In Hebron shootout, two Israeli soldiers, two Palestinians killed

Friday December 28, 2007 18:27 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Four Palestinian fighters fired shots at three Israeli soldiers Friday near Hebron, in the southern part of the West Bank, killing two, and Israeli soldiers chased down the fighters, killing two and injuring the other two.

Scene of Hebron shooting (Ynet photo)

The soldiers were apparently off-duty at the time they were fired upon, as the three also lived as settlers in the Hebron area, in addition to being part of the occupying army.

Israeli authorities have regularly moved hundreds of thousands of members of the civilian population into the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories to live on stolen Palestinian land, in direct violation of international law.

Hebron is known as the area in the West Bank where the most violent Israeli settlers live, and Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the area take place on a nearly daily basis.  In addition, international human rights observers deployed in the Hebron area are also regularly attacked by Israeli settlers.

Friday’s drive-by shooting took place near Telem settlement, built on stolen land from the village of Beit Kahil.  The Al-Quds Brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, took responsibility for the attack.

In response to the shootout, Israeli forces have moved into the area, sealing off all entrances and exits to Hebron, forcing all Palestinians in the area to remain indoors under house arrest, and deploying helicopters throughout the area.

hebron | palestinian attacks | news report saed at imemc dot org