Conflict..

Palestinian fighters clash in Gaza AlJazeera 6/1/2006 At least 10 people have been killed in clashes since March -- A gun battle between members of rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah has erupted in the southern Gaza Strip, wounding three Fatah members, witnesses and medics say. The clash in the town of Khan Yunus early on Thursday disrupted a tenuous peace that had been in place since Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and Fatah leader, and the Hamas-led government of Ismail Haniya, began talks last week to try to end violence in Gaza. Fatah and Hamas traded blame over who began Thursday's gun battle. Fatah sources said its fighters were ambushed by Hamas men. Hamas said one of its fighters opened fire after his home came under attack. more.. Israel arrest operation in Nablus targets the wives and mothers of "wanted" Palestinians Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-The Israeli forces stepped up their military campaign in the city of Nablus on Wednesday morning. Six Palestinian citizens, including wives and mothers of "wanted" men belonging to the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades in Balata refugee camp in the east of Nablus, were arrested by Israeli forces early on Wednesday. The Ma'an correspondent reported that, according to Palestinian sources, the Israeli forces broke into several houses in the camp and arrested the wife of Najih Abu Shahin, who is wanted due to his affiliation to the Al-Aqsa Brigades, and the 51-year old mother of two wanted brothers, Khalil and Farid Abu Leil. Israeli forces also arrested Laila Abu Munif (17) and her brother Imad (22) after breaking into their house in Balata refugee camp. more.. Medics: Three hurt in clash between Palestinian gunmen in Gaza Ha'aretz 6/1/2006 A gunbattle between militants from the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah erupted in the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday, lightly wounding three Fatah members, witnesses and medics said. The clash in the town of Khan Younis disrupted a tenuous peace that had been in place since Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas, Fatah's leader, and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's Hamas-led government began talks last week to try to end violence in Gaza. Fatah and Hamas traded blame over who began the gunbattle. Fatah sources said its gunmen were ambushed by Hamas militants. Hamas said one of its gunmen opened fire after his home came under attack. more.. Palestinians: IDF missile fired at car in Gaza YNet News 5/31/2006 Palestinian medics, residents say Israeli Air Force missile fired at car but missed its target; security officials say explosion may have been detonated by terrorists on training exercise; IDF denies launching strike -- Just six hours after four Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev Wednesday, an explosion rocked Gaza City, causing no casualties, medics said, amid conflicting accounts over the cause of the blast. Palestinian medics and residents said an Israeli missile was fired at a car but missed its target. Palestinian security officials said the explosion may have been detonated by terrorists on a training exercise. Witnesses said the rocket was fired from a helicopter in the central part of the city toward a vehicle traveling in the Tel el-Hawa neighborhood... more.. Undercover Israeli forces arrest two Palestinian civilians in Jericho Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Jericho-Ma'an-Israeli Special Forces, disguised as Palestinian civilians, arrested two Palestinian citizens in Jericho's market on Wednesday afternoon. The Ma'an correspondent reported that undercover Israeli troops wearing Arab civilian clothes ("must'arabeen") entered the city in two civilian cars before breaking into an electronic equipment shop and arresting the owner of the shop, Zakariya At-Tahhat, 30, and Jadallah Swirkah, 28, who works in the Palestinian Intelligence. The correspondent added that a number of military vehicles broke into the city through the different entrances of the city in order to protect the Israeli Special Forces. [end] more.. Strangle-hold around Salfit tightened Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-The Israeli forces have set up a number of temporary military barriers at the entrances to the city of Salfit and surrounding villages and towns, subjecting all vehicles to inspection and preventing citizens from passing through the barriers. The Ma'an correspondent reported that, according to Palestinian sources, the Israeli forces had set up a number of temporary barriers, including one at the southern entrance to the city of Salfit, and others at the entrances to the towns and villages of Jama'en, Burdah, Bidya, Qarawat Bani Hassan and also between the villages of Farkhah and Qarawat Bani Zeid. It was also reported that the Israeli forces were preventing citizens and vehicles from passing. [end] more.. Palestinian shot during violent confrontation with