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Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre www.imemc.org for Thursday November 9, 2006.
The army opens fire at residents’ homes in southern Gaza while troops invade Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank, injure one resistance fighter and take nine prisoners. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza Update
The Israeli army opened fire at residents' houses in the village of Al Faraheem near Khan Younis city in the southern Gaza strip on Thursday morning. Local sources reported that troops stationed around the village targeted the homes with heavy machine guns, causing damage, but no injuries.
Meanwhile, the Israeli military has launched an investigation of itself for its “accidental” slaughter of 20 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday and suggested the mistake was technical, however investigations are still under way. With some of the most advanced weaponry in the world and American-trained military, soldiers or their weapons missed their target by 500 meters, resulting in the death of civilians, not Qassam shell operators as the military had officially intended.
Wednesday night two Palestinians, both members of Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, were killed in Al Zeitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City, after the Israeli air force fired a missile at their car. The sources identified the two as Ahmad Awad Rajab, 32, and Ramzi Yousef Sh-heiber, 22. The combination of the homemade shells it was carrying and the Israeli missile the car was completely burnt. Al Qassam Brigades stated that Rajab is the head of the Qassam homemade shells manufacturing unit.
The West Bank Update
Palestinians sources in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, reported that Israeli forces invaded the Jenin refugee camp, exchanged fire with resistance fighters of Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh movement, and Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad. Nine residents, including three brothers were taken prisoner during the invasion. The invasion was initially carried out on Thursday at dawn when the Israeli army invaded the camp from several directions after surrounding it. Eyewitnesses reported that the center of the military offensive was in Al Damj neighborhood where the soldiers deployed and broke into dozens of homes. During the invasion, fighters of Al Quds and Al Aqsa Brigades exchanged fire with the army; one Al Quds fighter was injured in his arm.
Ashraf Al Saady, leader of Al Quds Brigades in the camp, reported that fighters managed to rescue their injured commrade before the army reached him. The injured fighter was taken to a medical facility for treatment. Soldiers also broke into several homes and searched them, causing damage to furniture and property.
In spite of the intensive military presence, several youth took to the streets and hurled stones and empty bottles at the army.
Moreover, Israeli forces invaded Qabatiya town, near Jenin, broke into several homes and searched them before taking Mohammad Bsharat to an unknown location. Also in Qabatiya troops surrounded the house of Abd AL Qader Samarah, said to be an Islamic Jihad activist, forced his family out, including the children, and told them that Samarah must surrender or the army will kill him when he is caught, the family said.
Israeli forces injured five Palestinians on Thursday in the West Bank city of Hebron. Clashes erupted in several neighborhoods between the local youth and the Israeli troops, which injured five, one critically, medical sources in the city reported. The one in critical condition was identified as Ziad Al Ajloni, 21. He was hit by a rubber built in the chest, medical sources added.
Israeli police and army officers attacked Palestinian protesters who were protesting peacefully Thursday morning against the massacre in Beit Hanoun, which killed 20 civilians Wednesday. The protest, organized by the Aqsa Association, whose job is to maintain Islamic holy sites, consisted mainly of students. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli border police units, who are known for there brutality against Palestinians, and army officers attacked the protesters with batons, rifle buts and tear gas. They also attacked some women who were participating; injuries were reported. The organizers said that police managed to take a number of prisoners and at the time of this report police forces were gathering near the old city of Jerusalem. Palestinian residents of Jerusalem announced a three-day mourning for the Israeli army’s massacre of 20 civilians in Beit Hannoun on Wednesday. Schools were closed for the same reason.
In the West Bank city of Bethlehem, an army force stormed Al Zier neighborhood, on Thursday morning in the southern side of the city, searched a number of homes and ransacked them before taking Ibraheem AL Zier, 31, Yasser Awad Allah, 21, and his brother Mohamed, 24, to unknown locations.
Earlier at dawn, Israeli soldiers invaded the village of Taqua’, south east of Bethlehem, searched the homes of Ahmad Al Badan, 24, and took him to an unknown location, his family reported.
Thursday morning, the Israeli troops stationed at a military checkpoint south of the West Bank city of Nablus took prisoner one resident after striking him down. Eyewitnesses said that two soldiers stopped a service taxi where the young man was sitting, took him out, frisked him and attacked him with their rifles. The young man, whose name remains unknown, was bleeding form his mouth and nose. Residents called an ambulance but soldiers refused to let the ambulance care for him. Instead, an army jeep took him to an unknown location.
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 Caysha Cay & Ghassan Bannoura.
