tions" of Palestinian human rights in Hebron because of the
"presence of the settlers within the city." The organization cites
regular incidents of "almost daily physical violence and property damage
by settlers in the city", curfews and restrictions of movement that are
"among the harshest in the Occupied Territories", and violence by
Israeli border policemen and the IDF against Palestinians who live in the
city's H2 sector. According to Human Rights Watch, Palestinian areas of Hebron
are frequently subject to indiscriminate firing by the IDF, leading to many casualties.
One former IDF soldier, with experience in policing Hebron, has testified to Breaking
the Silence, that on the briefing wall of his unit a sign describing their
mission aim was hung that read:"To disrupt the routine of the inhabitants
of the neighbourhood." Hebron mayor Mustafa Abdel Nabi invited the Christian
Peacemaker Teams to assist the local Palestinian community in opposition to
what they describe as Israeli military occupation, collective punishment,
settler harassment, home demolitions and land confiscation.
The 1994 Shamgar Commission of Inquiry concluded that
Israeli authorities had consistently failed to investigate or prosecute crimes
committed by settlers against Palestinians. Hebron IDF commander Noam Tivon
said that his foremost concern is to "ensure the security of the Jewish
settlers" and that Israeli "soldiers have acted with the utmost
restraint and have not initiated any shooting attacks or violence."
Survivors and descendants of that prior community are mixed.
Some support the project of Jewish redevelopment, others commend living in
peace with Hebronite Arabs, while a third group recommend a full pullout.
Descendants supporting the latter views have met with Palestinian leaders in
Hebron. In 1997 one group of descendants dissociated themselves from the
settlers by calling them an obstacle to peace
