Volatile Hebron Could Derail Talks
Riddled with Israeli checkpoints and neglected by the Palestinian Authority, Hebron is a powder keg that could explode at any moment.
HEBRON, West Bank — Israeli authorities are still trying to solve the mystery of a soldier who was shot dead on Sept. 23. This requires them to carry out arrests and raids, raising the already high tension in the city of Hebron.
Issa Amer, coordinator of the Youth Against Settlements group, summarized the situation in Hebron: “The city is living in a state of heated tension that could blow up at any minute.”
Amer works tirelessly throughout the city, moving from one place to another. His cell phone does not stop ringing. On Sept. 30, Amer was in the region of al-Sahle where the Israeli soldier was shot dead checking on a house owned by Palestinian Issa Abu Miala, seized by settlers shortly before the Feast of Tabernacles.
Hebron is the second-largest city in the West Bank and the only Palestinian city in which settlers have occupied certain districts.
