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Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel News Archives - February 2007 Select News by subject: Conflict • Diplomacy • Government • Human Rights • Economy • People • International |
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Undercover Israeli forces assasinate three Palestinians in Jenin, including two Al Quds Brigades’ leaders Ma’an News Agency 2/28/2007 Jenin - Israeli Special Forces assassinated three Palestinians in Jenin refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank on Wednesday morning, all reportedly members of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad. Our correspondent in Jenin reported that the Special Forces infiltrated the camp in a civilian car bearing Palestinian number plates. The disguised Israeli soldiers then managed to assassinate Ashraf Sadi and Muhammad Abu Nasah, both leaders in the Al Quds Brigades, and the taxi driver Ala’ Breiki whom they were traveling with. The taxi driver is also considered to be a member of the Al Quds Brigades. Local sources said that the Special Forces pursued the men through the streets of the city. When the car reached the refugee camp, the Al-Quds men attempted to escape... more.. 17 Palestinians taken prisoner in the West Bank, including a law maker International Middle East Media Center 2/28/2007 Hatem Qafisha, a Palestinian parliament member was abducted from his home in Hebron city when troops attacked and ransacked it. Qafisha was released from Israeli detention center two months ago after spending two years in administrative detention. Local sources in Hebron city reported that among those abducted... [a]ll were taken to unknown detention camps. Also in the southern West Bank, seven Palestinian civilians were abducted by Israeli forces that invaded and attacked residents’ homes in the village of Beit Fajar, south of Bethlehem city. Sources in the village stated that among those abducted were Yihia Takatka, Yousif Takatka, and Nabil Takatka. Tulkarem city in the northern part of the West Bank was also attacked by Israeli troops on Wednesday morning. more.. Gov’t promoting plan for new ultra-Orthodox East Jerusalem neighborhood Ha’aretz 2/28/2007 Government bodies have been promoting a preliminary plan over the past few weeks to build a neighborhood of 11,000 units for the ultra-Orthodox near the East Jerusalem airport. The plan also calls for the construction of a tunnel under a Palestinian neighborhood to connect the new quarter to one of the settlements in the Beit El area east of Ramallah. MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) said Tuesday that the Housing Ministry is the body that developed a plan to erect a massive new ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The ministry denied any knowledge of the project.... The new neighborhood is to be built close to the separation fence near the Qalandiyah road block, which separates the Palestinian neighborhoods of north Jerusalem from Ramallah. If approved, it would be the largest building project over the Green Line in Jerusalem since the 1967 Six-Day War. more.. Israeli forces destroy Beit Jala property for Wall snaking through Bethlehem Palestine News Network 2/28/2007 Israeli bulldozers demolished a stone fence in Beit Jala yesterday. The fence surrounded threatened land belonging to George Farah A’raj. The area is near the school atop the highest point in the western Bethlehem District city. It is considered Area C, meaning under Israeli security and civil control per the Oslo Agreement of the early nineties. The destruction began during the early morning hours while residents slept. When questioned, Israeli forces claimed they were leveling the man’s fence because he had not obtained a license from the occupation authorities. However, residents and officials working specifically on the issue of land confiscation for Wall construction said this is not true. By all other accounts, Israeli forces destroyed A’raj’s property in order to conjoin two portions of the Wall. more.. Senior Israeli military officials call for a large offensive in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 2/28/2007 Senior Israeli officials of the Gaza Israeli military Brigade claimed that Palestinian factions, especially Hamas, are preparing at least ten tunnels that lead to Israeli area, and that Hamas is gaining more military power, especially missiles and explosives. The officials stated that “the occurrence of a military attack by Hamas through one of these tunnels is a matter of time”. Also, the officials added that Israel must carry a military offensive in the Gaza Strip, in areas that are close to the “electronic fence” that surrounds the Gaza Strip. The military officials warned that the power of Hamas is increasing, and that it obtained anti-tank missiles, and tons of explosive materials. The statements of the military officials came during a meeting with the Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, and Gabi Ashkenazi, Israeli Army Chief of Staff... more.. Israeli army returns to Nablus with renewed force Ma’an News Agency 2/28/2007 Nablus - The Israeli forces renewed their ’Operation Hot Winter’ in the city of Nablus, in the north of the occupied West Bank, on Wednesday morning. Palestinian security sources informed Ma’an News Agency that the renewed Israeli military incursion into the city began at 2. 30 am on Wednesday morning. At least 120 military vehicles were observed entering the city, accompanied with bulldozers and armoured jeeps. The director of the Palestinian Medical Relief Services in the city, Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, told Ma’an via telephone that the Israeli forces besieged three hospitals in the city, Ittihad Hospital, Al-Watani Hospital and Rafidia Hospital. He added that the Israeli forces deployed many military jeeps in the areas surrounding the hospitals including outside the gates of the hospitals.... Israeli forces were banning the Palestinian ambulances... more.. IDF soldier moderately wounded as Nablus raid enters fourth day Ha’aretz 2/28/2007 An Israel Defense Forces soldier was moderately wounded in Nablus on Wednesday, the fourth day of a large-scale IDF arrest operation in the West Bank city. Israel Radio reported that the soldier was airlifted to Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer. According to the army, the soldier was wounded when Palestinian militants detonated an explosive device during IDF "operations against terrorist infrastructure." A local hospital said an 18-year-old Palestinian was critically wounded by IDF gunfire while throwing stones at soldiers. Operation "Hot Winter" is focusing primarily on carrying out arrests and uncovering weapons stocks in Nablus casbah (old city). On Wednesday, IDF troops reimposed a curfew on thousands of people in the city, a day after residents said the army had ended the raid. more.. Israeli army continues military offensive in Nablus International Middle East Media Center 2/28/2007 The Israeli army has continued on Wednesday morning its military offensive nicknamed as "Hot Winters", targeting the northern West Bank city of Nablus. On Wednesday morning Israeli tanks and heavy armored vehicles stormed the city, after having left it only one day before. Hundreds of homes were attacked and families were forced outside while soldiers vandalized their belongings. Also this time, the Israeli soldiers started to abduct relatives of whom the army calls "Wanted Palestinians". Invading forces have turned Thafir Al Massrim, a school in the city, into a detention center where soldiers are detaining the abducted family members. Local sources in the city stated that among those abducted so far is Manal Al Fakih, who is five months pregnant, and an elderly man named Abu Amin Lubadah who suffers from a heart condition. more.. Hundreds march in funeral procession of longstanding Bethlehem figure Palestine News Network 3/1/2007 The former Mayor of Beit Sahour was buried near the Greek Orthodox Church in the southern Bethlehem District city yesterday after dying of natural causes. Crowds of religious and political figures walked in the funeral procession for Hanna Atrash. The founder of the Arab Orthodox Club and Palestinian National Council member was a known face in the nationalist struggle for dignity and freedom. The 84 year old first won the Beit Sahour mayoral seat in the 1960s and returned to the position in 1976. Atrash also served on the Palestinian Steering Committee. The Boy Scout Troupe played a slow dirge Wednesday afternoon as the funeral procession moved from Atrash’s home to the cemetery. Bethlehem District Governor Salah Tamari, the city’s Mayor Dr. Victor Batarsa, Beit Sahour’s current Mayor Hani Al Hayek and Beit Jala Mayor... more.. Lebanon acquits Israel of using radioactive materials YNetNews 2/28/2007 Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission rules that contrary to accusations made after war, Israel did not use toxic substances in areas bombed by IDF -- The Lebanese Atomic Energy Commission has ruled that no toxic radioactive materials were found in the areas bombed by Israel during the recent war , following a series of accusations and suspicions regarding the shells and weapons used by the Israel Defense Forces. The ruling, based on laboratory tests, was presented during a scientific symposium on nuclear energy held in Lebanon on Monday. The symposium was aimed at informing the Lebanese public of lab tests carried out on more than 100 sites bombed during the war. The weapons used by Israel, in particular cluster bombs which caused the injury and death of Lebanese civilians, have come under heavy criticism since the war. more.. Nablus begins cleaning up after Israelis, damage to Old City severe with repeated invasions Palestine News Network 2/27/2007 The Old City is left with destruction and devastation during a reprieve from the Israeli operation coined, “Winter Heat,” reports the Nablus Municipality. During the early morning hours the Mayor of Nablus brought out the heavy equipment belonging to the city in an attempt to clear the Old City streets. Piles of stones and