bailiffs Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 A Palestinian in East Jerusalem sustained moderate to serious wounds Wednesday when he was shot in the stomach after stabbing a representative from an Israeli collection agency. Two officials from the agency had arrived at an apartment in the Wadi Juz area on Wednesday morning to carry out an order to seize property due to non-payment of debt. They became involved in an argument with the apartment's residents, and soon dozens of passers-by gathered at the scene. At some point, the apartment's residents attacked the two collection agency representatives, hitting one in the head and stabbing the other in the hand. One of the two officials pulled out a gun and shot the man in the stomach. [end] more.. Part of three houses in the Hebron governorate demolished by Israeli authorities Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Hebron-Ma'an-Israeli bulldozers demolished on Wednesday part of three houses in Am Lasfah, a village east of the Yatta, south-east of Hebron. In conversation with Ma'an, the Am Lasfah Village Council head, Jabir Hmidat, reported that the Israeli forces, backed up by one vehicle belonging to the Israeli Civil Administration, five military vehicles belonging to the border guards, and one bulldozer, raided the village and then started to destroy the annexes belonging to citizens' houses. The Israeli authorities claimed that the structures did not have licenses. Hmidat mentioned that the Israeli forces destroyed residential buildings, including kitchens and bathrooms that belonged to Ismail Awad and Muhammad Atiyah. more.. Israeli forces and police open fire on Palestinians in Jerusalem while collecting taxes Palestine News Network 5/31/2006 Israeli forces shot young Palestinian men in the Wadi Joz neighborhood of East Jerusalem Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, the officers came to the house escorted by the police to collect taxes from residents in the District. Upon entering a house, the Israeli forces demanded taxes due in a provocative manner, leading to a verbal altercation. Dozens of neighbors joined in to calm the situation. The witnesses added that the Israeli officer fired bullets at citizens, which led to the injury of the owner of the house and another man who owns an electrical appliance repair shot. He is hospitalized with injuries in the abdomen. He denied Israeli Radio claims that the young man stabbed the tax man. [end] more.. Arrests in Hebron, including 15 year old tenth grader Palestine News Network 5/31/2006 Israeli forces took several Palestinians from the western and southern Hebron District. Israeli soldiers claimed to find a mortar shell while searching a number of homes in Bani Naim Village east of Hebron in the southern West Bank. Official sources in the Palestinian Prisoner Society in Hebron reported that Israeli forces stationed at Junction Crossing west of Hebron, connecting Hebron to the Gaza Strip, made the arrests yesterday evening. The crossing is closed to Palestinians who cannot travel between the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Nonetheless, Israeli soldiers took 15 year old Raj Al Battat Mohammad to an unknown location. The tenth grader was on his way to visit his brother, a political prisoner in the Israeli Askelon jail. more.. Near-miss' for Israeli minister AlJazeera 5/31/2006 The rocket damaged the house of Peretz's neighbours -- Palestinian fighters firing rockets from the Gaza Strip hit a house near the home of the Israeli defence minister, according to Israeli media. The roof of a house about 100 metres from Amir Peretz's home in the town of Sderot was damaged on Wednesday by one of three rockets that Islamic Jihad members said they fired into southern Israel. The makeshift rockets are very inaccurate. The Israeli army said only that the rockets had landed in a residential area in Sderot. The attack was started a day after Israeli commandos, mounting the first ground raid in the Gaza Strip since Israel's withdrawal last year, killed three members of an Islamic Jihad rocket squad and a policeman who came to their aid. more.. Palestinian Monitoring Group Daily Situation Report, 28 - 29 May 2006 (PDF) Palestine Media Center 5/30/2006 JENIN: Closure of Road: The Israeli army continues to close with dirt barricades the unpaved detour road leading to the town of ‘Arraba east of the settlement of Dotan. Checkpoint: The Israeli army continues to close Tayasir checkpoint east of the town of Tubas, denying civilian access to the Northern Jordan Valley, except for holders of IDs issued in the Northern Jordan Valley and commercial trucks. The Israeli army also continues to install a surveillancecamera in order to observe the area surrounding the checkpoint. Wall Gates: Passage through the Wall gates is restricted to civilians granted special Israeli permits. Flying Checkpoints: At 17:00, the Israeli army set up 2 flying checkpoints, one at the southern entrance to the city of Jenin and the other on the junction to the town of ‘Arraba... more.. IDF, police