CPTnet
December 16, 2002
HEBRON: Two Soldiers Killed, Six Palestinian Houses
Demolished in Response
by Mary Yoder
Two Israeli soldiers, a man and a woman, were killed
after a shooting attack on Thursday evening, December
12, around 8 p.m. The attack occurred at a checkpoint,
close to the Tomb of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs.
The soldiers, members of a Sahlav military police unit
operating in Hebron, were approaching the Tomb when
the attack occurred. One soldier was killed instantly,
while the other died of his wounds on the way to the
hospital.
The Israeli military states the gunman or gunmen fired
at soldiers from the surrounding neighborhood which is
under Israeli control, then fled to the center of
Hebron. Tensions had been growing in this neighborhood
in H2 due to Israel’s imposition of a curfew for 28
days.
In apparent response to the shootings, the Israeli
military demolished six houses during the night. Four
were in the surrounding neighborhood and two in the
northwest region of Hebron, leaving 37 Palestinians
homeless. (Two of the houses had been abandoned due
to settler harassment.) None of the families involved
had connections with the shooting.
Yesterday, CPTers Kristin Anderson and Mary Yoder
visited the site of the shootings as well as families
in the surrounding neighborhoods. Anderson and Yoder
expressed their sorrow and condolences to the soldiers
patrolling the area. Palestinian neighbors in the
region also expressed their condolences. A steady
stream of Israeli settlers drove past the CPTers,
taking pictures. “We’ll get you someday!” a settler
shouted to Anderson and Yoder as they were speaking
with the soldiers.
Clusters of houses remain within meters of the
demolished homes. Kathie Uhler, CPT’s director of
Campaign for Secure Dwellings, stated, “What does
demolishing six houses accomplish, other than another
instance of collective punishment?”
Israeli authorities have scheduled 22 more Palestinian
homes for demolition in the area surrounding the Tomb
of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs as part of a plan to
create a contiguous route between Kiryat Arba and the
Tomb.
The Christian Peacemaker Team in Hebron strongly
condemns the evening of violence, along with the
violence of home demolitions, and calls for both sides
to end the cycle of revenge.
Photos of the attack site and home demolitions are
available at https://www.clubphoto.com. Log in as
‘cpt@igc.org.’