debris blocked traffic after two days of attacks. Faisal Street, from where Israeli forces cut the city in two with cement blocks, was still encumbered. After a series of attacks ends in any town, the damage to the infrastructure remains. Rasha Kherzoula lives there, where the eastern city was blockaded from the west. She recollects, “Cries from the families in the neighborhood and the shouts of soldiers demanding everyone into the streets woke me up. The soldiers proceeded to break into homes and convert them into military installations." more.. Israeli army invades Jenin, besieges many houses; Al-Aqsa member escapes arrest Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Jenin - A member of the Jenin branch of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, escaped an Israeli attempt to arrest him on Tuesday, sources reported. A source informed Ma’an News Agency that Mahmoud Abu Sorour, whose codename is Meibara, escaped arrest during a large Israeli military incursion into Jenin on Tuesday. A large contingent of Israeli forces raided the city of Jenin on Tuesday morning and launched an extensive search of houses in the city. The forces besieged many houses in the centre of the city, including that of Abu Sorour, but he escaped, breaking his hand in his haste to flee. The Israeli soldiers also shot at him but missed, the source added. Many other residents of Jenin were forced to evacuate their houses in the cold as the Israeli troops besieged their homes. more.. Housing Ministry says did not know of E. J’lem building project Ha’aretz 2/28/2007 MK Otniel Schneller (Kadima) said Tuesday that the Housing Ministry is the body that developed a plan to erect a massive new ultra-Orthodox neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The ministry denied any knowledge of the project. Government bodies have been promoting a preliminary plan over the past few weeks to build a neighborhood of 11,000 units for the ultra-Orthodox near the East Jerusalem airport. The plan also calls for the construction of a tunnel under a Palestinian neighborhood to connect the new quarter to one of the settlements in the Beit El area east of Ramallah. Schneller also said Tuesday that the Jerusalem municipality was "happy with the idea." In response to Schneller’s claims that the housing ministry hatched the plan, they said, "the ministry has no knowledge of this plan. At most, only the Jerusalem district of the ministry knew about it." more.. Palestinian killed as Israelis seize city in hunt for militants The Independent 2/27/2007 A Palestinian was killed in the heart of Nablus yesterday as Israeli troops continued to hunt for militants in one of the biggest military operations in a West Bank city since the peak of the conflict four years ago. Around 80 jeeps, armoured vehicles and bulldozers patrolled Nablus’s old city after sealing off its centre with cement blocks and rubbish skips and enforcing a curfew which confined tens of thousands of residents to their homes. Troops conducted a house-to-house search for wanted Palestinians including seven whose names, unusually, were broadcast by radio and TV stations briefly commandeered by the Israel Defence Forces. The military say they have uncovered four rooms containing explosives, belts and electronic devices. more.. Israeli army withdraws from streets of Nablus, leaving destruction in its wake Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Nablus - Three days after the launch of ’Operation Warm Winter’, the Israeli troops appear to have withdrawn from the centre of the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday morning. The inhabitants are cautiously venturing back into the streets and shopkeepers are returning to their stores, where they are finding their doors broken and the contents of their shops ruined, our correspondent in Nablus has reported. The people of Nablus are still afraid that the Israeli forces might return to the city suddenly, especially after an Israeli officer announced that the Israeli military operation is still ongoing. Palestinians in the city have also participated in burying the body of Anan Tibi, 42, who was killed by the Israeli forces on Monday. They took his body from Rafidia hospital to his house and then to the cemetery on Tuesday morning. more.. Gang rapes Jewish women as ’revenge’ Jerusalem Post 2/27/2007 A gang of serial rapists has been prowling the North, raping Jewish women as revenge for IDF actions in the West Bank, police revealed Tuesday after arresting six suspects." We are raping Jews because of what the IDF is doing to the Palestinians in the territories," one of the six suspects told investigators from the Northern District Central Investigative Unit (CIU) during questioning. During their questioning and their brief appearance at the Nazareth Magistrate’s Court Tuesday, none of the four main suspects indicated that they felt remorse for their actions. Police said they were aware of four attacks carried out by the gang, but they believed there were probably other incidents that had gone unreported by the victims. In all four cases, police said, the rapists’ modus operandi were strikingly similar... more.. Murder of Hebron Settler: Two Palestinian teens confess under interrogation International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2007 Israeli media sources on Tuesday announced that the illegal Israeli settler whose corpse was found late on Sunday night was 42 year-old father of three, Erez Levanon from Bat Ayin settlement near the West Bank city of Hebron. Levanon, who had been reported missing on Sunday afternoon, was found stabbed to death in his car on Palestinian farmland in Beit Omar village near Hebron. His body was discovered by Palestinian civilians who immediately informed the Palestinian police, who in turn informed the Israeli police. Israeli forces and police immediately invaded the village of Beit Omar and searched and ransacked houses. Israeli media sources are today announcing that two teenagers, named as Mudar Abu Dia and Musa Ahalil, both 17, are from the nearby village of Khirbat Safa and are suspected of killing Levanon. more.. Israeli troops carried 40 invasions in Jenin in February International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2007 A report prepared and published by the National Institutions Office in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, revealed that Israeli troops carried in February 40 invasions in Jenin district and continued their strict siege over the district. 30 residents were taken prisoner, and one fighter was assassinated. The Office stated that soldiers carried daily invasions and attacks under the pretext of receiving warnings that resistance fighters are planning attacks against Israeli targets. The invasions mainly targeted Jenin city, Jenin refugee camp, Qabatia town, Tubas town, and the villages of Methaloon, Al Yamoun, Ya’bod, Al Zababda and Rommana. The Jenin office of the Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that thirty residents, all civilians, were taken prisoner and one fighter, identified as Mahmoud Abu Obeid, 25, leader of the Al Quds Brigades... more.. 24 hours in Gaza: 2 murdered women, 1 abduction, 1 explosion, 1 stolen car Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Gaza - The Gaza Strip witnessed a number of violent and suspicious incidents over the last 24 hours, Palestinian security sources told Ma’an News Agency. The police are currently investigating these incidents. In one incident, the bullet-ridden body of a woman in her twenties was found in the Atatra area, west of Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday. She had been shot at least ten times, the sources said. She is suspected to have been killed due to reasons of a family dispute. Another female in her forties was found dead in Tunnel Street in the east of Gaza City, the sources said. In a third case, the police were informed that a Palestinian man, Raed Qishtah, 25, was abducted in the Rafah area. The sources believe that the pro-Hamas Executive Force, the armed group under the command of the interior ministry, is responsible for the abduction. more.. Israeli army pulls out of Nablus without ending operation International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2007 The Israeli forces that invaded northern West Bank city of Nablus on Sunday morning left the city on Tuesday morning. No official statements regarding the status of the military offensive have been released by the Israeli army. Residents of Nablus woke up on Tuesday morning to see the tanks rolling out of their city after two days of a violent military operation, nicknamed by the Israeli army as "Hot Winter" or "Winter Heat". The military offensive targeted the city center, the old city the nearby refugee camps. Hundreds of homes were attacked and families were forced outside while soldiers damaged belongings, eyewitnesses reported. During the invasion the Israeli military besieged hospitals and attacked health clinics in the old city, the Palestinian medical relief services’ clinic was one of those attacked. more.. Al Quds Brigades retaliate for Israeli crimes against Palestinians in Nablus by launching projectiles at Israeli towns Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Gaza - Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, announce responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at strategic posts in Ashkelon, in Israel, on Tuesday morning. In a statement, the brigades said "the launching of projectiles at Israeli towns is retaliation for the Israeli aggression and crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank city of Nablus. [end] Palestinian military brigades hurl bombs at Israeli jeeps in Nablus, one set ablaze with soldiers inside Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Nablus - Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad and Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), announced joint responsibility for hurling a number of explosive devices at Israeli military vehicles in Nablus. The military wings said in a statement for Ma’an, "At exactly 21:02 on Monday evening a joint group was able to detonate two explosive devices at military vehicles in Al Yasmina area, one of the military vehicles was seen ablaze and the soldiers inside it were screaming. [end] Israeli army seizes nine West Bankers Tuesday at dawn Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Bethlehem - The Israeli forces arrested nine Palestinians from various regions in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday at dawn, Israeli sources announced. Israeli radio reported that the arrests took place in the West Bank cities of Bethlehem, Ramallah and Hebron. The arrested men were reported to be activists from both Islamic Jihad and Hamas. [end] Israeli forces open fire on Gaza fishermen and farmers Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Gaza - Israeli forces opened fire on fishermen and farmers in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday at dawn, Israeli security sources reported. The sources said that the forces opened fire from an Israeli military ship towards a Palestinian fishing boat off the coast of Tal Al-Sultan, in the west of Rafah governorate, in the south of the Gaza Strip. The boat fled further out to sea and no injuries were reported. The Israeli forces also opened fire on farmers east of the destroyed Gaza international airport in the south of Rafah governorate. No casualties or injuries were reported. [end] Israeli war-ship opens fire at Palestinian fishermen in Rafah International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2007 Palestinian sources reported that an Israeli war-ship opened heavy gunfire at Palestinian fishing boats and civilians at Tal Al Sultan beach, on the Rafah city coast in the southern Gaza strip on Tuesday morning. The sources reported no injuries, the boats sustained damage. In a separate incident, Israel army tanks stationed east of Rafah city opened fire at Palestinian farmers working on their lands; no in injuries were reported. The Palestinian resistance fired two home made shells at Israel military targets in the northern part of Israel near the Gaza strip. Al Quds brigades and an offshoot of Islamic Jihad movement announced responsibility for the attack, and said that it comes in response to the continuous Israeli army attacks on the Palestinian people. [end] "Hot Winter" Offensive Continues On Nablus, Injuries, Arrests, House Demolition And School Turned Into Interrogation Center International Press Center 2/26/2007 NABLUS, Palestine, February 26,2007 (IPC+ Agencies ) -- Israeli occupation’s wide-scale offensive "hot winter" on Nablus city marked today the second day with Israeli military assertions that it would not be limited with time as the large invading troops destroyed two houses, 13 wounded and carried out a wide arrest raids. Palestinian security sources reported that Israeli troops cordoned off toady morning Al Mussri residential building apartments at Al Makhfyia neighborhood of Nablus’ old town, more than 20 armored vehicles surrounded the building and opened sporadic fire under the pretext that one of anti occupation fighter fortified inside. The Israeli troops warned that if the fighter have not surrender, they will knock down the building over households’ head. more.. One Palestinian Killed, 16 others Wounded, 122 Arrested by Israeli Army in one Week International Press Center 2/26/2007 GAZA, Palestine, February 26. 2007 (IPC)- - Israeli Occupation army has killed one Palestinian, wounded 16 and arrested 122 others over a period of one week, a report by the National Information Center of the Palestinian State Information Service (PSIS) says. The report points out the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people from February13 to February19, in which Israel ’has employed all possible means at its disposal’. The Israeli occupation army has used excessive lethal force against Palestinian civilian populations across the occupied Palestinian territories. The force included heavy shooting at residential buildings, frequent raids on cities, towns, villages and refugee camps, installing roadblocks and checkpoints and expropriating farm lands, the report confirms. more.. Corpse of Gazan found under debris in a tunnel Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Rafah - Palestinian national security forces have found the dead body of Abdul-Majeed Abu Suheiban, aged 22, in a tunnel which collapsed three days ago in the As Salam neighbourhood, near the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinian security, the inspection was ongoing for the three days until the corpse was found on Tuesday. [end] Three homemade projectiles launched at Israeli town of Sderot Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Gaza - The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, on Tuesday claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city Sderot. They said in a statement that the shelling was a part of their natural right to resist the Israeli enemy and to retaliate for the arrests of Palestinian citizens in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. In a separate incident, the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, launched one projectile at Sderot. [end] Palestinians hurl a Molotov coctail at an Israeli car near Qalqilia Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Bethlehem - Israeli sources reported on Tuesday that Palestinians hurled a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli car near the northern West Bank village of Beit Estia, southeast of Qalqilia. No casualties were reported. The sources added that a huge force arrived at the scene of the incident, closed the roads and began investigations. [end] Israeli police worried about settlers’ revenge for the death of a settler near Hebron Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Bethlehem - Israeli security sources on Tuesday expressed concerns that the Israeli settlers of Beit ’Einun might undertake punitive measures against the Palestinian residents of the southern West bank town of Beit Ummar in the wake of the stabbing of a settler from Beit ’Einun. Israeli police sources affirmed to Maariv, Israeli daily newspaper, that the threat is serious and as a result, they will take preventative measures. The Beit ’Einun settlement is known for extremism and violence, especially after three of its residents planned to blow up a school in an Arab neighbourhood of Jerusalem during the first Palestinian Intifada. [end] Al-Quds Brigades fire projectiles at Israeli military base in Gaza in retaliation for incursion of Nablus Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Gaza - The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, announced its responsibility on Tuesday morning for launching six homemade projectiles towards Kisufim Israeli military base, located east of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip. The brigades said in a statement for Ma’an that it launched the six projectiles in retaliation for the Israeli occupation’s crimes and as a preliminary response to the incursion of the city of Nablus. The brigades also said that the projectile-launching was one of a series of responses to the assassination of the leader of the brigades in Jenin, Mahmoud Obeidah, last week and as a continuation of their ’Operation Red Rose’. [end] Sheikh Salah Discloses Ongoing Excavations At Late Night At Al Mughrbi Gate International Press Center 2/27/2007 JERUSALEM, Palestine, February 26,2007 (IPC) - -Al Sheikh Ra’d Salah, Islamic Movement head inside the Green Line, stated Sunday that the Israeli occupation caterpillars have been destroying Al Mughrabi Gate adjacent to Al Aqsa mosque at late hours of night and then pulled back from the scene before dawn by stealth. In a statement, a copy of which made available to IPC, Al Sheikh Salah said the Israeli authorities have increasingly added new workers who dig and drill at Al Mughrbi gate with light and small drillers and extracted hundreds of sand and ancient stones. For 19 days the Israeli occupation has not stopped destruction of Al Mughrbi walkway and two rooms of Al Aqsa mosque. "We could screened the Israeli bulldozers entered at night and started destruction at Al Mughrba gate." more.. Two Palestinians arrested for murder of Israeli man Ha’aretz 2/27/2007 The Israel Defense Forces yesterday arrested two Palestinian youths in the murder of an Israeli whose body was found north of Hebron late Sunday. In Nablus, military operations continued for a second day, with tens of thousands of residents confined to their homes. Police say Erez Levanon, 42, from the Bat Ayin settlement in Gush Etzion, had been stabbed by Palestinians. Levanon, married and a father of three, regularly went alone to a wooded wadi about 300 meters from Bat Ayin. He was well-known in the Bratslav Hasidic community as a guitar player, songwriter and performer. The suspects, Mudar Abu Dia and Musa Ahalil, both 17, from the nearby village of Khirbat Safa, were arrested overnight in a village near the murder site. They confessed under interrogation, saying they had planned the murder in advance... more.. Israeli forces abduct four Palestinian civilians near Hebron International Middle East Media Center 2/27/2007 Israeli forces have abducted four Palestinian civilians from villages located near Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank on Tuesday morning, Palestinian sources reported. Monif Hamdan and Salem Ihribat were abducted when Israeli troops attacked and searched houses in the village of Al Tabakah south of Hebron. Residents stated that soldiers took the two to an unknown detention camp. In the meantime, another army force invaded the village of Kharsa also south of Hebron. Eyewitnesses stated that soldiers searched the homes of Montaser Shadid and Khalil Mohamed, then abducted the two and took them to unknown locations. Israeli media sources reported that the Israeli army has abducted nine Palestinian civilians from several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday. [end] Charitable association in Jericho vandalized by unidentified assailants Ma’an News Agency 2/27/2007 Jericho - Unidentified assailants attacked the premises of a charitable association called Al Isra’a kindergarten, in Jericho, in the occupied Palestinian West Bank, on Tuesday at dawn. The head of the association, Sheikh Zayed Abu Rumi, said that attack resulted in vast destruction to the premises, but that nothing was stolen. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that the Palestinian police forces arrived at the scene of the incident and said: "from the preliminary inspection of the accident, it seems the assailants sought to cause devastation, rather than steal anything. [end] IDF troops uncover third explosives factory in Nablus raid Ha’aretz 2/27/2007 Israel Defense Forces troops on Monday uncovered an explosives laboratory in the West Bank city of Nablus, on the second day of an arrest operation in the city. The laboratory, which contained two gas balloons, pipe bombs, explosives, computers and electrical equipment, was the third uncovered by the IDF since Saturday. Earlier Monday, Palestinian Anan al-Tibi, 50, was killed and his son was injured day during the raid in Nablus. Al-Tibi was killed by a bullet to the neck while walking down a street with his son in the old city, breaking the army’s curfew. His son was wounded in his leg from the gunfire. The two were apparently unarmed. IDF troops sealed off the center of Nablus’ old city with cement blocks and trash containers Monday, and moved from apartment to apartment in search of seven Palestinian fugitives... more.. Police question top J’lem rabbi over threats against Maj. Gen. Ha’aretz 2/27/2007 Police on Tuesday detained for questioning Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, the head of the Jerusalem Temple Institute, on suspicion of threatening GOC Central Command Yair Naveh’s life and inciting violence.. Ariel was allegedly involved in the issuance of a halakhic ruling against Major General Naveh because of authorization of restraining orders against West Bank settlers. According to the ruling, in signing such orders, Naveh was guilty of crimes punishable by death according to Jewish law. Ariel has been transferred to the investigation offices of the Jerusalem Police’s central unit, where he is relating his version of events. In mid-January Ariel, along with a group of rabbis linked to the revived Sanhedrin movement - or high court of Jewish law - allegedly issued a letter ruling that Naveh was guilty of three crimes... more.. Al-Aqsa Brigades fire projectiles at Sderot and into western Negev Ma’an News Agency 2/26/2007 Gaza - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of the Fatah movement, claimed responsibility on Monday evening for launching five homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot and into the western Negev desert, in the south of Israel. They said in a statement that the shelling came in retaliation for the Israeli occupation’s practices in Nablus and for the excavations near the holy Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. [end] Israeli settlers demonstrate for new bypass road through Bethlehem Palestine News Network 2/23/2007 Israeli settlers demonstrated today for an additional bypass road through the Bethlehem District. Seventy settlers blocked traffic at the gate in the Wall in Bethlehem’s Numan Village. The settlements to the southeast demand easier access to Har Homa Settlement and settlements in Jerusalem. The new road they want will cut through Numan Village. Although the existence of settlements directly contravenes international law, they continue to expand. In the past two years Bethlehem and Jerusalem have been hardest hit with new settlement activity. Numan and Taqua’ villages are among those being encircled by the Wall, the route of which wraps around in such a way that Bethlehem becomes a canton and the settlements are expanded and conjoined. Seventy Israeli settlers participated in Friday’s demonstration at the iron gates that the lock in Numan residents. more.. Palestinian member of Knesset: Israeli government displacing 35,000 Palestinians from East Jerusalem Palestine News Network 2/23/2007 The latest reports indicate that after expelling tens of thousands of Palestinians, the Israeli government intends to displace another 35,000 from East Jerusalem for expansion of the Ma’ale Adumim Settlement. Palestinian Deputy in the Israeli Knesset, Dr. Hanin, revealed the new numbers while touring the neighborhoods that are being razed for Wall construction in the area. He said that in East Jerusalem the targeted population is Jahalin Bedouin and that these are the ongoing issues that need most urgently to be addressed. “While Israel has the world’s attention for its criminal excavation at Al Aqsa Mosque, some of the most heinous crimes continue to go unnoticed. ”He said that the Palestinian fight against the Wall and settlements is being lost, with the settlement of Ma’ale Adumim an example as it expands. more.. Two Palestinian men killed in suspicious circumstances in Gaza Friday morning Ma’an News Agency 2/23/2007 Khan Younis - Suspicious deaths continue to be reported in Gaza. Palestinian medical sources reported on Friday morning that two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip had been killed under suspicious circumstance. Ma’an’s correspondent in Gaza reported, quoting medical sources, that a Palestinian man, Salamah ’Abed Al-Razeq Abu Shabab, 55, had been killed in the Moraj area of south east Khan Younis on Friday morning. His death was believed to be related to a family problem. His bullet-ridden body was brought to Gaza’s European Hospital. The sources added that another Palestinian man, Ahmad ’Ubeid Abu Shluf, 45, was found dead on Friday morning in Al-Madakha street near Gaza’s European Hospital in Khan Younis. He had been stabbed with a knife. [end] Report: Israel seeking US consent to fly over Iraq Jerusalem Post 2/24/2007 Israel is negotiating with the United States for permission to fly over Iraq as part of a plan to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, the UK’s Daily Telegraph reported on Saturday morning. The report claimed that Israel plans to conduct surgical air strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities, although did not specify which installments. In order to conduct such an operation, the defense establishment would need to seek permission from the Pentagon, said the Telegraph. The newspaper quoted a senior Israeli defense official who told reporters that negotiations were now underway between the two countries for the US-led coalition in Iraq to provide an "air corridor" in the event of the Knesset deciding on unilateral military action to prevent Teheran developing nuclear weapons." more.. Military factions fire projectiles at Israeli target north of Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 2/23/2007 Gaza - The An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), and the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing of Fatah, have announced their joint responsibility for firing two homemade projectiles at the Israeli community of Netiv Ha’asara, located north of the Gaza Strip, on Friday morning. The brigades said in a joint statement for Ma’an that "the launching came in the context of defending the Islamic sanctities and the Al-Aqsa mosque, which is exposed to judaization and threats amid international silence. [end] Israeli army detains two Palestinians in Bethlehem, a municipal council member near Jenin Ma’an News Agency 2/23/2007 Bethlehem - The Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians from the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Friday at dawn, claiming that they are ’wanted’ by the Israeli authorities. The Israeli sources said that the Israeli forces arrested one Hamas activist and one Fatah member in Bethlehem. They were taken away for interrogation. On Thursday evening, the Israeli forces also arrested a municipal council member in the north of the occupied West Bank at a flying checkpoint set up southwest of Jenin. Hassan Rashid Al-Ashqar, 34, a former head of the municipal council of the village of Seida, located northeast of the city of Tulkarem, was travelling in his private car with his wife from the city of Jenin, in the north of the West Bank, when he was stopped at a flying Israeli military checkpoint near the village of Arraba. more.. Exiting naval commando chief slams Navy’s conduct during war Ha’aretz 2/23/2007 The exiting commander of the naval commando sent a harsh letter to Israel Navy commander Major General David Ben-Bassat several months ago, in which he expressed his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the Navy’s top echelon during last summer’s war in Lebanon. Colonel N. , who completed his term as commander of the naval commando last week, accused Ben-Bassat of limiting the naval commando’s freedom in carrying out offensive operations. He also criticized Ben-Bassat’s failure to investigate in depth the incident in which the Hezbollah fired an Iranian-made missile at Navy vessel "Hanit" off the coast of Lebanon, killing four and wounding dozens. Highlights from N. ’s letter were publicized Thursday on Israel’s Channel Two news. more.. VIDEO - The Iron Wall Information Clearing House 6/26/2006 In 1923 Vladimir Jabotinsky, leading intellectual of the Zionist movement and father of the right wing of that movement, wrote: "Zionist colonization must either stop, or else proceed regardless of the native population. Which means that it can proceed and develop only under the protection of a power that is independent of the native population - behind an The Iron Wall , which the native population cannot breach." First published in Russian under the title O Zheleznoi Stene in Rassvyet, 4 November 1923. -- From that day these words became the official and unspoken policy of the Zionist movement and later the state of Israel. Settlements were used from the beginning to create a Zionist foothold in Palestine. The Iron Wall documentary exposes this phenomenon and follows the timeline, size, population of the settlements, and its impact on the peace process. more.. Palestinian police kills a Palestinian man by mistake in Ramallah International Middle East Media Center 2/22/2007 Palestinian civilian was killed when a Palestinian Ploice officer shot him by mistake in Ramallah on Thursday afternoon, sources from the Palestinian police reported. Palestinian civilian was killed when a Palestinian Ploice officer shot him by mistake in Ramallah on Thursday afternoon, sources from the Palestinian police reported. A Palestinian police officer opened fire at the wheels of a car that attempted to avoid a police roadblock setup for a regular car registration and insurance check down town Ramallah, however, a bystander, whose name remains unknow as of writing this report, was killed in the shooting. Scores of the deceased man relatives from the nearby Amari and Qadora refugee camps took to the streets and started throwing rocks at the police cars in the city center. more.. Egypt pursues two Palestinian militants in northern Sinai Ha’aretz 2/22/2007 Hundreds of state-security forces and military intelligence personnel launched a search in Egypt’s northern Sinai peninsula Thursday looking for two Palestinians believed to be plotting suicide attacks on tourist sites, officials said. The search began a day after 23 Palestinians and Egyptians were arrested and confessed to plotting a series of attacks against tourists, mainly Israelis in southern Sinai resorts. Among those arrested was a young Palestinian, wearing an explosives belt, who had entered Egypt illegally at Rafah through an underground tunnel from the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of state security forces and intelligence were deployed to Rafah, El-Arish and several other northern Sinai towns in search of two additional Palestinians, believed to be suicide bombers, according to a state security official speaking on condition of anonymity... more.. Israeli aircraft violate Lebanese airspace again Daily Star 2/23/2007 Israeli helicopters flew deep into the occupied Shebaa Farms Thursday at dawn, reaching demarcation lines with villages in the Arqoub district of southeast Lebanon, according to the National News Agency (NNA). Israeli Humvees also patrolled the road linking the border region of Ghajar to the occupied Golan Heights in Syria, the NNA report said. Israeli fighter-bombers had flown at low altitude over various Southern areas Wednesday. The Lebanese Army’s anti-aircraft fire targeted an Israeli drone flying east of Tyre. The NNA said an Israeli drone entered the South’s central and western sectors at 9 a. m. , flying over the qada of Bint Jbeil. Another drone flew at a medium altitude over Zahrani. The NNA said an Israeli drone entered the South’s central and western sectors at 9 a. m. , flying over the qada of Bint Jbeil. Another drone flew at a medium altitude over Zahrani. more.. IDF denies troops entered Gaza in search of smuggling tunnels Ha’aretz 2/22/2007 The Israel Defense Forces denied a Palestinian report early Thursday that IDF troops entered the southern Gaza Strip searching for smuggling tunnels. Palestinian security officials said the IDF forces were operating close to the border, and there were no clashes with Palestinians. Such cross-border operations have been rare since a December cease-fire, but Israel has been warning that Palestinian militants are continuing to dig tunnels from Gaza under the borders. They are used to smuggle weapons from Egypt and to launch attacks on Israel. Last June, militants who tunneled from Gaza into Israel attacked an army post, killing two IDF soldiers and capturing corporal Gilad Shalit. Recently, Hamas and other Palestinian paramilitary groups have stepped up their efforts to acquire more advanced anti-tank weaponry. more.. New brigade to stop terror activity along Egypt border YNetNews 2/22/2007 Following Eilat terror attack last month, IDF implements decision to establish brigade to defend long and breached southern border -- A new Israel Defense Forces brigade is planned to be officially established in the coming days. The Sagi Brigade will operate along Israel’s southern border with Egypt. The necessity for this brigade received emphasis last month after the Eilat bombing , which killed three people. A high ranking officer from the Southern Command told Ynet that due to the ever-increasing terrorist related efforts along the border, Israel needs a much larger force to cope with the challenges. "However, the government has not yet decided to allocate funding to deal with the obstacles in the area, so we cannot guarantee that another attack will not occur," he added. more.. Armed resistance member violently arrested and taken in a jeep Palestine News Network 2/22/2007 Israeli forces stormed the Bethlehem area on Thursday with the intention of arresting a member of the armed resistance. Dozens of homes were raided this morning as Israeli soldiers broke in and forced residents outside. The soldiers rifled through personal belongings and papers, and destroyed furniture. Eyewitnesses report that 20 Israeli soldiers participated in violently arresting 54 year old Mousa Mohammad Salah Nawawra. He was bound and blindfolded before being thrown into the back of a jeep. His whereabouts are currently unknown. An Israeli military spokesperson said that Nawawra had been “wanted” since 2003, accused of firing at a settler car in Bethlehem near the town of Al Khader which led to the settler’s death. more.. Israel must invest in missile system, says Arrow inventor YNetNews 2/22/2007 Dov Raviv criticizes Israel’s defense approach, warns that without anti-missile system country will be in danger -- "If the defense establishment does not reconsider its approach, we will become an endangered country," said the developer of the Arrow Anti Tactical Ballistic Missile system said Thursday. Dov Raviv criticized Israel’s defense policy and said that the Arrow was Israel’s assurance and should, therefore, be taken more seriously. "We can not develop a frugal defense system. We must invest all the available resources in it," he asserted. Earlier this week, the Pentagon allocated funding for the next generation of the Arrow. The new missile will have increased capabilities to intercept ballistic missiles at a much earlier stage, making it much more effective. more.. Undercover Border Policemen kill Jenin-area Islamic Jihad chief Ha’aretz 2/21/2007 Undercover Border Police troops killed an Islamic Jihad commander in the West Bank town of Jenin on Wednesday, one day after a suicide bombing attempt he allegedly ordered was thwarted in Tel Aviv. The slain man was identified as Mahmoud Abu Ubayed, 24, commander of Islamic Jihad in areas near Jenin. Witnesses said Abu Ubayed was driving his car near the Yihya Ayyash Square in Jenin when undercover troops in civilian clothing surprised him and sprayed the vehicle with bullets. The square was named for a Hamas bombing mastermind killed in an Israeli-ordered attack in 1996. The Israel Defense Forces commander of the Jenin area, Lieutenant General Hertsi Halevi, said Abu Ubayed was the Islamic Jihad’s leading explosives expert, and that recently the IDF had been making a concerted effort to arrest him... more.. Hamas’ military wing: Truce is over YNetNews 2/21/2007 Following killing of Islamic Jihad commander, Qassam Brigades spokesman calls off ’ceasefire’, calls factions to unite and ’retaliate’ -- Hamas’s Qassam Brigades have declared an end to a ceasefire with Israel, according to a statement released on Wednesday evening. The call to end the truce appeared on Hamas’s official website , in both English and Arabic, and is the first time in months that Palestinian armed forces directly under the control of the Hamas government openly threatened to attack Israel. Abu Obaida, spokesman for the Qassam Brigades, said in the statement that "the truce with the Israeli occupation is no longer valid," citing the "assassination of Islamic Jihad commander" Mahmoud Qassem as the reason. Qassem was shot dead in the West Bank by Israeli Border Police on Tuesday, after security forces traced a foiled suicide bomb attack... -- See also: Al-Qassam Brigades: ceasefire terminated due to Israeli violations more.. Palestinians: IDF operating close to border inside the Gaza Strip Ha’aretz 2/22/2007 Israel Defense Forces troops entered the southern Gaza Strip early Thursday, Palestinians said, in a limited operation apparently aimed at searching for tunnels. The IDF had no immediate comment. Palestinian security officials said the IDF forces were operating close to the border, and there were no clashes with Palestinians. Such cross-border operations have been rare since a December cease-fire, but Israel has been warning that Palestinian militants are continuing to dig tunnels from Gaza under the borders. They are used to smuggle weapons from Egypt and to launch attacks on Israel. Last June, militants who tunneled from Gaza into Israel attacked an army post, killing two IDF soldiers and capturing corporal Gilad Shalit. Recently, Hamas and other Palestinian paramilitary groups have stepped up their efforts to acquire more advanced anti-tank weaponry. more.. 3,000 new Jewish settler homes being built: watchdog ReliefWeb 2/21/2007 JERUSALEM, Feb 21, 2007 (AFP) - More than 3,000 Jewish settlement housing units are being built in the occupied West Bank where the Jewish population is growing steadily, Israel’s anti-settlement watchdog Peace Now said Wednesday. In its annual report on settlements -- considered illegal under international law -- the organisation said the largest sites of construction were in Maale Adumim, east of Jerusalem, Modiin Illit and Beitar Illit. In addition, another 90 caravans were added to wildcat outposts -- which unlike full settlements are not authorised by Israel -- and of which permanent construction is taking place in 30, Peace Now said. The existing 102 outposts are home to 2,000 settlers. Last year, one unpopulated outpost was dismantled. Over the past year, the number of settlements remained the same at 121... more.. B’Tselem: "number of settlers living in illegal outposts rises to 2000" International Middle East Media Center 2/22/2007 The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories (B’Tselem) stated in its annual report on settlements, that the number of settlers living in 102 illegal outposts in the occupied West Bank arrived to 2000. B’Tselem