Early morning on Thursday 20th April, two Ecumenical Accompaniers, working on behalf of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI) were attacked in the Tel Rumeida district of Hebron.
Karin Laier (Germany) and Tore Ottesen (Norway) were waiting at the bottom of the stairs to the Cordoba girls school, where each day they accompany pupils to school, when a bus stopped about 100 metres away from them. Fifteen young settlers came out and started walking towards them shouting ‘We will kill you!’ The settlers were approximately 18-20 years of age.
The Accompaniers ran up the stairs towards the school, followed by the youths. When they were about 10 metres away from them they started throwing stones. Both Tore and Karin were hit in the back by stones weighing approximately half a kilo. They sustained bruises but are not seriously injured.
Meanwhile, three other internationals working with the International Solidarity Movement and Christian Peacemaker Teams were attacked by the youths who kicked them and threw stones at them. One volunteer is seventy nine years of age.
No serious injuries were sustained and the incident has been reported to the police.
This incident is just one of a wave of attacks on Palestinians and internationals in Hebron, following an attack on Swiss Accompanier Silvana Hogg on 1st April when she sustained seven stitches in her head.
The current team of four Ecumenical Accompaniers have been present in Hebron since February. The team accompanies Palestinian school children to and from the Cordoba Girls School, which is situated opposite the Beit Hadassah Settlement. The girls and their teachers suffer from constant harassment and attacks by the settlers.
