Christian Peace Maker Team in Hebron have reported in increase in house raids with the arrival of a new brigade of Israeli soldiers in the West Bank city. The team have stated that night time raids have become a common occurrence in the city ‘as Palestinians try to live some semblance of a normal life and Israeli Defense Forces prepare for war’.
The Team have reported two instances of night time raids on local Palestinian families they say is indicative of the increase in Israeli raids with the change of brigades. In one instance Israeli soldiers entered the home of a Palestinian family demanding to know where the men of the house were and waking three of the family’s five children. In another example Israeli forces broke into a Palestinian home, waking the inhabitants, only to stand guard on their roofs for five minutes.
Hebron is home to some 700 illegal Israeli settlers. Palestinian movement has been severely restricted in the area to ‘protect settler security’. Previously a Palestinian thorough fair, Shadada Street in the Old City has now been entirely closed down by the Israeli military.
