The Israeli government expelled the temporary international presence in Hebron, which was documenting Israeli regularly breaking international law in the southern West Bank city.
“We will not allow the presence of an international force that operates against us,” Netanyahu tweeted in 28/1/2019.
The Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) was established in 1994 following the Goldstein massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque, when a Jewish man entered the mosque and murdered 30 and left tens of casualties at Al-Fajr prayer during the Holy month of Ramadan. After the massacre UN Security Council passed resolution (904) condemned the massacre and underlined the need to provide protection and security to the Palestinian people.
The force includes around 80 observers from Norway, Sweden, Italy, Switzerland and Turkey. Its mandate is renewed every six months. It “monitored the situation in Hebron and recorded breaches of international humanitarian law”. Members of the TIPH served as observers and were not permitted to interfere in disputes or incidents. Instead, they reported incidents to the Head of Mission of the TIPH. They had no military or police functions. Recently, members of the TIPH issued a 20th anniversary report.
The mission operated mainly in the old city of Hebron, and on the areas targeted by Israeli forces’ and settlers’ assaults and attacks such as Tel Rumaida, Johar mount, Ash-Shuhada street and Tareq Bin Ziad area.
Israeli authorities and particularly Israeli settlers, have never accepted TIPH’s presence, and frequently accused TIPH of having a Palestinian bias.
The Palestinian civilians in Hebron were considering the TIPH the only international wetness on Israeli Human rights violations. After the Israeli government expelled the TIPH, Israeli settlers marched in the old city’s streets expressing their joy and passing out candy.
The Palestinian civilians of Hebron expressed their worries from increasing assaults and human rights’ violations following ending the TIPH’s mission in the area. And activists formed a group to walk with school children on their way to school, in order to protect them from settler’s violence.
The Land Research Center
LRC
