• PALESTINE \ Apr 10, 2002
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    Monk Shot and Wounded in Bethlehem
Monk Shot and Wounded in Bethlehem A monk was shot and seriously wounded in the Church of the Nativity compound in Bethlehem, most likely by Israeli fire. He was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem.

A senior IDF source confirmed that an Armenian monk in the compound, where dozens of Palestinian gunmen have been holed up with a group of monks since last week, had most likely been hit by IDF fire.

Military sources say that according to an initial investigation conducted by the army, it appears that the monk was mistakenly shot by an Israeli sniper. The monk was one of four clergymen who wanted to take water into the Church of the Nativity, and it appears he was shot when the sniper tried to hit an armed man standing next to them, but hit the monk instead.

According to reports on the ground, the monk was shot by Israeli troops positioned in the guest wing of the Franciscan monastery. IDF sources insist that the wing is not part of the monastery but is actually located in a nearby hotel, but the Franciscans have disputed this, saying that the wing is part of the Nativity Church compound.

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