expect violent response at outpost evacuations Ha'aretz 6/1/2006 The evacuation of three West Bank outposts, presumably within a few weeks, is likely to turn particularly violent, police and Israel Defense Forces officials believe. Senior military and police officers told Haaretz Wednesday they would not be surprised if some settlers were to resort to the use of arms in an effort to thwart the evacuation. The warning from the officers pertains to the outposts known as Skali Farm (near Elon Moreh), Arusi Farm (Bracha B) and Hill 725 (near Yitzhar). "It's not that they are digging defensive trenches and waiting there for us with weapons, but there will be people with arms there," a security source said. "In the heat of the struggle, individuals among them could certainly try to fire on the soldiers. This is not a notion that they shy away or recoil from. " more.. Marzel: Don't let Peretz sleep YNet News 5/31/2006 Extreme right-wing activist sends letter to residents of southern town advising them to not let their neighbor, Defense Minister Amir Peretz, sleep until rocket fire from Gaza Strip stops -- In a letter addressed to Sderot residents on Tuesday, extreme right-wing activist Baruch Marzel advised them on how best to stop Qassam fire from the Gaza Strip. Marzel told residents of the town, which suffers direct Qassam hits on a daily basis, to prevent Defense Minister Amir Peretz from sleeping by holding loud demonstrations outside his house in the Negev town until the Israel Defense Forces halts the attacks. "Time has come to stop being quiet. Sderot residents are invited to come to Amir Peretz' house and not allow him to sleep so long as Sderot residents are unable to live in peace," the letter read. more.. Officer accused of strangling pullout protestor YNet News 5/31/2006 Border Guard officer accused of assaulting protestor during settlers' demonstration at Kissufim checkpoint in July 2005; according to indictment, 'officer held plaintiff by his neck with two hands, squeezed his throat, chocked him' -- The Police Investigation Unit has filed an indictment against Yaniv Reuveni, a 28-year-old Border Guard officer from the southern town of Kiryat Gat. The officer was accused of attacking a Gush Katif resident during the evacuation of Gaza Strip settlements as part of the disengagement, Ynet learned Wednesday. According to the indictment, which accuses the officer of assault, was filed at the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court, on July 11 the plaintiff Elad Cohen participated in an anti-disengagement demonstration held at the Kissufim junction. more.. Police nab 3 Yitzhar settlers, detain rabbi YNet News 5/31/2006 Police arrest three Yitzhar settlers on suspicion they assaulted policemen at settlement earlier Wednesday, detain head of local yeshiva for questioning. Locals charge police were irresponsible to enter community after 'inflaming tensions' with residents in recent months -- Police arrested three settlers of Yitzhar on Wednesday on suspicion of attacking policemen in the West Bank settlement earlier in the day. Police said the three were arrested after being identified by police officers who suffered a hail of stones upon entering the settlement. The men have been remanded for interrogation. Rabbi Hoshaya Harari, head of one of the settlement's yeshivas, was also detained for questioning. more.. Farmer injured while working on his farm Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-Sa'ad Daraghmah (26) from Toubas was injured by an explosion while working on his farm in Tayasir, east of Toubas. Daraghmah's family said that he must have stepped on an explosive device while he was working on his farm, which led to him being injured on his hands and legs. [end] more.. Israeli Troops Infiltrate into Gaza, Shoot Reporters and Medics Palestine Media Center 5/30/2006 IOF Kill 8 Palestinians in West Bank, Gaza Strip in 24 Hours -- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) overnight Tuesday carried out the first Israeli military incursion deep into Gaza since August 2005, killed eight Palestinians during the last 24 hours, three of them extra-judicially, and attacked, shot and wounded reporters and medics while on routine duty in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. An IOF undercover unit infiltrated about three kilometres into the coastal area of the northern Gaza Strip, backed by naval and helicopter support, ambushed a group of Palestinian anti-Israeli occupation activists, and engaged the group in a five-hour battle, killing three of them. A member of the Force 17 presidential guard who rushed to the scene with medics for help was also killed. more.. Seven Palestinians and one Egyptian killed by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Jenin, Nablus and Gaza-Ma'an-Three Palestinians in the northern West Bank were killed by Israel forces early on Tuesday morning, and four in the northern Gaza Strip. In Qabatya, a town near Jenin, eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli Special Forces besieged a