Search by Israeli troops prompts attack by Palestinians

Tensions rise in Hebron

June 3, 1996
Web posted at: 11:00 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT)

HEBRON, West Bank (CNN) -- Tensions between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians escalated Monday in the West Bank town of Hebron, after soldiers searched a car driven by plainclothes Palestinian policemen and beat one of them, the mayor said.

Angry Palestinians who witnessed the incident pelted the soldiers with bottles and stones. Hebron is the last West Bank town still under Israeli occupation.

The vehicle that was searched did not have police insignia, but was painted the bright blue of Palestinian police cars.

Tension has been rising in Hebron since last week's election of Benjamin Netanyahu as prime minister.

"Unfortunately, the extremist trend that emerged with the Israeli elections is beginning to affect the behavior of the Israeli army," Hebron Mayor Mustafa Natshe said. "They have begun provoking residents and assaulting them, increasing the tension in the city."

Residents said the Israeli soldiers forced the policemen to stand against a wall while the car was searched. Later, the soldiers reportedly chased the young Palestinians who attacked them into private clinics, where troops kicked and punched doctors and patients, witnesses said.

Witnesses said the soldiers also beat nine Palestinians, and detained two Palestinians for two hours.

An Israeli army spokesman had no comment.

A change in attitude

Some 400 militant Jewish settlers live in Hebron amid about 100,000 Arabs. In 1994, a Jewish settler massacred 29 Muslim worshippers in a mosque.

The Israeli army is to leave Hebron under a self-rule deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The troops were to have withdrawn in March, but Israel delayed the move after a rash of militant suicide bombings in Israeli cities.

Martin Indyk, the U.S. ambassador to Israel, said Monday that he expected Netanyahu to honor the pledge by outgoing Prime Minister Shimon Peres to pull soldiers out of most of Hebron.

"The commitment to redeploy from Hebron is a commitment that was made by the (previous) government," Indyk told Israel radio. "Prime Minister-elect Netanyahu said he would live up to, he would abide by the commitments made by the previous government."

Since Netanyahu's election, Israeli soldiers' attitudes have noticeably changed, Hebron residents said. Soldiers have set up checkpoints near settlers' enclaves and roughed up those who try to pass through, the residents alleged.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Related stories:

• Pivotal Elections
• Hebron still thorny issue in Mideast peace process - April 30, 1996
• Israel set to complete withdrawal from West Bank - April 28, 1996

Related site:

• Israel Faces of Conflict

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