Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday, December 14th 2006.|| Click here to Download MP3 file 4.1MB|| time:4m30s
Four Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army while Unknown gunman open fire at the Palestinian Minister in Rammallah. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
West Bank Update
On Thursday, Israeli forces assassinated Mohammad Ramaha, 25 from El-Ein refugee camp near Nablus.
Under-cover forces for the Israeli military infiltrated into the camp driving a local licensed vehicle, chased Ramaha and his friend before shooting Ramaha to death. According to eyewitness reports, soldiers also shot and injured a 10-year-old bystander. Both Ramaha and his friend are members of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh.
Meanwhile, Ismael Ramadan, 48, died in an ambulance en route to the hospital in Nablus as the Israeli soldiers prevented the ambulance to get through the checkpoint.
Ramadan suffered a heart attack and was in need of immediate intensive care. Instead, the ambulance had to drive through dust roads to by pass the checkpoint which exacerbated the critical nature of the situation and caused Ramadan’s death.
Adnan Ramadan, cousin of Ismael said Israeli soldiers manning the checkpoint knew his condition, but refused to allow him passage. The family of Ismail Ramadan was preparing for a trip to Mecca for pilgrimage next Sunday when they learnt of his death.
Another Palestinian man was killed near the West Bank city of Salfit after he was shot by Israeli Army troops on Thursday during a military invasion to Salfit, and as the army initiated a wide-scale offensive that included breaking into houses and interrogating the residents. Al Deek is a construction worker; he was working with his father who is a construction contractor, when the soldiers fired at them.
Late on Wednesday night, a group of unknown gunmen opened fire at the car of Wasfi Qabha, Minister of Prisoners Affairs in the Palestinian Government in Ramallah, however, no injuries were reported. Companions of the Minister said that the gunmen chased the car before they open fire at it and fled the scene.
Meanwhile, at least 600 of the Palestinian security forces personnel protested in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday afternoon demanding the Palestinian authority to put an end to the state of lawlessness in the Palestinian areas and to provide their unpaid salaries.
Soldiers also invaded the villages of Dura and Yatta near Hebron and took prisoner three young Palestinians. The three were identified as Mashur Shindi, 21, Hassan Daraweesh 17, and Raed Ibrahim 25.
Gaza Update
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian youth near the Karni Crossing, east of the Strip.
The resident was identified as Ala' Makkawi, 21; he was hit by several rounds of live ammunition in his head, medical sources reported. Makkawi is the first casualty in the Gaza Strip since the Palestinian factions and Israel declared cease fire on November 26.
On the other hand, Palestinian security sources reported that the Palestinian security forces arrested one of the suspects in the murder of the three children and the driver in the Gaza Strip on Monday. The three Osama, 10, Ahmad, 6, and Salam, 3 years old are children of Baha’ Balousha, an officer in the Palestinian intelligence.
The three brothers were killed when a group of unknown gunmen opened their machine gun-fire at a car the kids were riding, killing them and the 25-year-old guard Mahmoud El-Habeil. These assassinations and attacks came shortly after the Israeli High Court of Justice ruled Thursday that the targeted killings of Palestinian fighters do not violate the international law, and the “legality” of each targeted killing must be evaluated on individual basis,
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 Jane Smith and Ghassan Bannoura.
