Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org. For Tuesday, November 28th, 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 5.0MB || time:5m18s
Twenty-one prisoners are taken and three are injured in a morning invasion by the army in the West Bank and the ceasefire still holds for the third day. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
West Bank Update
The Israeli army conducted a number of invasions across West Bank cities, towns and villages and took prisoner 21 residents and injured another three on Tuesday morning.
In Siliat Al Harthia town, west of Jenin city in the northern West Bank, the Israeli army invaded on Tuesday at dawn, searched and ransacked a number of houses, forced families out of their homes and interrogated them on the spot, before taking with them 11 prisoners to unknown locations, local sources reported.
Among those arrested were Mohamed Zaiud, 45, and his brothers Yasser, 42, Adnan, 40, Mustafa, 38, and Khalid, 25.
Moreover, in Qabatia town, south of Jenin city, troops attacked the house of Nasser Saba'nah in an attempt to take him prisoner. Troops surrounded the house and searched it but Saba'nah escaped. Army sources said that he is on what they call the Wanted List.
In Azion village, east of Jenin, Israeli forces leveled two homes and injured two residents on Tuesday morning. Troops and an army bulldozer invaded the village, leveled the houses of Majed Abu Hassan and Ahmad Abu Hassan, claiming that the two houses were built without permits. Soldiers fired sound bombs at the crowds of residents and injured two, medical sources reported.
Also on Tuesday at dawn, more than 15 Israeli army jeeps entered the city of Tulkarem, north of the West Bank, searched and ransacked a number of homes and also attacked and searched a car repair workshop. Soldiers took the owner of the workshop, Jihad Samara, 44, prisoner along with Wa'el Mihdawi, 24, who works in the shop, and Sami Sudok, the night guard of the workshop.
In the southern West Bank, in Al Arob refugee camp near Hebron city, the army took prisoner Isma'el Al Badawi, 17, and injured Mohamed Abu Daiah, 18. Troops opened fire and fired sound bombs during clashed with local school boys at the camp entrance leading to the injury of Abu Daiah after being hit by a sound bomb in the head, medical sources reported.
Troops also managed to take Al Badawi prisoner during the clashes. Eyewitnesses said that the local boys started throwing stones at the army after the soldiers fired live rounds and sound bombs at them while going to school.
In the Bethlehem district, south of the West Bank, soldiers invaded the villages of Al Doha, Al Khader, Obadiyah, Taqua and the city of Bethlehem itself and took six prisoners on Tuesday morning. Hazim Salah, 28, was taken from Al Khader Village after troops searched his house; he was released from jail only two months ago after serving four years in Israeli administrative detention centers.
While in the city of Bethlehem the army attacked residents' homes in Wadi Shaheen neighborhood in the city center then took Munib Al Khateb to an unknown location.
Moreover, another force entered Obadiyah village to the east of Bethlehem and took Rami Hassasnah, 28, to an unknown location after ransacking his family house. In the early dawn hours an Israeli jeep convoy stormed the village of Taqua south east of Bethlehem and took Ali Jibril, 31, and Rabi' Jibril, 21, to unknown locations after searching a number of houses in the village, their families reported.
The Gaza Update
On the third day of the newly declared ceasefire, Palestinian sources announced on Tuesday that the Rafah border crossing will be opened on Tuesday afternoon until Wednesday evening from both sides of the borders after the EU monitors decided to return to their posts at the crossing.
Thousands of Palestinians have been trapped on the both sides of the borders due to Israel closing the Rafah crossing months ago. The Rafah crossing is the only way in or out of Gaza. Palestinian sources added that keeping the crossing open will benefit medical and humanitarian cases.
On Tuesday morning scores of public sector employees in Gaza City took to the streets in protest of their long overdue salaries.
The protest took place near the headquarters of the Palestinian Legislative Council building in the Gaza city center. Employees demanded their whole salaries, not just the small portions the PA has promised to give.
Conclusion
Thank you for joining us from Occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today for the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org brought to you by Caysha Cay and Ghassan Bannoura.
