MILAN, Oct 24 (Reuters) - Five Italian activists who were detained by Israeli forces in the West Bank this week were released and repatriated on Saturday morning, Italy's foreign ministry said. The women were detained on Thursday by Israeli police in Kiryat Arba along with other international activists, while seeking to protect Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest in the Israel-occupied territory. Sign up here. Officials from the Italian embassy in Tel Aviv visited them at the airport on Friday evening and said the activists appeared to be in good physical condition.
Left out here: Leaves out what changes the picture
The article places the detention in Kiryat Arba. The Italian foreign ministry said the women were detained in the Palestinian village of al-Bweib, south of Hebron, while accompanying farmers. Without this, a reader does not learn the women were taken from a Palestinian village where they were working alongside farmers.
Settlers have intimidated Palestinians harvesting their olives in the occupied West Bank for decades, but violence has increased sharply this year, according to Palestinians, activists and the UN. Israeli rights group Yesh Din said it had recorded more than 330 incidents of settler violence linked to this year's olive harvest, which started in late September, including attacks, theft and damage to trees. Israeli security services have said they take acts of violence and criminal activity very seriously.
Olives are the backbone of Palestinian agriculture, a sector that accounts for around 8% of GDP and more than 60,000 jobs, according to the Palestinian Authority's agriculture ministry. Reporting by Cristina Carlevaro; Editing by Andrew Heavens Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab Suggested Topics: Middle East X Facebook Linkedin Email Link Purchase Licensing Rights
Reuters reports the release of five Italian women detained by Israeli forces while accompanying Palestinian olive farmers, names settlers as the source of harvest violence and calls the West Bank occupied. It lets an Israeli security services statement on settler violence stand without the rebuttal Reuters itself carried on 9 October. It places the detention in the settlement of Kiryat Arba, though the Italian ministry said the women were taken in the Palestinian village of al-Bweib.
Gives a contested claim the last word
Minor
“security services have said they take acts of”
Why this matters
Reuters closes its passage on settler violence with the Israeli security services saying they take violence and criminal activity very seriously, and sets nothing against it.
The impression it gives
A reader comes away believing Israeli authorities act firmly against settler attacks on harvesters.
The context
Reuters reported on 9 October that Palestinians reject the military's claim to clamp down, pointing to troops who stand by as attacks play out. This article also says Israeli police detained the activists who were protecting the farmers, not the attackers.
The article places the detention in Kiryat Arba. The Italian foreign ministry said the women were detained in the Palestinian village of al-Bweib, south of Hebron, while accompanying farmers. Without this, a reader does not learn the women were taken from a Palestinian village where they were working alongside farmers.