No sign of poison found in West Bank epidemic

April 26, 1983

The mysterious West Bank epidemic among Palestinians, mostly schoolgirls, was not due to poisoning, a team of US health experts said. At the time, the apparent mass illnesses caused great emotional controversy in the area. Many Palestinians believed they were being poisoned in an Israeli plot. But the US experts' report, apparently confirming the Israeli verdict, said the apparent illness was induced by anxiety - and no evidence of poisonous substances was found.