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Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre www.imemc.org for Thursday October 26th, 2006.
The Israeli Army kills three residents in the Gaza strip on Thursday, while invading cities in the West Bank and taking prisoners, these stories and more coming up. Stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
Three Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army in several attacks across the Gaza strip, on Thursday.
Lami Abu Lihia, 27, an officer in the Palestinian National Security Forces, was wounded by Israeli troops’ gunfire in Abassan area, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Abu Lihia was evacuated to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead, medical sources reported.
Army tanks and bulldozers, supported by army helicopters stormed the Abassan area, with tanks opening heavy machine gun fire in residential areas and bulldozers destroying farm land and greenhouses, and causing serious damage to property, eyewitnesses reported. Israeli soldiers broke into a number of houses in Abassan, searching, ransacking and abducting residents. Ayman Abu Odah, 42, along with two other unidentified residents, was taken to an unknown location.
An Israeli soldier was moderately injured during an invasion into Khan Yunis, on Thursday morning. Israeli army sources reported that the solider was injured during clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters as Israeli troops surrounded a house in Khan Yunis, East of the Kissufim crossing. The soldiers were moved to Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.
Meanwhile, Suheil Abd Al Razik, 25, was killed by the Israeli army near the borders of the Northern Gaza Strip near Beit Hannon, Palestinian medical sources reported. The sources added that the man was shot whilst working in a farm adjacent to the border; he was moved to Kamal Nasser hospital where he was pronounced dead.
On Thursday afternoon an Israeli army helicopter opened fire at residents' houses in Khaza'a town, East of Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza strip killing one resident. Medical sources from a hospital in Khan Younis said Ahmad Al Bareem, 18, was shot and killed in Khaza'a when helicopters opened fire at residents' houses.
The Israeli army shot and injured one resident near the border of the Gaza Strip, adjacent to Dier Al Balah town, on Thursday afternoon. Asharaf Fatoh, 37, was injured in his left leg while working in a poultry farm near the border of the strip; he was moved to Al Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Gaza, medical sources reported.
The West Bank Update
The Israeli army invaded the town of Qabatiya, south of the West Bank city of Jenin, attacked residents' houses and took one prisoner, on Thursday morning, Palestinian sources reported. Several army vehicles stormed the town before dawn, clashing with resistance fighters from the Al-Quds Brigade, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, and the Al-Aqsa Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah, as they were attempting to prevent the invasion of the army.
Local sources in the town said that Israeli troops attacked a number of houses; families were forced out while their houses were searched and ransacked. Jihad Nazal was taken prisoner and moved to unknown location. Jihad’s mother said that soldiers surrounded their house forced the family out at gun point; caused damage to their belonging and took her son.
Troops pulled out of Qabatiya, positioning themselves at the main road which leads to the town, where they searched cars and passengers going in and out, eyewitnesses reported. The town of Qabatiya has been subject to several invasions and attacks during the past week, with many house invasions and arrests.
The Israeli forces took five residents prisoner from the town of Abu Deis, near Jerusalem, on Thursday morning. Troops and police officers stormed the town; searching and ransacking residents' houses before taking the five to unknown locations.
Meanwhile Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Tubass on Thursday at dawn, attacked a coffee shop and detained all the guests inside. Eyewitnesses reported that it was initially undercover units holding the coffee shop hostage, and forcing everyone to the ground. Following this, troops and army jeeps arrived to detain the guests for several hours; during which time, soldiers strip searched people, checked ID cards and carried out interrogations.
Three residents were taken prisoner in the West Bank city of Tulkarem and the nearby Nur Shams refugee camp, on Thursday morning. The three were identified as Ala' Darwish, 21, a Palestinian National Security Officer, Ashraf Shihada, 21, a Police Officer, both from Nur Shams refugee camp, and Ibrahim Hannoun, 22, from the city of Tulkarem. All detainees were taken to unknown locations after troops searched and ransacked a number of houses in the city and the refugee camp, local sources reported.
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 Imogen Kimber& Ghassan Bannoura.
