Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 4.57 MB|| Time 5m0s ||Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Tuesday May 1st, 2007.
May 1st marks Labour Day, but while the Palestinian territories remain under a strict siege, the Israeli army continues to attack Palestinian civilians These stories and more are coming up, so stay tuned.
The West Bank
On Tuesday, Israeli troops stationed at Qalandia checkpoint, located near the central West Bank city of Ramallah attacked, a Palestinian labour union demonstration that was organized for International workers day. The soldiers aggressively used rifle butts, batons and tear gas to attack the peaceful protesters. Witnesses from. Palestinian medical sources stated that several people were injured including Mahmoud Khalifa from the labour union and a member of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Israeli soldiers also attacked Palestinian MP Qeis Abd Eulkarim with batons injuring him. A cameraman working for Dubai TV was injured in his eye when soldiers hit him. Also among those injured was a Palestinian girl who was severely affected by the gas used by the Israeli soldiers to disperse the protesters
May 1 marks Labor Day, but the Palestinian territories remain under a strict siege and many Palestinian workers remain unemployed facing poverty and hardship. The Palestinian Labor Unity Bloc are demanding that the Palestinian government and the Legislative Council act in order to lift the unjust, Israeli-American led siege on Palestinians. The Bloc are demanding that the workers are provided with much needed social security and to maintain and encourage the support of national products.
25 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli army as the latter conducted pre dawn invasions in several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday. Ten of the civilians kidnapped by the army on Tuesday were taken from the city of Nablus in the north of the West Bank. A massive Israeli force invaded the city and the nearby Balata and Asker refugee camps. Troops opened fire randomly at resident’s homes and cars Soldiers also searched a number of homes throughout the city before leaving and taking ten men to unknown location.
The Gaza strip
A Fatah-linked resistance group stated that a group of its resistance fighters survived an attack on Tuesday morning by an Israeli drone to the east of Gaza city. The statement pointed out that the group was prepared to launch homemade shells near the Nahal Auz Israeli military crossing point, when they were attacked by a missile, dropped by the Israeli drone.
Israeli security officials hinted yesterday that the Israeli army would carry out an attack on the Gaza Strip to ‘crack down on the Palestinian homemade shells’, being fired on nearby Israeli targets.
Last November, both Israelis and Palestinians agreed to a ceasefire in Gaza, yet Israel has recently killed 10 Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Later on, Palestinian resistance groups announced the ceasefire ‘dead’.
On Tuesday, The Palestinian interior minister, Hani Alqawasmi, renewed his warning to step down, claiming of lack of cooperation by security officials, who are loyal to the rival Fatah party.
Minister aL-Qawasmi, an independent academic, said he was going to resign from his post unless President Abbas gives him full security authority. Over the past two weeks, a power struggle has reemerged between the rival Hamas and Fatah when aL-Qaqasmi rescinded his resignation after it was rejected by the Palestinian government.
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 Anne Brownsell and Ghassan Bannoura.
