Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2.69 MB|| Time 2m56s ||Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Monday June 4th 2007.
The Israeli army invades southern Gaza; meanwhile two men were shot dead in factional fighting and a number of civilians were kidnapped in the West Bank.These stories and more coming up stay tuned.
Gaza strip
Palestinian sources in the Gaza strip reported that two Palestinians were killed in separate incidents of infighting on Monday. Ahmad Abu Odah, 20, was shot and killed by unknown gunmen after being kidnapped from his home in Khan Younis in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources stated that the man was forced into a car and taken to an unknown location. His captors appeared to free him but he was then shot in back and died immediately. The man is believed to have been a Fatah activist.
Elsewhere in the Gaza strip, a gunfight broke out between two families in the city center, killing one man and injuring a further two. Mohamed Al Masri belonged to the Al Masri family, who fought last year with the Abu Taha family, leading to the deaths of seven people. Palestinian officials managed to calm the situation at the time, negotiating a truce between the two families. It is not clear why the fighting erupted again today or who started it.
Israeli forces launched a limited ground invasion of the southern Gaza Strip from Sofa crossing on Monday morning, firing live ammunition and destroying agricultural land. Palestinian security sources reported that the army established a presence one kilometer into the Gaza Strip.
Eyewitnesses reported that after arresting several residents and ransacking and occupying two homes in the Rafah area the military ordered all citizens between the ages of 16 and 46 to evacuate their homes and gather in the town’s main square. Local media sources stated that more than 15 tanks and several bulldozers were used in the operation.
West Bank
The Israeli army invaded the town of Zeta, near Tulkarem, on Monday at dawn kidnapping three Palestinian civilians, ransacking their homes and taking them to unknown destination. The three were identified as Majdi Sa’ed, aged 17, Mahmoud Balqees,18, and Naser Abu El Ez.
In a separate operation in Hebron, in the southern West Bank, the Israeli army assaulted one woman, Nada Al Arony, from Al Azarya, near Jerusalem, as she was walking near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old City. In the same operation, Israeli forces kidnapped Hatem Abu Turky, aged 23, and took him to an unknown location. The Army also searched the surrounding area and kidnapped a number of civilians on the roadblock at the entrance to Al Fawar camp.
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 Kate Orwell and Ghassan Bannoura.
