Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3.66 MB|| Time 4m0s ||Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday May 02nd, 2007.
The Israeli army kills one Palestinian civilian in Gaza, and continues to abduct civilians in the West Bank. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza strip
Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli army shot and killed one Palestinian civilian and kidnapped his brother in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday at midday. Dr. Mo’awiah Hassanin, the head of the emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza stated that Mas’od Suboh, a resident of Beit Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip, was shot with multiple live rounds in the head by Israeli troops stationed near the evacuated Israeli settlement of Aili Sanayi. His brother was also kidnapped by the Israeli forces, Dr. Hassanin added.
Aili Sanayi was evacuated during the 2005 unilateral Israeli disengagement plan. Palestinian medical teams were able to retrieve the man’s corpse, and transported it to Kamal Adwan hospital in the town of Beit Lahia.
Earlier this week, Israeli army officials hinted that the Israeli army would carry out an attack on the Gaza Strip, in order to ‘crack down on the firing of Palestinian homemade shells’, shot at nearby Israeli targets. Last November, both Israelis and Palestinians agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza, yet the Israeli army has recently killed 10 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Palestinian resistance groups later declared the ceasefire ‘dead’. Palestinian officials have raised great concerns over the devastating effects caused by a possible Israeli military operation against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The West Bank
Israeli forces attacked and searched homes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and nearby by Beit Omer and Ithna villages; one civilian was injured and a further three were kidnapped by invading troops on Wednesday. Palestinian sources reported that Israeli soldiers attacked residents’ homes and ransacked them in Hebron’s old city and nearby villages. During the search, troops forced families from their homes and attacked them.
During the search in the old city, troops kidnapped three residents. Among them was Mohamed Al Jibawi, 33. All three were taken to unknown detention camps. Ibrahim Al Timizi, 40, was shot and injured when Israeli soldiers opened fire at him during the invasion that targeted Ithna village. Medical sources reported that the man was moved to a nearby hospital after sustaining a ‘moderate wound’ to his leg.
A massive Israeli military force, including a military bulldozer, invaded the city of Jenin and Jenin refugee camp, located in the northern part of the West Bank, on Wednesday morning. The Israeli bulldozer tried to run over Palestinian journalists, while Israeli troops kidnapped four civilians.
Troops stormed the city and the nearby refugee camp, as soldiers searched and ransacked scores of residents’ homes, and took four civilians to unknown locations. Among those kidnapped were Iyad Al Aiassa, 23 and Mohamed Shata, 45.
During the invasion, a group of Palestinian journalists were in Jenin refugee camp documenting the Israeli attack. The huge military bulldozer chased the journalists and tried to run them over, and journalists managed to escape only to be met with by Israeli troops, who told them to leave, and did not allow them to document the invasion.
Late on Tuesday night, a joint operation involving a unit of Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, and Al-Quds Brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, claimed responsibility for an attack against an Israeli army unit near Jenin.
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 James Brownsell and Ghassan Bannoura.
