On 19 March 2007, Israeli settlers illegally occupied an empty four-story Palestinian building. This multi-unit Hebron building is close to the Kiryat Arba settlement of 7000 residents and is strategically located to link Kiryat Arba to the smaller enclaves inside Hebron’s Old City. Under Israeli law, settlers need permission from the Ministry of Defense before expanding their presence in the West Bank. Since they have not received permission, this occupation is illegal. Read more about Tell Israeli government that new Hebron settlement is violation of international law
In the past ten days, Israeli soldiers abducted several shepherds, including a seven-year-old boy, who were grazing their sheep near Israeli settlements in the Southern Hebron District. In none of the cases did they send them to the Israeli civilian police for the required legal processing. On Sunday, 14 April, Israeli soldiers detained seven-year-old Maher Ahmed Moussa Ibnes and his cousin, sixteen year old Nadal Samir Moussa Ibnes in Imneizel. Read more about Israeli military targets young shepherds in South Hebron Hills
Christian Peacemaker Teams members Dianne Roe and John Lynes were released about 11:30 last night after five hours of questioning at the Kiryat Arba police station. Israeli authorities confiscated the CPT video camera and tapes, promising they would return them unchanged Sunday or Monday. It is not certain where the investigation stands. The investigator indicated to Roe that the head officer may want to question her further before returning the tapes and camera. Read more about Christian Peacemaker Teams members monitoring home invasion detained for five hours
CPT Hebron contacted EI about the four members of the Christian Peacemaker Teams who were abducted in Iraq last Saturday. The four men are two CPTers and two delegates, one American, one British, and two Canadian. One, a CPT staff member, was to have come to work with CPT Hebron after his time in Iraq. Another worked in Palestine last year, and was active in demonstrating against Israel’s West Bank Barrier in Jayyous. The four men were en route to a meeting with members of the Islamic Scholars Association when they were abducted just 100 yards from the mosque where their meeting was scheduled. The full text of CPT’s official press release follows. Read more about URGENT: Update on Four Missing CPT Members in Iraq
In the early morning hours of March 11, the Israeli Ministry of Interior denied Christian Peacemaker Team member Greg Rollins (Surrey, BC) entry to Israel at Ben Gurion airport and returned him as far as Amsterdam. “I’m surprised, we have a very strong court order, it seems the Israeli security people at the airport made a mistake,” said Sani Khoury, with the law firm of Kuttab and Khoury. A settlement in writing said that there are no restrictions on Greg’s entering Israel. Read more about Israel denies entry Canadian peace activist
Since 1999, a spokesperson for the Hebron Rehabilitation Committee told CPT, the number of Palestinian residents in the Old City has shrunk from about 2,500 to 1,000. He added that, as a result of last week’s Israeli military order to cease all restoration work, some 400 workers have been laid off with no likelihood of their getting back to work soon or for long.. The process of seeking legal relief has begun, but the history of such actions is that in the long run the Palestinians lose. Jerry Levin writes from Hebron. Read more about Israeli Army increases its chokehold on Hebron's Old City
Christian Peacemaker Teams visited the area where hundreds of Palestinian homes may be slated for demolition in an Israeli plan to expand illegal colonies in the Occupied West Bank. They urge immediate contact with public officials to stop the threatened demolitions. Read more about Stop mass home demolitions in Hebron
