southsider2k5 Posted March 1, 2004 Share Posted March 1, 2004 The Israeli Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt Sunday in the construction of a section of the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank after opponents argued it would encircle thousands of Palestinians who live in villages outside Jerusalem. After issuing its order, the court said it would hear petitions filed by eight Palestinian villages next week before ruling whether construction could continue. The village of Biddo and surrounding areas have been the scene of recent clashes between protesters and Israeli troops. Two demonstrators were killed last week after Israeli troops opened fire on rock throwers protesting the barrier. Palestinians say the barrier would enclose their villages, separating them from Jerusalem and Ramallah. The barrier "will surround these villages on all sides, meaning that these villages will become an enclave," said Muhammad Dahleh, an attorney for the villagers. "This is illegal. You cannot overnight convert people from free people in their homeland to prisoners." A spokesman for Israel's justice ministry, Jacob Galanti, downplayed the ruling, saying it was "a temporary step that gives the court time to discuss the matter and gives the Palestinians who approached the court a chance to have a hearing." Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz criticized the court injunction, saying such delays would give militants more time to carry out attacks. The high court already is weighing a challenge to the barrier by human-rights groups. Israel has said it is considering ways to shorten the route of the barrier to reduce hardships on Palestinians and has begun dismantling one 5-mile section in the northern part of the West Bank. In other developments Sunday, two Palestinians were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus. Both allegedly were activists affiliated with Fatah, the movement headed by Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. One of the men, Muhammad Owei, was killed during a shootout with soldiers Sunday morning. The second man, Riad Abu Shalal, was killed in a clash during the funeral for Owei. Also on Sunday, Israeli police closed the crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel and remained on alert after vows by Palestinian militants to avenge an Israeli air strike Saturday that killed three members of the Islamic Jihad militant group. The men, including the group's military leader for the northern Gaza Strip, were killed and about 10 bystanders were wounded when an Israeli helicopter fired missiles at their car. On Sunday, Israeli police said they had detained three Palestinian boys--ages 13, 14 and 15--who told investigators they were sent by a militant group to shoot Israeli civilians in the northern city of Afula. The boys were arrested at a West Bank checkpoint not far from the city of Jenin on Thursday after officers discovered the youths were carrying homemade handguns. The youths told investigators they were recruited by Islamic Jihad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
israel4ever Posted March 2, 2004 Share Posted March 2, 2004 The stoppage is just temporary...Sharon got a "confidence vote today, so all is well! They will resume building the Security Fence shortly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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