Palestinian sources in Hebron city, in the southern part of the West Bank, reported on Thursday at night that a group of Israeli settlers occupied an old Palestinian house close to the Abraham Abino illegal settlement outpost in the center of the Old City.The sources stated that a group of twenty armed settlers occupied the house and remained there while the army provided them with protection instead of evacuating them.
The settlers also demanded that the Civil Administration Office that belongs to the Israeli Army issue a license for them to remain in the occupied house.
Palestinian residents of Hebron reported that settlers have recently increased their attacks against them, their children and their property
The settlers are also apparently campaigning to occupy empty Palestinian homes close to illegal settlement outposts. The houses are empty because the Palestinian residents have been forced to flee due to repeated attacks against them.
Moreover, the settlers are also barring local Palestinian residents from using Al Sahla Road leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. They also attacked several Palestinian stores in the area, local sources reported.
The city of Hebron is populated by around 10,000 Palestinians and around 400 Israeli settlers. Around 2000 armed Israeli soldiers are deployed in the city, supposedly to protect the settlers, many of whom are also armed.
