Listen to the audio from the MP3 Player on the right column. || Click here to Download MP3 file 5.3MB || time: 4m26s
Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre www.imemc.org for Tuesday August 29th, 2006
One resident has died today from sustained injuries acquired last month and another eight have been injured as the Israeli army has continued their attacks on the Gaza strip. Also today, incursions in the West Bank city of Nablus lead to the killing of two males. These stories continue to unfold so stay tuned to upcoming reports.
The Gaza Update
Eight residents were injured when an Israeli war plane targeted a group of civilians in Al Shojayia neighborhood east of Gaza city Tuesday morning. According to eyewitnesses an Israeli drone fired a missile at a group of people gathered in the street; all of the injured were transferred to nearby hospitals. Al Shojayia area has been invaded over the last two days, causing the death and injures of many civilians as well as wide scale destruction of civilian infrastructure.
Meanwhile medical sources reported that Mriam Farhoda, of 60 years, died today due to wounds she sustained last month in an Israeli air strike that targeted civilians' houses in Jabalia town north of the Gaza strip.
Also on Tuesday, the Army invaded the surrounding areas of Sofa border crossing, north east of the Gaza strip, and took seven prisoners.
Known from the seven prisoners are Othman Mo'amer, of 32 years and two of his brothers Mohamed, 27, and Mossa, 25. They were arrested after the Army stormed and ransacked their family house, local sources reported.
Currently Israeli army tanks and bulldozers are still conducting bulldozing operations and firing heavy machine guns and shells at residents' houses near the Sofa crossing.
The army has stepped up its military operation since the beginning of this week, beginning on late Sunday night all throughout Monday, 11 people died, among them one child.
The West Bank Update
According to Palestine News Network reports, in the early hours of Tuesday morning, at least two Palestinians were killed and several others were wounded when an Israeli Apache helicopter fired several missiles, at a residential area in the highly populated Balata Refugee camp near the West Bank city of Nablus. The apache targeted the house of Nimir Abu Munif where his 20-year-old son Ibrahim and his friend Hani Hashash of 25 years were killed. The Israeli army claimed they were wanted, as suspected operatives of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs brigades, the armed wing of Fatah. Shortly after the air strike, Israeli army troops invaded the camp with a large force consisting of some 30 military vehicles including a bulldozer and two large trucks.
Troops surrounded the house, shot several rounds and fired tear gas into the building. Before storming the premises the troops sent in trained military dogs. Several other family members were treated for gas inhalation. Nimir Abu Munif, father of Ibrahim, said dogs tore his son's body apart. Local sources claimed that the two survived the air strike and were killed later when the army invaded the house.
Palestinian resistance fighters clashed with the invading occupation forces and wounded three soldiers. According to eyewitnesses one fighter of Al-Aqsa Brigades was seriously wounded. Eyewitnesses also claimed that prior to the air strike; an undercover Israeli army unit entered the camp driving vegetable trucks with Palestinian license plates.
In addition to the events in Nablus, Israeli undercover units also assassinated Ala' Al-Rabi in Ramallah Monday night who was another suspected member of the Al-Aqsa Brigades.
Meanwhile Israeli troops stormed the offices of Al Anwar cultural center in Dora village south of the West Bank city of Hebron on Tuesday morning. According to the office administration, the center is an educational and cultural enterprise and has no affiliation with any political group. Eyewitnesses reported the army confiscated computers, files and documents and then ransacked the office and damaging the premises.
Also on Tuesday, Israeli forces took two prisoners during a morning invasion in the village of Sourif north west of Hebron. The detainees are Khader Ighnimat, 40, who works as the director of Al Zaka( charity) committee in the village, and Qassem Hadosh, 25. Local sources reported that both were taken to unknown locations after their house were searched.
Conclusion
Thank-you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org brought to you by James Brown & Ghassan Bannoura.
