In his first remarks after the lifting of the siege on his headquarters in Ramallah by Israel, Yasser Arafat angrily attributed the armed clashes around the Church of the Nativity to the Israelis and condemned them. The Palestinian leader described Israel's actions as criminal and questioned how the world could remain silent about the events at the Church of the Nativity. Palestinian officials state that Mr. Arafat will remain at his partially destroyed headquarters for the time being. Meanwhile, Israeli forces have withdrawn from all of Ramallah but are still present around the city in the West Bank. The Israeli withdrawal began late Wednesday after six Palestinians wanted by Israel were transferred to a Palestinian prison in Jericho. The details of this exchange were conducted under U.S. supervision, with British and American guards overseeing the detention of these prisoners.
Yasser Arafat Blames Israel for Armed Clashes Around the Church of the Nativity - 2002-05-02
Yasser Arafat condemned Israel for armed clashes near the Church of the Nativity, calling their actions criminal. Following a recent withdrawal of Israeli forces from Ramallah, six wanted Palestinians were transferred to a Jericho prison under U.S. supervision. This incident highlights ongoing tensions in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
Yasser Arafat condemned Israeli actions following clashes near the Church of the Nativity, attributing blame to Israel. This occurred after Israeli forces withdrew from Ramallah, where six wanted Palestinians were transferred to a Palestinian prison under U.S. supervision.
- Arafat described Israeli actions as criminal and called for global attention to the situation.
- The Israeli withdrawal from Ramallah was part of a negotiated transfer of prisoners.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has deep historical roots, characterized by territorial disputes, national identity, and religious significance. The Church of the Nativity has been a focal point of these tensions.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
Translated from the original and edited for English readers. View original source →
Translation confidence: 85%