Several people were arrested in Al Jiftlik on Friday 30th April after at least 60 soldiers in several military vehicles entered the area.

Balaclavaed soldiers dug up a garden of a Palestinian home. When asked why they were doing this international observers were told it was for 'national security'. Later on a camera being used by an international activist was confiscated by the Israeli police.

The events in Al Jiftlik are part of a serious increase in repression against the residents of the Jordan Valley by the occupation forces in the last few weeks - earlier this week bedouin in Al Maleh were forced to move their home by the IOF after settlers from the illegal settlement of Maskiot set up a tent close to the community (see  http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=...) while, on Thursday, an IOF jeep killed two children when it collided with a tractor  http://www.jordanvalleysolidarity.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=.... Over the past week there has been a large concentration of Israeli troops in the valley.

Maan report of the arrests -  http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=280724