Assault on Bethlehem church would be a massacre: Priest

VATICAN CITY: A Franciscan priest who is one of the custodians of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem warned on Thursday that an Israeli assault on the church to flush out Palestinians hiding there who result in "a massacre".

"What I fear is that the Israelis are preparing a commando operation. That would be disastrous. In that case we could expect a massacre," Father David Jaeger, a spokesman for the Franciscan order said.

The Franciscans, along with Orthodox Christians, are responsible for the upkeep of the Bethlehem church which for Christians marks the birthplace of Jesus.

Hundreds of Palestinians have taken refuge in the church and an adjoining convent run by the Franciscans.

Neither the Palestinians nor their religious protectors trusted the Israelis, Jaeger said.

"The Israelis have said they have no intention of attacking the convent where the Palestinian fighters are gathered in the cloister. But we can't trust them."