Posted on 05/04/2002 3:41:16 AM PDT by blam
Large Group Leaves Besieged Bethlehem Church
Tue Apr 30,10:43 AM ET
By Michael Georgy
BETHLEHEM, West Bank (Reuters) - Twenty-six people filed out of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Tuesday, the largest group to leave in a four-week-long Israeli siege of Palestinian fighters taking refuge in the shrine.
Witnesses saw the people walk out of the church, one of Christianity's holiest sites, in single file and present their identity papers to Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli army initially said 27 people were in the group, but witnesses and the military later put the number at 26, including a senior Palestinian security official.
Half of the group were members of the Palestinian security forces and the rest civilians, including youths, an army spokesman said.
Twenty-four of those who left the church boarded an Israeli armored bus. The senior Palestinian security officer, who was not immediately identified, was taken away separately by the army. Another man was evacuated for medical treatment.
Israeli troops have besieged the church, revered by Christians as the site where Jesus was born, since April 2 after 30 gunmen burst inside to hide from soldiers who had reoccupied Bethlehem during an anti-militant sweep in the West Bank.
Dozens of Palestinian police, Christian clerics and other civilians are trapped in the shrine, where food and water are said to be in short supply.
Israel says the gunmen are holding them hostage. The Palestinians deny that anyone is being held against their will.
DEFIANT PALESTINIAN YOUTHS SPURN ISRAELI FOOD
Emerging from the church, most of the youths in the group refused to take cake, apples and water offered by soldiers, witnesses said.
Israel has demanded the wanted gunmen, who it blames for suicide bombings and shooting attacks, surrender for trial in Israel or exile. Palestinians want them to be given safe passage to the Gaza Strip (news - web sites).
While some of the people to emerge during the siege said they stayed in the church of their own free will, fearing Israeli attacks, others have said they were beaten by the alleged militants.
Monday, an Israeli sniper killed a Palestinian in the grounds of the church.
A gunman, speaking by phone from inside the church, described grim conditions. He said anyone venturing out to a well for water risked Israeli sniper fire.
Fighters with bullets lodged in their legs spent nights screaming in pain, he said, and food consisted of old lemon peel and grass.
Why, indeed? You don't suppose he fears for his own safety, do you? At this point his Pali buddies may decide a change of leadership is in order - an abrupt change LOL.
I just heard on Fox News that they're all free to leave. There is a Time reporter in there whose batteries are dead and wants to leave. (But hasn't, hostage?)
And if the territories are "occupied," then Israel has been "besieged" by the terrorism.
I'm not objecting to the article itself. It's just that I expected it to be a current development.
I'm not objecting to the article itself. It's just that I expected it to be a current development."
Geez...I apologize. I just grabbed this off the 'breaking news' section of Reuters/Yahoo. I promise to look at the dates closely from now on.
No problem. My cable's been out for a few hours, so I didn't know if this was new or not :)
This is the disturbing line in the story....everywhere in the world it seems one must "have papers".
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