Hebron – Ma‘an – A gang of Israeli settlers set two Palestinian homes ablaze in the old city of Hebron on Sunday evening and a settler car ran over a 22-year-old Palestinian citizen, Noman Fawwaz Nazir, on Al Shohada Street, in the city centre.
Dozens of Israeli settlers gathered in the old market place in the centre of Hebron after the Israeli police distributed orders to evacuate two shops occupied by Israelis over six years ago.
Palestinian security sources informed Ma‘an‘s correspondent that a group of Israeli settlers stormed a mosque in the old market place and set fire to the building. They then set ablaze the home of local citizen Andurrahman Sammouh and another Palestinian house.
The settlers prevented the fire service from reaching the burning buildings.
Medical sources stated that Noman Fawwaz was admitted to Al Ahli Hospital, where he is being treated for the wounds sustained after being hit by a settler vehicle.
On the eve of the meeting to be held between Palestinian President Abbas and Israeli PM Olmert, director of Peres Peace Centre, Ron Bandak, called for the two leaders to find solutions to the problem of settlers in Hebron and evacuate them from the area.
Bandak told Ma‘an‘s correspondent in Hebron "we believe in partnership with the Palestinians and they cannot be strong unless they have their own state."
Later on Sunday evening, dozens of Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian homes near the Israeli settlement of Kiryat Arba. They threw Molotov cocktails and stones at the buildings. Israeli soldiers seized five assailants, but there remains an atmosphere of high tension in the city.