Jewish residents of Hevron claimed Sunday that the IDF recently used trickery to enable Arabs to carry out construction work on the road that leads to the Cave of Patriarchs. The IDF asked the Jews to temporarily stop using the path in order to enable “sewage work.” However, instead of laying sewage pipes, the residents say, Arabs began work on a multi-million dollar housing compound and reopened several windows that were sealed for security purposes in 2002.
"All of the obstacles on the road were removed and the road has been opened for terrorists and murderers,” the Jewish residents said. “We will not let this happen!”
Windows being reopened / Israel news photo: Hevron residents
Bags of cement being used for new construction / Israel news photo: Hevron residents
Border Police arrested two Arab youths at a checkpoint outside the Cave of Patriarchs in Hevron Sunday morning. The youths were in possession of two knives, each with a blade over 10 cm (4 inches) in length.
The youths, aged 17 and 15, admitted in an initial interrogation that they had intended to carry out a stabbing attack inside the Cave, where Jews and Muslims pray. They were arrested after a screening device picked up the knives they were carrying.
Earlier Sunday Border Police at a checkpoint near Madma, south of Shechem, found a knife with a 12 cm blade on the body of an Arab. The knife was confiscated and the Arab was taken to interrogation.
Arabs threw rocks Sunday morning at two Israeli vehicles near the village of Kablan, south of Shechem. No one was hurt but both vehicles were damaged. IDF forces are combing the area.