The UN Security Council on Friday slammed the rampage by Israeli hardliners against Palestinians in Hebron but welcomed the eviction of Jewish settlers from a disputed compound in the West Bank city. After meeting at the request of Arab UN envoys, the 15-member council issued a non-binding statement that “welcomed Israel's evacuation of settlers from the compound in Hebron on Dec. 4” but also “condemned the resulting settler violence, including against Palestinian civilians and property.” Council members urged “respect for the rule of law without discrimination or exception and welcomed the efforts of the Israeli and Palestinian security services to restore calm.” In a letter sent earlier Friday to Croatia's UN Ambassador Neven Jurica, who chairs the council this month, Egyptian Ambassador Maged Abdelaziz said that the UN Arab group “expresses its grave alarm at the recent escalation of Israeli settler violence, harassment, intimidation and provocation against Palestinian civilians.” Israel, meanwhile, eased restrictions on residents leaving the town in vehicles for the first time in six years. Luay Saadi, head of Palestinian-Israeli security coordination in Nablus, said on Saturday that he was told by his Israeli counterparts that Palestinian men and women over 50 can now leave the town in their cars, without prior permission from Israel's army. An Israeli army spokeswoman could not confirm the new policy.
