Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Monday December 18th 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 5.2MB|| time:5m 33s
Fighting between Fatah and Hamas continues, one Palestinian teen wounded in Gaza city, while Israeli Army abducts eight Palestinian men in the West Bank, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
During a gunfight between Hamas and Fatah fighters, one Palestinian teen was critically wounded in the neck, after being hit by a live round in central Gaza city in the Gaza strip on Monday morning. Eyewitnesses reported that today's fighting started when a group of Hamas gunmen and Fatah gunmen opened fire at each other in downtown Gaza city, leading to the 16 year old boy's neck injury. He was moved to a hospital in the city were he was treated for critical wounds, medical sources reported.
This clash comes shortly after a declared ceasefire between Palestinian factions. The ceasefire was announced late Sunday night, after a day of street fighting between Fatah and Hamas militants. Three Palestinians were killed on Sunday in these clashes.
Palestinian Authority security officer Adnan Rahmi, was abducted from the Al Shaja'iya neighborhood in Gaza city by a group of unknown gunmen, after killing him, his body was later dumped at a hospital in northern Gaza.
As armed clashes erupted in Gaza City, one Palestinian presidential guard was killed early Sunday morning after scores of masked militants attacked an outpost, west of Gaza City, belonging to the Palestinian President’s 17 force. Media reports stated that one guard was killed and few others injured while the military outpost was totally devastated in an attack by militants. On Sunday afternoon Hiba Musleh, a nineteen year old girl, was shot and killed during clashes between gunmen of Fatah and Hamas in Gaza's city central.
The truce among factions was announced at a press conference in Gaza city on Sunday after midnight, after different Palestinian factions agreed to pull their fighters from the streets and stop the armed clashes. However representatives of Fatah and Hamas did not appear at that conference.
Palestinian Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Alzahar, accused the Presidential guards of taking over the ministerial buildings under the pretext of their proximity to the Palestinian President’s house. Zahar was reportedly the subject of a failed assassination attempt earlier in the day.
Recent developments in Gaza came after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on Saturday, in a televised speech, for early presidential and legislative elections, following the collapse of national unity government talks and the continued internationally-imposed economic embargo.
The West Bank Update
On Monday morning the Israeli Army abducted eight Palestinian men from several parts of the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
Israeli troops invaded the old city area of Hebron, and also surrounding villages Bani Nu'em, Dora, and Beit Kahil. During the invasion, the Israeli soldiers searched and ransacked scores of resident's houses and took the seven men to unknown detention camps, local sources reported.
The house of Hisham Al Ja'fari, in the eastern part of Hebron city, was attacked in the morning. Troops searched the house, damaged some of the family belongings and abducted three of Hisham's sons, Iyad, 24, Mohamed, 22 and Ahmad, 20.
The family reported both Mohamed and Ahmad were released after being detained for several hours and questioned by the Israeli army, while Iyad was moved to an army detention camp.
Also in the city of Hebron, Israeli troops raided resident's houses in the Al Arob refugee camp and took Khadir Al Najmah, 23, prisoner.
Khalil Al Jundi, 33, his brother Tha'er, 21, and Yousif Al Suwiti, 25, were taken away when Israeli forces invaded Dora village near Hebron city and attacked resident's houses. Palestinian sources stated that both Khalil and Yousif are security officers in the Palestinian security forces in Hebron. In addition, Israeli troops abducted Khalil Zuhur, 30, after surrounding then searching his house in Beit Kahil village just outside Hebron.
On Monday morning, the Israeli forces also abducted Hamza Izrikat, 23, from nearby Tafuha village, north of Hebron, after Israeli soldiers forced the family of 12 members into one small room of the house, then searched and ransacked it.
Elsewhere, south of Hebron city, troops attacked Sourif village, assaulted residents and their houses and searched them before taking Ibrahem Abu Farah to an unknown detention camp, his family reported.
In the northern West Bank Israeli army military vehicles invaded the city of Jenin on Monday morning. Troops fired live rounds and sound bombs into the air and towards residents' houses, and searched some shops and homes near the city center. The Israeli army then left the city, and no arrests have been reported at this time.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today for the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org brought to you by Oliver Eacott and Ghassan Bannoura.
