Israel Blows Up Hebron Compound
Fri Jun 28, 9:53 PM ET
By NASSER SHIYOUKHI, Associated Press Writer
HEBRON, West Bank (AP) - Israeli forces on Saturday blew up the fortress-like Palestinian headquarters, leaving only rubble and apparently ending their 4-day-old standoff with wanted Palestinians who the army says were holed up inside, nearby residents said.
The Israel army would only say its operations were continuing in Hebron, but Palestinians living in four homes around the hilltop compound all said the building was no longer standing.
"I saw hills of rubble," said Mohammed Maswadeh, whose windows were blown out by the blast about 120 yards away. "There's nothing called the headquarters anymore."
Military officials have said about 15 wanted men were believed to be holed up in the building. The army spokesman's office refused to say whether soldiers had confirmed any deaths or if soldiers had learned anything more about the precise number of people inside.
Before the second blast, the Israeli army commented on the first, which residents said blew out about a quarter of the building. The army said its forces had rigged a part of the building where it believed the wanted men had been hiding, ignoring four days of calls to surrender.
