Palestinians accuse Israeli settlers of burning Quran in Hebron

By Awad al-Rujoub and Nour Abu Eisha

HEBRON CITY, Palestine (AA) – A Palestinian official on Monday accused Israeli settlers of burning copies of the Noble Quran, Islam’s holy book, in the West Bank city of Hebron.

“Burnt copies of the Quran were found near the Qaytoun mosque in Hebron’s Old City,” Nidal al-Jabari, the director of Waqf Department in Hebron, told Anadolu Agency.

He suggested that the copies were burnt during celebrations of a Jewish holiday in recent days, calling for an investigation into the incident.

There was no comment from Israeli authorities on the allegation.

Palestinian group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, termed the act as “unprecedented” and a “provocation of sentiments of Muslims”.

Hebron's Old City is completely under the Israeli army control where nearly 400 Israeli settlers live in settlement outposts guarded by some 1,500 Israeli soldiers.

According to the Hebron Protocol of 1997 signed between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hebron was divided into two main areas H1 and H2.

H1 area is controlled by the Palestinian Authority while H2, which includes the Ibrahimi Mosque and the Old City, is under the Israeli control.

Under international law, the West Bank, including Hebron, is a Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar