Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || 3 m 0s || 2.75 MB || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Monday March 10th, 2008.

The army injures one Palestinian in Gaza and kidnaps 30 civilians from the West Bank. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

News Cast

Palestinian medical sources reported on Sunday night that a Palestinian resident was shot and wounded by Israeli army fire in southern Gaza. Dr. Moawiya Hasanein, chief of the emergency and ambulance department in Gaza, announced that a resident of Qarrara town, southeast of Gaza, was critically wounded near the Kissofim border crossing.

Israeli media sources reported on Sunday that two armed Palestinian men opened fire on an Israeli army patrol near the Kissofim crossing, causing no injuries among the troops.

On Monday, the Israeli army attacked several West Bank towns and cities and abducted 35 Palestinians. The Israeli military carried out a large-scale military operation across the Nablus area and its refugee camps, in the north of the West Bank, in the early hours of Monday morning. The operation ended with over 20 Palestinians kidnapped by the Israeli army, detained without charge.

Sources reported at least 30 military vehicles, reinforced by armoured bulldozers invaded the city from several directions, while opening heavy gunfire on residential areas, seemingly at random. Troops invaded homes and damaged civilians’ property before taking over 20 Palestinians to undisclosed detention facilities.

The Israeli army invaded the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and the nearby town of Beit Sahour on Monday at dawn, kidnapping at least 8 civilians, including a journalist. At 4:00am on Monday, 10 military vehicles carrying at least 40 soldiers invaded the city of Bethlehem, while troops closed all entrance and exits to and from the city.

Among those kidnapped from Bethlehem was the Palestinian journalist, Hassan Abed Al Jawaad, 53. Abed Al Jawaad is a member of the executive committee of the Palestinian Journalist’s Association.

A further five civilians were taken by the Israeli army during a house to house search targeting villages near Tulkarem city in the northern West Bank. In addition, one civilian was kidnapped from Ramallah, in the central West Bank.

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. This report has been brought to you by Mannar Jebreen and Ghassan Bannoura.