CPTnet
January 5, 1998
HEBRON: ISRAELI SETTLERS OCCUPY PALESTINIAN BUILDINGS
by Cliff Kindy

Early in the morning of January 4, Christian Peacemaker Team (CPT) members
were told by one of the chicken shop owners on their street that something
was happening behind the Avriham Avinu settlement in the lower Palestinian
market. CPTers Joanne Lingle and Cliff Kindy went quickly to the area and
found the tunnel alleys and rooftops filled with 50 Israeli soldiers and
police, who closed off the area to Palestinians and internationals

Journalists and shopkeepers who had been there for hours reported that
Israeli settlers had occupied a Palestinian area during the night and called
for a closed military zone around the Palestinian shops and homes near the
settlement.

Although the Hebron settler news release concerning the incident reported
that the settlers wanted the area closed for security reasons, the settlers
took the opportunity the takeover afforded them to throw stones and chemicals
down on to Palestinian pedestrians going to early morning Ramadan prayers.
One Palestinian municipal worker, Nidal Awehweh, was taken to the hospital
after being overcome by the chemicals.

The Israeli security forces removed 29 Israeli settlers, more than half of
them women, from the area by mid-morning. Palestinians behind the police
lines remained calm. Reports indicated that 12 settlers were arrested and
will be charged.

On Friday, settlers were throwing stones from the rooftops and a Palestinian
from the Sharabati family who was closing his window against their barrage of
stones was hit in the eye by one of the stones. Four Palestinians were
detained by Israeli police as a result of the incident. There have been no
reports of injured settlers in the past few days although the settler news
releases have reported that their buildings in Hebron have been bombed,
stoned and shot at.