At 8:00 this morning The I.D.F. declared the Kefar Etzion settlement checkpoint a closed military zone thus preventing 300 international peace activists from entering Hebron.

The order the soldiers produced stated that the area was closed from the 29th of Dec until the 9th of January. The delegation waited in the area for three hours but were not allowed to proceed. The Group, Consisting of Peace Activists from Italy, Belgium, France and America including Members of the European and Italian parliaments, were scheduled to meet with municipality officials of the city of Hebron.

After the meeting the group planned a carnival activity for the children of Hebron who have spent 194 days imprisoned in their homes since October 2000 due to curfews imposed on Palestinians in the Israeli controlled part of the city.

Luisa Morgantini a member of European Parliament stated: “The Israeli authorities are illegally preventing us from contacting any Palestinian officials. We will not cease in our efforts to witness the conditions Palestinians are subject to under Israeli occupation. Our responsibility as Human beings is to return and continue to support peace and an end to 0ccupation.”

For more information Luisa Morgantini 067-271742 or Huwaida Arraf 052-642709

The International Solidarity Movement (ISM) is comprised of local Palestinian and foreign civilians working to raise awareness of the Palestinian plight for freedom and an end to Israeli military occupation. We call on Israel to immediately implement UN Resolutions and abide by international law. We urge the United Nations and our respective governments to take decisive action to ensure Israel’s compliance therewith.