reported that no new outposts were installed in 2006, but the settlers carried modifications in 251 outposts. The modifications included adding Caravans to the outposts, widening existing homes, installing roads and similar activities. Settlers installed 127 Caravans in several illegal outposts, and the Israeli army removed 37 of these outposts. Settlers also constructed permanent buildings in 30 illegal outposts, and paved roads leading to seven outposts. According to the report, 22 incidents of new constructions and 10 incidents of widening existing constructions were reported. more.. Peace Now: Israeli Settlers in the Occupied West Bank Increased by 5% in 2006 International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2007 Peace Now, an Israeli peace bloc, revealed Wednesday that the number of Israel settlers based in various Israeli settlements in the West Bank has increased by 5% in 2006 compared to 2005, totaling 268,000. The report maintained that population growth of 121 Israeli settlements has been steadily increasing, given the movement of ultra orthodox families to like minded areas in the occupied territories and the large birth rate, which turn places like Modi’in Illit into the largest settlements in the West Bank. Tenders: In 2006 a total of 952 tenders were published for construction contracts in the occupied territories, all of these were published post general elections (March 2006). In comparison, in 2005 a total of 1184 tenders were published. more.. Report: over 5,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli army since 2000 Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Bethlehem - Since the outbreak of the second Palestinian Intifada in September 2000, until late January 2007, the Israeli army has killed 5,050 Palestinian men, women and children, wounded 49,760 others and detained 10,4000 others, a report by the Palestinian Authority-run ’Palestinian State Information Service’ has revealed. The report, which was prepared by the Palestinian National Information Center, part of the PSIS, showed that 351 Palestinian women have been killed, 150 patients have died at checkpoints and 66 others have been killed due to beating by Israeli settlers. 36 medical staff have been killed, 9 members of the press, and 220 sportsmen. According to the report, the number of Palestinians detained by the Israeli army authorities has risen to 10,400 including 553 detained prior to the outbreak of the Intifada. more.. PSIS Report Highlights Palestinian Losses since the Outbreak of Uprising International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2007 Since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising in September 2000, until late January 2007, the Israeli army has killed 5050 Palestinian men, women and children, wounded 49760 others and detained 10. 4000, a report by the Palestinian State Information Service (PSIS) revealed. The report, prepared by the Palestinian National Information Center, an organ of the PSIS, showed that 351 Palestinian women have been killed, 150 patients have died at checkpoints, 66 others have been killed due to beating by Israeli settlers, 36 others have been medical crews, 9 others belonged to press, while 220 others have been athletics. According to the report, the number of Palestinians being detained by the Israeli army authorities has mounted to 10,400 including 553 detained prior to the outbreak of the Intifada. more.. Israeli drone draws fire from Lebanese Army Daily Star 2/22/2007 SOUTH LEBANON: An Israeli aircraft violated Lebanon’s airspace Wednesday, drawing anti-aircraft fire from the Lebanese military, the Lebanese Army Command said. The target of the anti-aircraft fire at 10:40 a. m. was an Israeli drone east of the Southern port city of Tyre. Israeli fighter-bombers had earlier flown for two hours at low altitude over various areas of Southern Lebanon, including the Tyre region, according to the army statement. Israel has drawn intense international criticism by continuing overflights after the August 14 cease-fire that ended its 34-day war with Lebanon. A spokesman for the UN peacekeepers in Lebanon confirmed to Reuters Wednesday that the army had opened fire. Israeli warplanes regularly fly over South Lebanon but witnesses said Wednesday’s flights... were unusually frequent and at a lower altitude than normal. more.. Armed clash between Palestinian police and Al-Aqsa Brigades in Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Tulkarem - A member of the al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement was "lightly injured" on Wednesday in an armed clash between the brigades and the police in Tulkarem. According to Ma’an’s correspondent, that was the only injury. Security sources stated that "the police arrested a car thief from the Shuweikah suburb, north of Tulkarem, and confiscated several car parts he had concealed." The same source added that a group of al-Aqsa Brigades operatives headed to the place where the thief, allegedly an al-Aqsa Brigades activist, was detained, and tried to force his release at gun point. Following the incident, there was an armed clash, leading the police to declare a state of alert in the city. [end] Al Aqsa Brigades launch homemade projectiles in retaliation for murder of Al Quds Brigades’ leader in Jenin Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Gaza - Al Aqsa Brigades, the main armed group affiliated to Fatah, on Wednesday launched nine homemade projectiles at the Israeli cities of Sderot, Western Negev, Ashkelon and Nahal ’Uz. The shelling was part of the operation named ’Sacrifice for Al Aqsa’ and in retaliation to the assassination in Jenin of the Al Quds Brigades’, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, leader. [end] Al-Qassam Brigades: ceasefire terminated due to Israeli violations Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Gaza - Izzeddin Al-Qassam Brigades, an armed group affiliated to Hamas, said on Wednesday that the ceasefire with the Israelis is over. The brigades’ spokesperson, Abu Obeida, told Ma’an that "this is Al-Qassam’s stand, but we are awaiting national and factional consensus." He attributed the position to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire , which he said had occurred since it was agreed upon. Responding to a question about whether Al-Qassam will resume resistance operations, he said, "everything is possible in the near future and we consider the ceasefire expired." He also did not exclude the possibility of the resumption of the launching of homemade projectiles. He said, "This is being considered and we’ll begin retaliation at the appropriate time, it is unrealistic to talk about a ceasefire while the excavations near Al-Aqsa mosque are ongoing." [end] -- See also: Hamas'' military wing: Truce is over Israeli forces apprehend 5 Palestinians in Qabatiya, near Jenin Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Jenin - The Israeli forces apprehended on Wednesday morning five West Bankers from the town of Qabatiya, located south of Jenin in the north of the occupied West Bank. 22 military vehicles invaded the town and the troops broke into several houses. During the invasion, armed Palestinian resistance fighters exchanged fire with the Israeli soldiers. No casualties were reported. The arrested men were named as: Mu’tasim Hafiz Nazzal, 18; Muhammad Samir Nazzal 18; Muhammad Najib Nazzal, 23; Ahmad Najib Nazzal, 22; and Muhammad Amin Nazzal, 24. They were taken to unknown direction. [end] Resident of Gaza Killed in Mysterious Explosion International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2007 A mysterious explosion ripped through the Wad Alselqa village, south of Gaza Wednesday, killing a 33 year-old Palestinian resident, medical sources reported. Mahmoud Alsemairy, 33, of the southern Gaza Strip village of Wad Alselqa, was killed after a mysterious explosion ripped through the vicinity of his house, Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in central Gaza announced. The hospital sources confirmed that the body of Alsemairy arrived at the hospital completely torn apart and that it would be transferred to the Alshifa hospital in Gaza city for autopsy. Witnesses said that a very loud explosion has been audible in the area, which is about 700 meters away from the Gaza-Israel border, to the east of Wad Alselqa village. Israeli army has stormed the village several times during the code-named ’Summer Rains’ military offensive from June 2006 until Novemeber 2006. [end] Military wing of Fatah fires projectiles at Israeli military post in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 2/21/2007 Gaza - The Ahmad Abu Ar Rish Brigades, a military wing of Fatah, have announced responsibility for launching three homemade projectiles on Wednesday at the Israeli military post of Kisufim, east of the central Gaza Strip. A statement was issued on Wednesday said that the operation came as a retaliation for "the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people" and a confirmation of the brigades’ commitment to "the path of jihad and resistance. [end] Army invade Nablus, detains scores of Palestinians at Huwwara checkpoint International Middle East Media Center 2/21/2007 On Wednesday, Israeli forces stationed at the Howwara military checkpoint south of Nablus city in the northern part of the West Bank detained scores of Palestinian civilians. In the meantime, another force has invaded the city. Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli soldiers stationed at Huwwara checkpoint have kept it closed since the morning, and are not allowing anyone to leave or enter the city of Nablus. Eyewitnesses stated that scores of civilians in need of medical care, students and workers have been stranded at the checkpoint since the morning. Soldiers claimed that they will not allow anyone under the age of 35 to cross the checkpoint. Nevertheless, soldiers are not allowing anyone to cross, even civilians who are over the age of 35, eyewitnesses reported. more.. IDF begins mobilizing on ’training camp’ town in Negev Ha’aretz 2/20/2007 One of the stated objectives of the project, set to be completed within four years, is to ensure the hold of state lands by preventing the establishment of unlicensed Bedouin communities. -- The Israel Defense Forces has begun planning a town in the Negev that will accommodate several army training camps currently located in the center of Israel, Haaretz has learned. The town will be erected in the northern Negev, some ten kilometers south of the Ramat Hovav industrial zone. IDF planners received the go-ahead after the Ministry of the Environment and Ramat Hovav factories reached a settlement agreement on the treatment of environmental hazards, which delayed the army’s final decision on whether to build the town. The IDF has decided to begin operational planning before receiving the final approval from the government... more.. Egypt: Palestinian nabbed, planning suicide attack on Israelis Ha’aretz 2/21/2007 Egyptian police sources said Wednesday that authorities caught a Palestinian man wearing a suicide belt after he entered Egypt through a tunnel on the Gaza border, and planned to attack Israelis in the Sinai peninsula. The arrest on the Egyptian side of the border town of Rafah on Tuesday led them to two Palestinian accomplices who had rented an apartment in the town, they added." Under questioning he said that he intended to travel to south Sinai to carry out a suicide bombing at one of the villages or resorts frequented by large numbers of Israelis," added one of the sources, who asked not to be named. Another 20 Palestinians and Egyptians, including Sinai Bedouin, were detained after further investigations. Bombers have attacked south Sinai resorts three times in the past two and half years... more.. Temple Mount open to Jews for first time in over 3 weeks Ha’aretz 2/22/2007 The Temple Mount has been opened to Jewish visitors for the first time in more than three weeks, and a number of groups visited the site. Hundreds of Jews had demonstrated near the southern part of the Western Wall on Tuesday, demanding that access to the Temple Mount be resumed. The police had closed the area to Jews following Arab demonstrations against excavations and construction work at the Mugrabi Gate. The police made that decision out of concern for the safety of Jewish visitors. During previous occasions when the site was closed to Jews, the decision was made at the request of the Waqf, an Islamic trust. A visitor to the Temple Mount yesterday, Assaf Lerner, told Haaretz there was nothing special to report. more.. Sri Lankan victim of Israeli attack found in Tyre Daily Star 2/22/2007 TYRE: The body of a Sri Lankan housemaid missing since an Israeli attack on the building where she worked last summer was found Wednesday, police said. The body of the 35-year-old, whose name was not given, was found on the seventh floor of the damaged building in Tyre. The building was badly damaged during an Israeli raid on July 16, early on in a broad, 34-day offensive that eventually killed about 1,200 people in Lebanon. At the time, 34 people were reported killed in the raid on the building, which housed the headquarters of the Lebanese Civil Defense. - AFP. [end] Palestinians open fire at Israeli technician working on the separation wall near Qalandia Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Bethlehem - An Israeli technician, who was working on constructing the separation wall to the north of Qalandia checkpoint in the central West Bank, was moderately injured on Tuesday. According to the electronic website of the Israeli daily newspaper of ’Maariv’, the technician was reportedly fired at by Palestinians while he was working. He was evacuated to Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem for treatment. [end] Israeli army abducts thirteen Palestinian civilians from several parts of the West Bank International Middle East Media Center 2/20/2007 The Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank on Tuesday morning, attacked Palestinian houses and abducted thirteen Palestinian civilians. Seven civilians were abducted by Israeli forces during a morning invasion of the village of Dier Samit, located south-west of Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank. Local villagers reported that at least eight Israeli army vehicles stormed the village in the early morning hours, searched scores of houses, then took the seven people and left.... Another Palestinian civilian was abducted on Tuesday morning from the southern part of the West Bank. Mohamed Al Siffi, 17, was abducted from Al Walaja village west of Bethlehem city, local sources said the boy was abducted during a pre-dawn invasion by Israeli troops into the village. more.. A new Palestinian military group attacks Israeli patrol on Gaza border Ma’an News Agency 2/19/2007 Gaza - A new military wing has announced responsibility for an attack against an Israeli military patrol east of Maghazi refugee camp in the center of the Gaza Strip. The new group, which has called itself the ’Al Aqsa Liberation Brigades’, said that they targeted the patrol while they were on the Gaza border near the Kissufum military crossing. It is not known if the new group is affiliated to Fatah, Hamas or any of the other Palestinian political factions. The statement which was issued on Monday, added that the operation will not be the last but it will one of a series of operations to be carried out by the group against the Israeli occupation and in retaliation for the Israeli aggressions against the holy Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. [end] Al-Aqsa Brigades fire two projectiles at Sderot Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Gaza - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, launched two homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday. They said in a statement for Ma’an that the shelling came in retaliation for the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people and as a form of natural resistance to the Israeli occupation. [end] Israeli forces arrest three Palestinians in Qalqilia Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Qalqilia - The Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians on Tuesday morning in the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia and the nearby village of Jayyous, located close to the separation wall. According to Palestinian security sources, the arrested men were, Sufyan Hasayin, 40, from Qalqilia; and Muhammad Beida, 38, and Muhammad Abdul-Hafiz Khalid, 18, both from Jayyous. [end] Al-Aqsa Brigades launch a barrage of projectiles at southern Israeli cities Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Gaza - The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for launching eight homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot, into the western Negev desert and at the Israeli city of Ashkelon. In a statement sent to Ma’an, the brigades affirmed that the operation came as a natural retaliation to the Israeli assaults against the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem. They vowed to undertake more operations. [end] Fatah accuses Executive Force of being behind several civilian attacks in Gaza in attempt to gain "extra time" Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Ramallah - The Fatah movement warned on Tuesday that several "atrocities" had taken place in the Gaza Strip in order to gain "extra time". Since Sunday, there have been four violent assaults on various civilian targets in the Gaza Strip, the Fatah spokesperson, Jamal Nazzal, said, adding that the perpetrators have all been either the pro-Hamas Executive Force or still-unidentified armed men. Fatah has condemned all the attacks. In one incident, 200 armed men, allegedly from the Executive Force, took control of a farm belonging to Ishaq Hassan. 20 of his family members were forced out of their homes and his 15-dunum farm, located in the Al-Mughraqa neighbourhood close to the evacuated Israeli settlement of Netsarim in the central Gaza Strip, was set ablaze. more.. An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades confront an Israeli force, armed with machine guns Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Gaza - An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), announced that they clashed with an Israeli military force in Qabatiya, south of Jenin, in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The brigades said in a statement for Ma’an that they confronted an Israeli force armed with machine guns. [end] Palestinian attempts to stab a settler near Gush ’Etzion Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Bethlehem - Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian citizen accused of trying to stab an Israeli settler in a bus stop near Gush ’Etzion, south of Bethlehem, on Tuesday morning. Israeli radio reported an Israeli policeman as claiming that a Palestinian man had made a failed attempt to stab a settler. The policeman noticed the Palestinian holding a knife and shot in the air, then restrained the assailant with the help of a military force that was passing the area. The arrestee was taken away for questioning. [end] An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades tube-bomb an Israeli military jeep near Beit Jala Ma’an News Agency 2/20/2007 Bethlehem - An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), announced that they detonated an Israeli military jeep with a homemade tube explosive, on a street near Beit Jala, in the occupied Palestinian West Bank. The brigades said in a statement for Ma’an, "An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, was able to explode a tube explosive in an Israeli military jeep in the tunnel near Beit-Jala at exactly 17:00 on Monday evening." The brigades declared that Israeli-American conspiracies will not weaken the will of the Palestinians but will "fan the flames of the resistance. [end] Two inspectors of Be’er Sheva municipality arrested for assaulting a Palestinian International Middle East Media Center 2/20/2007 Israeli sources reported on Tuesday morning that two inspectors of Be’er Sheva Municipality were arrested on Monday for assaulting a Palestinian street vendor in the city. The Palestinian man filed a complaint against the two. An Israeli online daily reported