More than two weeks into a deadlock at the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem that has sparked an international outcry, Israelis and Palestinians still can't agree on how it started, who is firing at whom or how to end it.
Attempts at mediation have so far proved fruitless. Yesterday's scheduled face-to-face talks were postponed indefinitely because of a dispute about who should attend.
Yet ending the stalemate between Israeli troops outside and Palestinian gunmen inside the church, built on the spot where Christians believe Jesus was born, will be crucial to a wider ceasefire deal.
Israel has said its troops will not leave Bethlehem until the siege is over, which in turn prevents a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the West Bank. A full withdrawal, says US Secretary of State Colin Powell, is required before "ceasefire" even becomes a relevant term.
Anywhere from 100 to 300 people, among them Palestinian gunmen, foreign and local monks and nuns, as well as civilians, are believed to be inside the church, although estimates have varied widely. How they got there is where the debate really starts.
Israeli officials say gunmen entered the church when the Army rolled into town because they knew the Israeli troops would not attack a holy site. Palestinians speaking by telephone from inside the church, and a teenager who escaped, say the gunmen did not force their way into the complex but were welcomed by priests.
A Rome-based spokesman for the Franciscan order said the men broke locks and forced their way in, but have denied that the Franciscan friars inside were being held hostage.
It is also difficult to pin down an answer to the most explosive questions: have Israelis shot at the church? If they have, is it because the Palestinian gunmen shot first?
Jihad Abu Qamil, a 16-year-old youth who escaped from the church on Monday, said the Israelis had not fired directly on the church. And the Palestinians insist no shots have been fired at Israeli troops from inside the church.
So far those inside have shown no sign of cracking despite Israeli psychological warfare tactics which witnesses say include blasting the church from loudspeakers with the sounds of barking dogs and hovering helicopters.
- REUTERS
Feature: Middle East
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History of conflict
UN: Information on the Question of Palestine
Israel's Permanent Mission to the UN
Palestine's Permanent Observer Mission to the UN
Middle East Daily
Arabic News
Arabic Media Internet Network
Jerusalem Post
Haaretz Daily
US Department of State - Middle East Peace Process
Bethlehem siege riddle
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