Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3.66 MB|| Time 4m0s ||Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Monday May 21st, 2007.

An Israeli air strike on northern Gaza today hit a car, killing four Palestinians. While in the West Bank Israeli guards shot at an IMEMC correspondent in Bethlehem and attacked local media in Nablus.

Gaza strip

An Israeli air strike on northern Gaza today hit a car, killing four Palestinians believed to be members of Islamic Jihad. Medical sources in Gaza identified the dead as Majed Albatsh, Aziz Alhelou, Mohammad Abu Ne’ma, and Mahmoud Awad.’ Footage screened on TV stations showed shattered bodies on the street, a scene that has become common in Gaza of late. Of today’s attack, witnesses stated that a white-colored Subaru car was driving on the Salah Eldin road in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahya, when an Israeli warplane fired missiles on it.

The attack forms part of Israel’s non-stop barrage against targets in the Gaza Strip, a policy informed by the administration’s decision to resume targeted killings against members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Israel claims its operations in Gaza are in response to missile attacks against Israeli towns and settlements adjacent to the Strip.

Yesterday, in an attempt on the life of the senior Hamas official Khalil Alhayya, Israeli warplanes attacked a family gathering hall in Gaza city, killing seven members of the Alhayya family and one other person. The targeted individual was not at home at the time. Israel later alleged that the air strike targeted a group of militants and not the house itself. Since last Thursday, approximately 35 Palestinian men, women and children have been killed and more than 90 others wounded in a series of air strikes in different parts of Gaza region.

West Bank

In an unprovoked attack, the Israeli Military fired on a number of Palestinian journalists in the village of Artas , near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Monday afternoon.

Journalists and protestors gathered to cover the attempts of local residents to move back onto the land which the army bulldozed earlier this week. In the ensuing events and in an unprovoked attack, the Israeli military opened fire on a number of Palestinian journalists from Ma’an news agency Reuters, AFP, and IMEMC correspondent Ghassan Bannoura. Troops took prisoner three Palestinian farmers, two of which are accused of allegedly assaulting security officers accompanying the bulldozers. The two were identified as Adham Rabiyaa 22, and Ali Abu Sway 18. Eyewitnesses told IMEMC that there was no violence or assault committed by the two young men.

The Israeli army stormed several buildings hosting the headquarters of local Palestinian TV and radio stations, confiscating most of the contents and interrupting transmission on Monday at dawn. Palestinian sources stated that a large Israeli force stormed the city of Nablus and attacked the buildings, confiscating archive tapes, informational materials, documents and broadcast transmitters. Several media outlets were forced to go off the air in the attack.

In other events, the Israeli army invaded Jenin refugee camp and the nearby Kufer Dan village located in the northern part of the West Bank on Monday at dawn, clashing with members of the local resistance. The Israeli army also invaded the southern West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, searching homes and kidnapping four civilians on Monday at dawn.

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 Eliza Sprout and Ghassan Bannoura.