Earlier in the day, thousands of celebrants at the twice-yearly holiday festivities in Hevron were attacked by terrorist gunfire from the Abu Sneineh hills. As the band abruptly stopped playing and the throngs scurried to find cover and, two women were hit by the shots: A 40-year-old Ramat Gan woman, a mother of five, is listed in serious/stable condition after sustaining what hospital officials called “complicated injuries to her chest and abdomen.\" A 19-year-old Jerusalem female was shot in the leg and is listed in light condition.
The shooting occurred in the midst of the first day of the Hevron Succot Music Festival. Thousands of people from all over Israel arrived in the city to visit the Machpelah Cave, visit the Jewish neighborhoods, and take part in the outdoor Hassidic music festivities in the plaza outside Ma\'arat HaMachpela. Although the program ended abruptly by order of the security forces, the festivities will resume today as planned.
A Hevron spokesman later said, \"Only a couple of weeks ago, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres bragged of his great success in negotiating the Hevron Accords, which allowed transfer of the hills overlooking the Jewish neighborhoods to Arafat. Today\'s terror attack is another indication of Peres\' \'success.\' … The Sharon Government must now give a green light to the IDF to take ALL measures necessary to stop the shooting in Hevron. First and foremost, the hills must be taken back under Israeli control. Arafat\'s terrorist leaders must be eliminated. Just as these actions have been implemented in other parts of Israel, so too they must be implemented in Hevron. Hevron\'s residents and visitors are not, and never will be, second class citizens…\"
The shooting occurred in the midst of the first day of the Hevron Succot Music Festival. Thousands of people from all over Israel arrived in the city to visit the Machpelah Cave, visit the Jewish neighborhoods, and take part in the outdoor Hassidic music festivities in the plaza outside Ma\'arat HaMachpela. Although the program ended abruptly by order of the security forces, the festivities will resume today as planned.
A Hevron spokesman later said, \"Only a couple of weeks ago, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres bragged of his great success in negotiating the Hevron Accords, which allowed transfer of the hills overlooking the Jewish neighborhoods to Arafat. Today\'s terror attack is another indication of Peres\' \'success.\' … The Sharon Government must now give a green light to the IDF to take ALL measures necessary to stop the shooting in Hevron. First and foremost, the hills must be taken back under Israeli control. Arafat\'s terrorist leaders must be eliminated. Just as these actions have been implemented in other parts of Israel, so too they must be implemented in Hevron. Hevron\'s residents and visitors are not, and never will be, second class citizens…\"