BETHLEHEM, Holy Land, Oct 22, 01 (CWNews.com) - Israeli soldiers moved into Bethlehem and surrounding towns in force over the weekend in apparent retaliation for Palestinian sniper attacks. Many Christians said they were caught in the midst of the fighting in one of the holiest Christian shrines.
Israel said Palestinian militants launched mortar attacks against the suburb of Gilo from the courtyard of St. Nicholas Church in the mainly Christian town of Beit Jala, next to Bethlehem. The Israeli army did not return fire, a spokesman said. A Christian walking out of the Church of the Nativity was shot and killed over the weekend, which Palestinian witnesses blamed on Israeli soldiers. An adjacent Catholic church, St. Catherine's, was hit by two bullets during Mass on Sunday, shattering windows, but causing no injuries.
"There is a cynical and deliberate use of Christian holy places by Palestinian militias in order to shoot against Israel," said Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. "This is done deliberately in order to provoke an Israeli reaction, which would somehow put the Christian world at odds against Israel."
The five-day Israeli occupation was meant to pressure Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat to arrest and turn over the militants responsible for the assassination of an Israeli Cabinet minister last week. The Palestinians have said they would try to bring the assassins to justice, but not extradite them to Israel.
In all, 23 Palestinians and one Israeli have been killed in the fighting since last Thursday, according to official sources.
Catholic World News Service - Daily News Briefs
22. oktober 2001