Tragic Error: Israeli Soldiers Kill Jewish Settler, Exacerbating Tensions in West Bank

Strategic Insights -

A tumultuous night in the occupied West Bank saw Israeli soldiers kill a Jewish settler, allegedly mistaking him for a Palestinian gunman. The incident has heightened tensions between Israelis and Palestinians amidst efforts to assuage Palestinian grief and rage following the Hebron mosque massacre. The Israeli army's gesture of releasing 596 Palestinian detainees was met with skepticism by local Palestinians and the Palestine Liberation Organization, which has suspended peace talks with Israel.

Key Takeaways:

  • The killing occurred outside a Palestinian village called Bidya, near the Jewish settlement of Ariel, where accounts of the incident vary wildly, with an army spokesman saying a settler opened fire and was killed when soldiers fired back, while the dead man's wife claimed her husband had never fired his gun.
  • The Israeli army released 596 Palestinian detainees as a gesture to calm the situation, but this move drew no apparent approval from local Palestinians or the Palestine Liberation Organization.
  • The Hebron massacre by Dr. Baruch Goldstein, a Brooklyn-born Jewish settler, has led to a disputed estimate of the death toll, with preliminary investigations putting the number killed by Dr. Goldstein at 30, and a further five shot by soldiers.
  • The army has issued no figure for the number of wounded, with estimates ranging from 90 to over 150.
  • The Palestinian practice of quickly removing bodies for burial without notifying military authorities has further complicated the accounting of casualties.
  • Israeli officials have acknowledged that the response to the Hebron attack has been milder than the retribution normally meted out to Palestinians deemed terrorists.
  • The Israeli authorities have also announced plans to take Government-issue automatic weapons from Jewish militants and pay compensation to the families of those slain in the Hebron mosque, with the initial payment set at $1,700.

Statistics:

  • 596 Palestinian detainees released
  • 30 Palestinians estimated to have been killed by Dr. Baruch Goldstein
  • 5 Palestinians shot by soldiers after the massacre
  • 111 rounds fired by Dr. Goldstein from his Galil assault rifle
  • 90-150 estimated number of Palestinians wounded
  • 1,700 initial compensation amount for families of those slain in the Hebron mosque
  • 9,000 Palestinian prisoners being held by Israel
  • 100 or fewer Jewish militants to be subjected to "administrative action or detention"

Sources:

  • Army spokesmen
  • Israeli radio
  • Adel Khamies, 22-year-old Palestinian released from prison
  • Security officials in Ariel
  • Israeli Police Minister Moshe Shahal
  • Yosef Tamir, senior social security official
  • Associated Press
  • Israeli officials
  • Palestinian hospital officials
  • Maj. Gen. Danny Yatom, West Bank army commander