Police commander instructed to immediately suspend the soldier from operational duty, ” adding that the Police Investigation Unit that will take over the investigation of the incident.
