Dramatic footage has been released of undercover Israeli policemen arresting two Palestinians in East Jerusalem.
Men in civilian clothes are detaining the pair in a street in Silwan, while policemen in riot gear provide them with cover. The policemen also used stun grenades and left the area in formation after driving away in unmarked cars.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said four teenagers aged 13 to 17 were arrested after they hurled rocks towards policemen. The youths were taken for questioning.
In recent weeks tensions in Silwan have been rising, with incidents of rock throwing become a daily occurrence.
The neighbourheed has seen approximately 500 Jewish settlers move in, sparking anger and violence among the 60,000 Palestinians residents living there. Since September 22, when an Israeli security guard working for a small Jewish settlement in the neighbourhood shot dead a Palestinian resident, violence has flared.
Many homes in the neighbourhood have been slated for demolition by the Jerusalem municipality on the basis of lack of permits, and to make way for a tourist park. Palestinians say permits are nearly impossible to obtain, and the park is a plan to evacuate Palestinians from the city.
Tension in the neighbourhood rose further on October 8, after a Palestinian boy was hit by settler leader David Be'eri's car. The driver said he was surrounded by stone-hurling Palestinians and tried to flee.
