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Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre www.imemc.org for Thursday November 2nd, 2006.
Israeli army kills five residents in northern Gaza areas raising the death toll since yesterday to 12. In the meantime Israeli forces continue to attack West Bank cities and takes prisoners. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
Palestinian medical sources in Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip reported that one resident died after he was shot by an Israeli sniper in the town. Death toll rises to twelve since the military operation started on Wednesday: dozens of residents have been injured, some seriously. The resident was identified as Bassem Al Jammal, 20. The sniper shot him in the head causing instant death, medical sources reported.
On Wednesday Israel launched its “Operation Autumn Clouds” in the Gaza Strip after the Israeli cabinet decided to expand the military offensive in the Gaza Strip. At least 80 residents, including seven members of the same family, were injured since Wednesday, some seriously. Earlier on Thursday morning four Palestinian residents were killed in Beit Hannoun by the Israeli forces.
The sources identified the four as ‘Essam Abu Odeh, 29, Diab Al Bassuni, 65 and Yousif Akel, 23. Both Odeh and Bassuni were killed by a sniper shot in the head. Meanwhile Mohammad Khalil Fayyad, 75, a local engineer, was killed on Wednesday after midnight. Eyewitnesses reported that Fayyad was shot by under-cover forces while he was in his house.
Palestinian sources in a Gaza hospital reported that 80 residents have been injured, 15 of them seriously. Ambulance staff in Beit Hannoun reported that Randah Abu Odeh, 16, a resident of Beit Hannoun, was unable to get medical care due to the military operation in the town.
Abu Odeh suffers from kidney failure and needs dialysis on daily bases, however the army opened fire at the ambulance who arrived to evacuate her to the hospital, ambulance teems added. Israeli military spokesperson said the army will continue its military offensive against Beit Hanoun, while Palestinian resistance groups said they will continue to fire the homemade Qassam shells at Sderot and asked the residents of Sderot to evacuate their houses to avoid being harmed by the Qassams.
In a separate incident, one resident of Al Shujeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City was shot by several rounds of live ammunition when soldiers based at the eastern borders of the Gaza Strip opened fire at several houses in the area. Ambulances have been unable to reach the area to evacuate the resident, identified as Nadi Salim Obeid.
The West Bank Update
Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Nablus and Balata refugee camp on Thursday morning and took prisoner three residents. Palestinian security sources in Nablus reported that troops and army vehicles stormed Nablus and Balata refugee camp and searched and ransacked scores of houses before taking Ala’ Abu Mussalam, 25, Mohamed Khalil, 22 and Maher Al Badawi, 40 to unknown locations.
Moreover, the Israeli army invaded the village of Anbata, east of the city of Tulkarem, north of the West Bank and took prisoner one resident on Thursday at dawn. Troops entered the village, searched several houses, including the house of the Nofal family, and took their son Mohanned, 26, to an unknown location. The army gave the family no reason for taking their son they reported. In a related incident more than 13 Israeli army vehicles invaded the city of Tulkarem, attacked a number of houses, searched and ransacked them, then left taking no prisoners, local sources reported.
Elsewhere, Israeli forces took prisoner one resident from the city of Tubass in the northern part of the West Bank on Thursday at noon. Troops stormed the city, surrounded the house of Izat Abu Mihassen and searched and ransacked it before taking him to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported
The Israeli soldiers stationed at Taysser military checkpoint near the West Bank city of Tubass took one resident prisoner on Thursday morning. Eyewitnesses said that the man was stopped at the checkpoint where soldiers checked his ID then handcuffed and blindfolded him and took him to an unknown location. His name remains unknown.
Also on Thursday morning, south of Tubass, the Israeli army took prisoner one resident during an invasion to Al Far'a village and refugee camp. Mohamed Daraghmah was taken prisoner when seven Israeli army jeeps invaded AL Far'a refugee camp and searched his house. Another force invaded the village of Al Far’a near the refugee camp and searched a number of houses. Troops left the village and took Daraghmah to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported.
An Israeli army force invaded the village of Rakhmah, south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Thursday at dawn and took two prisoners. Soldiers and jeeps deployed around the village and troops searched and ransacked scores of houses in the village before taking Ayman Ali, 31, and ‘Essam Al Sha'er, 32, to an unknown location, local sources reported. Israeli troops invaded Kufer Saba neighborhood in the West Bank city of Qalqilia on Thursday at dawn and took prisoner one resident. Mohamed Jaber, 24, was taken to an unknown location when troops stormed his home and those neighboring it.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org brought to you by Caysha Cay & Ghassan Bannoura.
