Four Israeli Settlers Killed in Southern West Bank

Four Israeli settlers were killed in their car Tuesday (31 August)  in the South Hebron Hills, near the occupied West Bank city of Hebron and the settlement of Kiryat Arba.The Islamic organization Hamas has claimed responsibility for the shooting attack saying, “Qassam Brigades announces its full responsibility for the heroic operation in Hebron."

The victims, two women and two men, are a married couple, with 6 children, from the settlement of Beit Hagai and two residents of Kiryat Arba, one of whom was pregnant.

The attack comes just a day before Palestinian, Israeli and American leaders sit for the continuation of peace talks that have been halted since December 2008, when Israel launched its deadly Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

"Hamas praises the attack and regards it as a natural response to the crimes of the occupation," said Sami Abu-Zuhri, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza.

In response, the Palestinian Authority security forces have arrested more than 300 people identified with Hamas in the West Bank and Israeli forces sealed off the Hebron area and the major Hebron road Route 60.

The local settlers have also responded, breaking Palestinian car windows and cutting down olive trees in the Hebron area, according to Maan news.

The Yesha Council, which represents the area’s settlers, said in a statement that settlement construction will resume at 6 p.m. local time Wednesday, reported Israeli news daily Haaretz. The funeral for the victims was held on Wednesday morning, with more with thousands in attendance.

"This attack again proved that despite what might be going on in Washington right now, the Palestinians have no goal to create a peaceful state for themselves but are entirely driven to destroy our State and our people," Naftali Bennett, Yesha director said. "We will start work this evening and build all across Judea and Samaria," Bennet told Israel Radio.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai has instructed Population and Immigration Administration head Amnon Ben-Ami to ease restrictions on the purchase of firearms by Jewish settlers in the West Bank, reported Ynet News. The South Hebron Hills area where the shooting occurred is already a place of settler violence with frequent attacks on Palestinian villagers and agriculture.

"We won't allow deaths as a result of bureaucracy. It is our duty to help the residents maintain their basic right to protect their own lives. We must be prepared for a complex period as far as security is concerned," he said.

US President Barack Obama will hold meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and Jordan's King Abdullah II before a dinner at the White House on Wednesday, according to the Washington Post. Hamas will not be participating.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was notified of the attack while en route to Washington, said, “Terror will not determine the borders of Israel or the future of settlements.”

Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, said in a statement, “We condemn this operation, which contradicts Palestinian interests and the efforts of the Palestinian leadership to garner international support for the national rights of our people.”