Thirteen Palestinian extremists who had been hiding in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem for over five weeks will be transferred to Cyprus by plane today. In the early hours of this morning, the Palestinian extremists exited the church and boarded an Israeli bus heading to Ben Gurion Airport. Yesterday, when Cyprus announced it was willing to temporarily take responsibility for these extremists, a breakthrough in the existing stalemate was achieved. It is expected that the thirteen Palestinian extremists will later be sent from Cyprus to various countries that have agreed to accept them. These thirteen individuals are being pursued by Israel on charges of terrorism. According to the agreement reached, twenty-six other extremists who were inside the Church of the Nativity will be transferred to Palestinian prisons in the Gaza Strip and will subsequently be tried in Palestinian courts.
Stalemate at the Church of the Nativity Comes to an End - 2002-05-10
Thirteen Palestinian extremists hiding in the Church of the Nativity have been transferred to Cyprus after a breakthrough agreement. They are being pursued by Israel for terrorism, while twenty-six others will face trial in Palestinian courts. This resolution is significant in the context of ongoing Israeli-Palestinian tensions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Thirteen Palestinian extremists who had been hiding in the Church of the Nativity were transferred to Cyprus after a breakthrough agreement, while twenty-six others will be tried in Palestinian courts.
- The extremists had been in the church for over five weeks.
- The agreement involved transferring some extremists to various countries after their time in Cyprus.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Church of the Nativity standoff was part of the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict, characterized by violence and territorial disputes.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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Translation confidence: 85%