Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || 4.57MB || Time 5m 0sWelcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Thursday March 15th, 2007.
Two Palestinian are killed in two different incidents in the Gaza strip, while Israel abducts more civilians in the West Bank. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The Gaza Strip Update
Palestinian sources reported that one Palestinian man was killed and another two were injured when an underground tunnel collapsed on them near the Palestinian Egyptian border in Rafah city, in the southern Gaza strip. Mohamed Qishtah, 30, was killed when the collapse of the tunnel crushed him.
Another two people involved sustained moderate wounds. All three were moved to the European hospital in the nearby Khan Younis city, medical sources reported. Palestinian police and rescue teams were called by the local residents to aid the three men. After some time, the teams managed to rescue the two alive.
Earlier during the day one Palestinian said to be a Fatah activist died of wounds he sustained on Wednesday during infighting between Fatah and Hamas security forces, in the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza strip.
Mohamed Ti’mah sustained several wounds in his abdomen and legs during the clashes that erupted on Wednesday between the Hamas executive force and forces allied with Fatah. He was moved to Kamal Adwan hospital for treatment, where he died today, local sources reported.
Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Wednesday night that six Palestinian civilians, including three children, were injured in renewed violent clashes between Fateh and Hamas gunmen in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
The West Bank update
Israeli forces invaded several West Bank cities and abducted 17 Palestinian civilians on Thursday morning. Four of those abducted were from the villages of Beit Fajjar and Al Khadier, south of Bethlehem city in the southern part of the West Bank.
Local sources in Beit Fajjar village reported that troops attacked and search a number of houses on Thursday in the early dawn hours then abducted Ala Takatka, aged 17, Mohamed Takatka, 22 and Iyad Takatka, 27, and took them to an unknown detention camp.
In the meantime, another Israeli army force invaded the village of Al Kadier and surrounded the house of Iyad Issa, 27. Troops searched the house then seized him and left, his family reported. Another man from Bethlehem was abducted during the morning at an Israeli military checkpoint near Al Khadier village.
The Israeli army attacked and searched scores of Palestinian homes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, and abducted one civilian, also on Thursday morning.
In the northern part of the West Bank, Israeli troops invaded Jenin Refugee Camp and the city of Jenin on Thursday morning. Israeli soldiers fired live rounds and sound bombs into residents’ homes then searched a number of them. Troops abducted Mohamed Shirawi, 22 and Mohamed Jabareen, 24, and took them to unknown locations, eyewitness reported.
The village of Fahma, south-west of Jenin city, was attacked on Thursday at dawn. Israeli soldiers searched homes and forced families out of their houses during the search. Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers also opened fire randomly at residents’ houses during the invasion. Soldiers abducted Ali Sana’iah, 35, Hassan Wadfi’, 24, Al Qahier, 17, and Ahed Nawasra, 25.
Another two civilians were also abducted this morning from the city of Qalqilia in the northern part of the West Bank. Residents reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the city, searched several homes in the city center, then took prisoner Majdi Bider, 28, and Ibraheem Shana’a, 28.
Israeli troops also attacked and searched homes in the nearby village of Azon, east of Qalqilia. No abductions were reported. Murad Abu Khaznah, 24, was taken prisoner when Israeli troops attacked and searched his house located in the village of Atteel, near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem.
In Tulkarem, the Israeli forces attacked the eastern side of the city and searched several homes, then took Tha’er Nafith, 19, Fathi Matar, 19, and Mohamed Abu Al Inien, 18 to unknown detention camps. Nur Shams refugee camp near Tulkarem was also attacked on Thursday morning. Troops surrounded it and searched the house of Ahmad Al Shalabi, 25, then took him to an unknown location, his family reported.
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 Polly Bangoriad and Ghassan Bannoura.
