Editing Operation Defensive Shield (section)

===Bethlehem===
{{see also|Siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem}}
IDF forces including the Jerusalemite Reserve Infantry Brigade entered Jerusalem with infantry, warplanes, and tanks while a special forces [[Shaldag Unit]] targeted the Church of the Nativity to deny it to the people of Bethlehem as a place of refuge as it had been in the past. In response to the IDF offensive hundreds of Bethelemites including Bethlehem's Governor sought refuge in the church, the helicopters of the Shaldag unit arriving half an hour too late.<ref name="archives.cnn.com">{{cite news |url=http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/04/24/mideast.bethlehem/ |work=CNN |title=Children to be released from Church of the Nativity |date=2002-04-24 |access-date=January 22, 2006 |archive-date=April 17, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417145336/http://archives.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/04/24/mideast.bethlehem/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Fox News">{{cite news |url=https://www.foxnews.com/story/church-of-nativity-a-mess-but-suffers-little-permanent-damage |work=Fox News |title=Church of Nativity a Mess, but Suffers Little Permanent Damage |date=2002-05-10 |access-date=2007-01-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070205153321/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,52445,00.html |archive-date=2007-02-05 |url-status=live }}</ref>

On April 3 the IDF laid siege to the church surrounding it with an elite paratrooper brigade specializing in sniper operations who used tactics including carrying out simulated attacks.<ref name=bbctsob>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/correspondent/2029661.stm|work=BBC News|title=The siege of Bethlehem|access-date=19 December 2014|date=2002-06-07}}</ref> The Vatican's top foreign policy expert Archbishop Jean-Louis Taura stated that while the Palestinians have joined the Vatican in bilateral agreements where they have undertaken to respect and maintain the status quo regarding Christian holy places and the rights of Christian communities, "to explain the gravity of the current situation, let me begin with the fact that the occupation of the holy places by armed men is a violation of a long tradition of law that dates back to the Ottoman era. Never before have they been occupied – for such a lengthy time – by armed men."<ref name="ReutersVat">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2012/06/29/palestinians-seek-un-funds-heritage-status-for-bethlehem-nativity-church/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120701011301/http://blogs.reuters.com/faithworld/2012/06/29/palestinians-seek-un-funds-heritage-status-for-bethlehem-nativity-church/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-01|title=Palestinians seek UN funds, heritage status for Bethlehem Nativity Church|work=Reuters|access-date=19 December 2014|date=2012-06-29}}</ref> For five weeks the Israelis held the city and church under curfew, with periodic breaks, continuing the siege on the church. Israeli snipers were given orders to shoot anyone in the church carrying a gun on sight,<ref name="bbctsob"/> seriously wounding an Armenian monk who the IDF said looked armed,<ref name="bbctime">{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/1950331.stm|work=BBC News|title=Timeline: Bethlehem siege|access-date=19 December 2014|date=2002-05-10}}</ref> and killing the mentally impaired church bell-ringer<ref name=chicagtrib>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2002/04/05/bullet-quiets-churchs-bell/|title=Bullet quiets church's bell|work=Chicago Tribune|date=April 5, 2002 |access-date=19 December 2014}}</ref> who was shot as he left to ring the bells as he had done for three decades.<ref name="csmon0">{{cite journal|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0513/p12s01-wome.html/%28page%29/2|title=Church of Nativity opens its doors|author=The Christian Science Monitor|journal=The Christian Science Monitor|access-date=19 December 2014|date=2002-05-13}}</ref><ref name="pbscron">{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/siege/etc/cron.html|title=Chronology Of The Siege - The Siege Of Bethlehem - FRONTLINE - PBS|website=[[PBS]]|access-date=19 December 2014}}</ref> He was left to die, bleeding in the square for hours. Six other men were killed by the IDF during the siege. On March 10 the siege ended, with a deal seeing some militants deported to the Gaza Strip, and the rest exiled to Cyprus.<ref name="archives.cnn.com"/><ref name="Fox News"/>