Palestinians Claim Israel is Ejecting Hebron Monitors to Eliminate Witnesses, Reports Reuters

By Yosri Al Jamal

HEBRON, West Bank (Reuters) – Residents of Hebron have accused Israel of attempting to eliminate witnesses to its actions in the volatile city by expelling a foreign observer contingent that protects local inhabitants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Monday that he would not extend the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH), alleging that the observers engaged in unspecified anti-Israel activities. The observer group has refrained from commenting on the matter.

Hebron, a Palestinian city with a population of 200,000, is also home to about 1,000 Israeli settlers who are under stringent protection from a substantial Israeli military force.

The TIPH was established following a tragic incident in 1994 when a Jewish settler killed 29 Palestinians at a shrine revered by both Muslims and Jews. This city has also been the location of various violent incidents involving stabbings and shootings directed at settlers and Israeli soldiers.

Since Israel’s partial withdrawal from Hebron in 1998, which occurred under interim peace agreements with the Palestinian Authority, the TIPH has been tasked with monitoring breaches of these agreements as well as violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.

"The settlers’ attacks will increase," stated Aref Jaber, a local resident, emphasizing that the TIPH’s presence was particularly beneficial for schoolchildren, as the observers patrol the area during crucial school hours.

The United Nations expressed regret over Israel’s decision. A U.N. spokesperson noted that while the TIPH is not part of the U.N., its contribution to mitigating tensions in this sensitive region has been widely acknowledged.

The TIPH’s personnel come from several countries, including Norway, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. An Israeli official confirmed that the observer mission’s mandate is set to expire on January 31.

"TIPH is our window to the world. They can reveal the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, which the Israelis find disturbing," remarked Bader Daour, a ceramics merchant in Hebron’s old city.

Settler leaders have welcomed the announcement of the observer force’s departure, claiming that the TIPH has been a source of harassment against them. Yishai Fleisher, a spokesperson for the Hebron Jewish community, argued that the presence of TIPH has fostered conflict rather than peace.

He maintained that Jews and Palestinians have coexisted in the city for centuries and expressed confidence that they could continue to do so without external intervention.

Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipi Hotovely previously accused TIPH of being pro-Palestinian, alleging that the observers overlook Palestinian acts of violence and hinder Israeli Defense Forces by documenting their security operations.

Peace negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians collapsed in 2014, and most international entities deem Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 war, as illegal. Israel contests this view, citing biblical, historical, and political claims to the territory.

"The Israelis do not want anyone to witness their actions or any other offenses against the Palestinians, particularly in Hebron," stated Tayseer Abu Sinaneh, the city’s mayor.