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 29th, 2007.
The Israeli army injures and kidnaps two Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jericho while in the Gaza strip, the army continues to attack Palestinian targets. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.
The West Bank
Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Jericho on Monday, injuring and kidnapping two Palestinian security officers from the local hospital. Palestinian medical sources reported that Omer Abu Dayiah, 24, and Sami Al Alam, 25, were injured when troops invaded the centre of Jericho city and clashed with local youths. When the injured men were moved to the city hospital in a critical condition, armed Israeli soldiers surrounded the hospital before kidnapping the two men.
Witnesses said that during the siege, Israeli soldiers did not allow ambulances to enter or exit the hospital. It later emerged that Israeli soldiers had also damaged equipment and fired live rounds during the search of the hospital. No injuries were reported. In a separate operation, those forces surrounding the city centre stopped and searched all civilian vehicles. Nael Al Sheroki, 34, was in one of the cars that was searched. Soldiers forced him out of the vehicle, attacked him and then took him to unknown location.
Israeli forces invaded the village of Beit Fajar, south of Bethlehem city, in the southern part of the West Bank on Monday morning and kidnapped three civilians. Sources in the village reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the village, searched scores of homes, and then took Ahmad Takatka, 30, and Ahmad Nawaora, 26, to unknown detention camps.
At the same time, another force surrounded the house of Abd Al Haleem Salhab, 26, the Office Director of Palestinian legislative council member, Khaled Tafish. Troops searched and ransacked the house and took Salhab to an unknown location. The Al Aqsa brigades have claimed responsibility for launching a homemade shell at an Israeli army vehicle driving at a road between Nablus and Surra village. The Israeli army reported no injures in the attack.
The Gaza strip
Just few hours after Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert ordered further attacks on the Gaza Strip, an Israeli warplane hit Deir Elbalah town in the central Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said that at least one missile landed on an outpost, believed to be a training camp for the Hamas’s military wing, the AL Qassam brigades. No causalities were reported.
Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fie at fishermen’s boats on Khan Younis shore in the south of the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli media, Olmert stated that attacks in Gaza would continue even if a ceasefire was called for. Over the past ten days, Israeli warplanes destroyed dozens of outposts, belonging to the Hamas-formed executive force, killing 50 Palestinians, including eight children and wounding about 200 others.
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 Ghassan Bannoura and John Smith.
