Ramallah - The Palestinian Authority (PA) warned Thursday that clashes by Israeli settlers in Hebron and other West Bank areas could end the peace process. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, condemned in a statement the settlers' attacks against Palestinian civilians in the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
He held the Israeli government as "directly responsible for this serious escalation," demanding an immediate end to the attacks.
Abu Rudeineh called on the international community to intervene to stop what he said was a "dangerous aggression." He said the PA "considers this escalation unprecedented," adding that it "bears dangerous ramifications ... which can end the peace process if it continues."
Ahmad Qureia, the head of the Palestinian negotiating team, also condemned the attacks and called on Israeli officials "to immediately declare their condemnation of the barbaric settlers' attacks against our people."
He called on the Israeli government to pull out all the settlers from Hebron "to avoid an explosion that can lead to grave consequences."
He called in a statement for an international protection of the Palestinian people.
Settlers clashed with Palestinian civilians in an area of Hebron still under full Israeli control on Thursday, leaving at least two people wounded from gunshots and many others hurt by rocks and bottles. Many houses were also damaged from fire.
The clashes cam after hundreds of baton-wielding Israeli police stormed a house in Hebron Thursday afternoon to forcibly evict settlers who had barricaded themselves inside in defiance of a court order.
Ribhi Abdul Hai, 42, told Deutsche Presse Agentur
