Residents of the Peace House in Hevron said Tuesday that the nylon sheets covering the building’s open windows had torn due to heavy winds, and that the families living in the building were suffering from cold due to the ongoing storm in the area. Residents accused Defense Minister Ehud Barak of racism for refusing to allow them to install windows and protect the building from extreme weather, despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing them to stay in the building for at least three more months.
Members of Hevron’s Jewish community expressed anger over Barak’s decision late last week to renew the supply of fuel to Gaza despite ongoing rocket and mortar shell attacks. Arab residents of Gaza are supplied with fuel due to humanitarian concerns, they said, while Jewish residents of Hevron are prohibited from protecting their children from the cold and snow.