that the street vendor was illegally residing in Israel; he filed a complaint that the two inspectors beat him near the Zoological Park, and left him there. He was found injured later on by an Israeli police patrol. The Israeli media source added that the police managed to identify the attackers and arrest them. The inspectors denied the charges and said that they only attempted to confiscate the seller’s supply of shoes since he is illegally selling in the Be’er Sheva Central Market. The police requested an extension of the remand of the inspectors and arrested the Palestinian street vendor... more.. Police thwart large-scale terror attack planned for Tel Aviv Ha’aretz 2/21/2007 Security forces on Tuesday thwarted a large-scale terrorist attack planned for Tel Aviv. Forces arrested a Palestinian resident of the West Bank and three other people at a Bat Yam house after receiving intelligence information from the Shin Bet security service. A senior member of the Islamic Jihad said the group had planned the attack and had sent one of their militants execute it. Two of the other Palestinians arrested at the Bat Yam house were identified as collaborators and all three were illegally residing in Israel. Following his arrest in Bat Yam, the suspect led investigators to the nearby city of Rishon Letzion, where he had hidden a bag filled with explosives. Police said the suspect confessed to planning to carry out an attack. He had apparently set out Tuesday morning from the Jenin area with the bag of explosives. more.. IDF worried Hamas may have advanced missiles Ha’aretz 2/21/2007 There are grave concerns among the defense establishment about the possibility that Hamas’ military wing in the Gaza Strip is now in possession of Sagger anti-tank missiles. Recently, Hamas and other Palestinian paramilitary groups have stepped up their efforts to acquire more advanced anti-tank weaponry. This stems, in part, from the relative success of Hezbollah guerrillas armed with anti-tank missiles against infantry and armored units of the Israel Defense Forces during last summer’s second Lebanon war. The IDF fears Hamas has succeeded in its efforts to smuggle Sagger-type missiles from Sinai to the Gaza Strip. It appears that the number of missiles is especially large. However, the mere fact that such a weapon may be in Hamas’ hands will affect the way IDF vehicles operate in the Gaza Strip... more.. Eco-tourism sector struggles to recover from wounds of war Daily Star 2/20/2007 RAMLIEH, Aley: Eco-tourism suffered greatly during the summer 2006 war with Israel, and one of the main victims was the Aley village of Ramlieh, where local investors and other stakeholders had been planning an extensive program before hostilities broke out on July 12. Ramlieh was at the vanguard of Lebanese villages seeking to cash in on eco-tourism, both because of its picturesque surroundings in Mount Lebanon and because of its prime geographic location - just 40 kilometers from Beirut. It is also the headquarters of the Association for Forest Development and Conservation (AFDC), a key partner for eco-tourism ventures. Because of the war last summer, though, most of the season was lost; Bou Ghanem said most of the 5,000 people who had made reservations over the Internet had cancelled. Only a few dozen showed up. more.. VIDEO - Part 1 of the "34-Day War" in Perspective, The 2006 Israeli offensive in Lebanon and its aftermath The Arabic Hour 2/10/2007 Video -- With presentations by Elaine Hagopian, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, Simmons College, and Ara Sanjian, Associate Professor of Middle Eastern History and Director, The Armenian Research Center, University of Michigan in Dearborn. Organized by Armenians and the Left Public Forum and co-sponsored by the Harvard Armenian Student Society and the Harvard Alliance for Justice in the Middle East, December 2006. Footage courtesy of DDTV. -- See also: The Arabic Hour more.. Palestinian shot near Rafah Crossing Jerusalem Post 2/16/2007 A Palestinian official at the Rafah border crossing with Gaza was wounded in shooting Friday that Egyptian security and border officials described as an assassination attempt. Mustafa Saad Jbour, a 25-year-old Palestinian officer on the Rafah checkpoint sustained several bullet wounds to the leg, Capt. Mohammed Badr of the Egyptian Sinai security service said. Badr said that Jbour, who was in hospital in the nearby El-Arish town, came under machine gun fire Friday evening in the Egyptian district, just a few hundreds meters (yards) from the Egypt-Gaza crossing, when masked militants in a speeding car sprayed him with bullets and fled the scene. The shooting came after Jbour had informed Egyptian authorities earlier in the week about uncovering a tunnel in the border city of Rafah... more.. Army invades Nablus, attacks houses and abducts five Palestinian men International Middle East Media Center 2/16/2007 On Thursday morning Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby Beit Ein Al Maie refugee camp, attacked residents’ houses and abducted five civilians. Soldiers and army vehicles stormed the city and the refugee camp and conducted wide scale house to house searches. Families stated that the troops forced them outside while they searched their houses. All five men were taken to an unknown detention camp. From Ein Al Maie refugee camp soldiers abducted Mujahid Abu Al Rish, 19, Tamier Abu Al Rish, 20, Marwan Abu Al Rish, 25, and Mohamed al Banna, 17. From Nablus, soldiers abducted Abu Sanier Al Kussa, 54, after searching his house. [end] Israeli army increases pressure on Salfit governorate, violent clashes in Marda Ma’an News Agency 2/16/2007 Nablus - The Israeli forces stepped up their presence in Salfit in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday. The Israeli forces stormed the village of Marda, located north of Salfit and the Ariel settlement bloc, amid intense gunfire and the shooting of stun grenades on Thursday. They ordered the village’s shopkeepers to close their shops without mentioning the reason. Confrontations erupted between youths in the village and the Israeli forces, during which Muhammad Sharif Ma’tuk, 19, was hit with a rubber bullet in his leg. The Israeli forces have recently tightened the siege on Marda, like many other villages and towns in the Salfit governorate. All side roads to Marda have been closed off with cement blocks, leaving the village with only one entrance/exit point. more.. Bethlehem suffering because of Israel’s land Confiscation Policy International Middle East Media Center 2/15/2007 Bethlehem and Jerusalem are the hardest hit this year by settlement expansion and land confiscation. Today in the south central West Bank Israeli forces said they will confiscate 17 dunams of land. Bethlehem and Jerusalem are the hardest hit this year by settlement expansion and land confiscation. Today in the south central West Bank Israeli forces said they will confiscate 17 dunams of land. Commander of the Central Region made the announcement. Western Bethlehem’s Batir Village land will be used for “military purposes,” and the Wall, according to the notices. The illegal Wall will run near the railroad that was built on land confiscated in 1948. Batir’s 3,000 residents will live in a virtual Canton. Their movement will be extremely hindered, and nearly cut off from both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. more.. East Jerusalem residents sustaining serious injuries as Israeli attacks continue Palestine News Network 2/16/2007 The gas bombs and concussion grenades that Israeli forces fired in East Jerusalem’s Tur neighborhood on Monday did not distinguish between children and adults or men and women. ince Israeli forces began the more noticeable phase of destruction at Al Aqsa Mosque’s Moroccans Gate, repression is up throughout the city. Throughout the week Israeli forces have imposed additional checkpoints, males under 45 years old cannot approach the Mosque, while sometimes that applies to females as well, arrests have skyrocketed and demonstrations are met with violence. And today is no better as Muslims are facing major restrictions on freedom of movement and worship as they try to reach Al Aqsa Mosque for noon prayers and demonstrations. more.. Israeli police arrest two West Bankers for robbing and torturing an elderly Israeli woman Ma’an News Agency 2/16/2007 Bethlehem - Israeli police have said that a special unit arrested two Palestinians from the West Bank for robbing and torturing an elderly Israeli woman. The Israeli police reported that the two arrested Palestinians were both aged 26 but did not disclose their identities, or where they are from in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli police accuse the men of robbing the house of a 78-year-old woman in Rehovot, an Israeli town south of Tel Aviv-Jaffa, torturing her and seriously injuring her. The woman was transported to hospital after the ordeal, according to the Israeli police. The police also claim that the two men were arrested in possession of a gold necklace and a ring, which they say belongs to the attacked woman. [end] Israeli army seizes seven Palestinians in West Bank arrest raids on Friday, undercover soldiers seize man from his shop Ma’an News Agency 2/16/2007 West Bank - The Israeli forces arrested 7 Palestinian in several cities in the West Bank on Friday at dawn. The Israeli ’Yedioth Ahranoth’ newspaper reported that the Israeli forces arrested four Hamas members in Ramallah, and another two, one Hamas and one Fatah, in Bethlehem. In addition, another Palestinian was arrested in the southern West Bank city of Hebron. An eyewitness also reported that undercover Israeli Special Forces abducted a Palestinian man in the village of Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya, on Friday. ’Abed Kadumi, 31, was in his private carpentry shop in Kafr Qaddum when Israeli soldiers, disguised as local Palestinians, broke in and seized him. Eyewitnesses said that he was taken away to an unknown destination. [end] Israeli forces arrest two members of Palestinian security forces in Bethlehem Ma’an Ne | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
