the Audio link http://portland.indymedia.org/media/media/2007/02/35445…0.mp3 File 4.57 MB Time 5m0sPalestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday February 21st, 2007.
Under cover Israeli forces kill one resistance fighter in Jenin while another Palestinian man dies due to a mysterious explosion. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The West Bank Update
Palestinian media sources reported that Israeli army troops assassinated Mahmoud Abu Obeid, a leader of Al-Quds Brigades, in Jenin on Wednesday morning.
Eyewitness reports said that an undercover Israeli army unit entered the city using a civilian car with Palestinian license plates. Troops shot Abu Obeid at close range in the city center in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Witnesses added that after the troops shot Abu Obeid from the car, one of the unit members walked out of the car and shot Abu Obeid a few more times to confirm his death. During Abu Obeid’s funeral, the Islamic Jihad said it would have revenge on his assassins. Israeli army sources claimed that Abu Obeid was planning what they described as a large-scale bombing in Tel Aviv.
The Israeli police and security forces stated on Tuesday that they managed to thwart such a bombing attempt in Tel Aviv. Israeli security sources reported that a Palestinian resident of the West Bank was taken prisoner, along with three other people, at a house in nearby Bat Yam area.
Later, Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, declared responsibility for this failed bombing attempt and said that the group had dispatched one of their members to execute the attack.
The Israeli army invaded Jenin refugee camp in the city of Jenin, and abducted one Palestinian youth on Wednesday at dawn. Iyhab Al Sa’di, 20, was taken from his home when a massive Israeli force surrounded it, forced the family outside, then searched and ransacked the house.
Another two civilians were abducted by the Israeli army on Wednesday, one from Beit Jala city in the southern West Bank, and another from Tubass city in the northern West Bank.
The Gaza strip Update
A mysterious explosion occurred in the Wad Alselqa village, in southern Gaza on Wednesday. It killed a 33 year-old Palestinian resident, medical sources reported.
Mahmoud Alsemairy was killed when the explosion ripped through the vicinity of his house, Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza announced.
The hospital sources confirmed that the body of Alsemairy arrived at the hospital completely torn apart and that it would be transferred to the Alshifa hospital in Gaza city for autopsy.
Witnesses said that a very loud explosion was audible in the area, which is about 700 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border, to the east of Wad Alselqa village.
The Israeli army stormed the village several times during the code-named ‘Summer Rains’ military offensive between June 2006 and Novemeber 2006.
Palestinian farmers and Israeli supporters plant trees near Hebron
On Wednesday, Palestinian villagers and Israeli supporters planted olive trees on lands that are set to by annexed by illegal Israeli settlers south of Hebron city, in the southern part of the West Bank.
The Israeli supporters who joined the olive tree planting day are from an Israeli human rights group calling itself ‘Rabbis for Peace’.
Nasser Al Nawaj’a, a local activist, stated that the lands where the planting took place are only a few meters away from the Yakup Dalia illegal Israeli settlement.
Al Nawaj’a explained that armed settlers from Yakup Dalia settlement attack Palestinian farmers on a daily basis. He said that this in an attempt to force the Palestinians out of their land in order for the settlers to expand their settlement.
Local villagers estimate that the land totals at around 100 dunams.
Yakup Dalia is recognized by the Israeli authorities as an illegal settlement post, nevertheless they keep providing the settlers living there with services and protection.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, brought to you by Jake Talhami and Ghassan Bannoura.
