Israel said Tuesday that customs officers seized a shipment of dolls bound for Palestinian stores that were masked in keffiyeh scarves and holding fake stones in their hands.

The customs authority said in a statement that the cargo of 4,000 dolls shipped from the United Arab Emirates to the Israeli port of Haifa was meant to "incite against Israel".

"These were dolls in the colours of the Palestinian flag and bearing the slogans 'Jerusalem is for us' and 'Jerusalem we are coming'," the statement said.

It said they were in a container marked "clothing, carpets and plastic products." It did not say when they were intercepted.

"Customs will continue its day-to-day work in preventing smuggling to Israel with special emphasis on the smuggling of arms and blocking entry of material for incitement, particularly at the present time," the statement said.

Since October 1, almost daily attacks and clashes between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers have killed 112 on the Palestinian side, 17 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean.

Many of the Palestinians killed have been attackers, while others have been shot dead by Israeli security forces during clashes.

Young Palestinians have grown frustrated with Israel's occupation and the complete lack of progress in peace efforts in addition to their own fractured leadership.
Source: AFP