04/02/2019 (Agence Europe) – The spokesperson for the European External Action Service expressed concern on Friday 1 February about the Israeli government's decision not to renew the mandate of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH). In her view, this failure to renew a mission “which has played an important role in preventing violence between Palestinians and Israeli settlers in Hebron (...) risks further deteriorating the already fragile situation on the ground”. The mandate of the mission, which was created in 1994 and involves a large number of Europeans, ended on 31 January. The spokesperson recalled that Israel has an obligation under international law to protect Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories. The TIPH was deployed after an Israeli settler massacred 29 Palestinians who had gathered to pray in the Cave of the Patriarchs in February 1994. (CG)