Hundreds attended the funerals of four Israelis killed Aug. 31 in an attack by a Palestinian faction trying to scuttle the start of peace talks.
Yitzhak Ames, 47, and his wife Tali, 45; Kochava Even-Haim, 37; and Avishai Schindler, 24, all from Beit Haggai in the southern Hebron Hills, were buried Sept. 1. The Ames’ were the parents of six children ranging in age from 1 1/2 to 19. Even-Haim had an 8-year-old daughter.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the shooting attack Sept. 1, calling it “a cynical and blatant attempt to undermine the direct Israeli-Palestinian negotiations starting tomorrow.”
A Palestinian field near Hebron was set on fire Sept. 1, reportedly by Jewish settlers in response to the attack. The fire was extinguished before it damaged the field, according to reports.
PA President Mahmoud Abbas on Aug. 31 condemned “all acts that target Palestinian and Israeli civilians,” adding that the attack was meant to “disrupt the peace process and can’t be regarded as an act of resistance.” — jta