A Palestinian boy passes a group of armed Israeli policemen January 24 as his elders bow in prayers outside the Ibrahimi mosque at the Cave of the Patriarchs, a site holy to both Moslems and Jews. Hundreds of Palestinians had to pray in the street under Israeli security as the mosque filled up for noon prayers during the third Friday in the holy month of Ramadan. Last week Israel redeployed its troops from 80 percent of the city, leaving some 30,000 Palestinians still living under Israeli security.

MIDEAST