Officials reported today that none of the 11 kibbutz members who were the targets of a hand grenade explosion in the marketplace in Hebron in the occupied West Bank were injured seriously. They were flown to Hadassah hospital by helicopter after the blast yesterday. A number of suspects have been detained in Hebron in the search for the young Arab who threw the grenade into their passenger truck.
Six of the 11 members are new immigrants from Argentina, officials said, clarifying an earlier report that all 11 had emigrated from that country. The 11 are part of a group of 20 young men and women, between 18 and 24, most of whom are members of the Lamerhav Pioneer movement, who are staying one year at Neot Mordechai in the upper Galilee and who later will join a unit of Nahal, the para-military program combining agricultural and security functions in new border settlements. The Argentine newcomers were touring Israel with a group of kibbutz members and were just ending their visit to Hebron when the grenade hit their vehicle.
Officials also reported that not a single Arab came to the aid of the victims from the hundreds filling the market square when the grenade detonated. Instead, they closed their shops and disappeared in alleys, just as the young Arab suspect had done.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