group of Palestinian fighters in the Ad-Dajani district; clashes broke out between the Israeli forces and the fighters which led to the killing of the Palestinian youth, Tariq Zakarnah (24), who is affiliated to the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al Quds Brigades, and also to the injury of a number of the Palestinian fighters including the leader of the group, Muhammad Abu Ar-Rub, who escaped with injuries. It is also reported that five Palestinian civilians from Qabatya were arrested, including one woman. About 50 Israeli military vehicles invaded the town... more.. Four houses in north Jerusalem demolished due to proximity to separation wall and for being "unlicensed" Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Jerusalem-Ma'an-The Israeli army authorities delivered on Monday four house demolition notices in the "Semiramis" region in the north of Jerusalem. Army sources claimed that the reason for the demolition of these four houses is their proximity to the separation wall while the Israeli municipality claimed that these four buildings were unlicensed. The Ma'an correspondent added that the decision to demolish these buildings came after the Supreme Court rejected on 25 March 2006 appeals from the four families against the decision to destroy their homes. [end] more.. IDF to step up special forces activity in N. Gaza Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 The Israel Defense Forces are planning to step up ground operations by special forces in the northern Gaza Strip. Senior officers told Haaretz Tuesday night that special forces operations against Qassam rocket-launching cells have proven fairly effective, while the international community thus far has been understanding of this practice. In one such operation Tuesday, an Israeli special forces unit killed four Palestinian members of a Qassam-launching cell in northern Gaza as they were preparing to fire a rocket at Ashkelon. The IDF said that small special forces teams have been operating in northern Gaza for about two months, but it finally decided to publicize it Tuesday, because the results of Tuesday's operation were impossible to hide. more.. Video - IDF hints at future ground operations in Gaza YNet News 5/30/2006 IDF eager to maintain 'feeling of being persecuted' among Gaza terrorists in a bid to halt Qassam fire; Senior southern command officer speaks to Ynet about army's pool of options in fight against Qassam fire -- (VIDEO) - The Israel Defense Forces said Tuesday that ground operations inside the Gaza Strip against Palestinian gunmen will continue, after a special commando unit backed by helicopters killed four Islamic Jihad terrorists preparing to fire Qassams into Israel. A senior Southern Command officer told Ynet Tuesday, that the successful ground operation instills a feeling among gunmen that they are being constantly persecuted by the IDF.... "Once they understand we are on the ground, in addition to artillery fire and aerial operations, their sense of being prosecuted intensifies. " more.. Collateral damage: Entire Gaza family By Gideon Levy, Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 The entire family of Hamdi Aman, a 28-year-old Palestinian from Gaza who spent his youth in Tel Aviv's Carmel market, was hit in the assassination of Islamic Jihad operative Mohammed Dahdouh in Gaza a week and a half ago. Aman's 7-year-old son Muhand was killed; Naima, his wife, 27, was killed; his mother Hanan, 46, was killed. His three and a half year old daughter Mariya is lying in the pediatric intensive care unit at Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, permanently paralyzed and on a respirator. Aman is not allowed to be with her. His youngest son, Muaman, 2, was lightly wounded by shrapnel in his back, and Aman himself was hit by shrapnel throughout his body. His uncle Nahed, 33, a father to two toddlers, is fully paralyzed and in critical condition.... The IDF Spokesman's Office also told Haaretz... 10 days after the assassination, that the IDF is "continuing to investigate in order to check the report that three Palestinians were killed as a result of the attack on Dahdouh's car. " more.. Israel kills three in West Bank raids AlJazeera 5/30/2006 Israeli troops have killed three Palestinian resistance fighters in pre-dawn raids across the occupied West Bank. In Nablus a man wanted by Israel was killed and another was wounded during an army raid on Balata refugee camp on Tuesday, medics said. In the northern West Bank village of Qabatia, an Israeli secret services unit exchanged fire with a group of fighters, killing a member of Islamic Jihad and wounding three others, witnesses said. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed the two operations, saying troops reported shooting three during clashes. In Anabta, close to the central West Bank town of Tulkarm, a Palestinian wanted by Israel was shot dead and three bystanders were injured in crossfire in an olive grove, witnesses said. more.. Palestinian gunmen kill couple they accused of aiding Israel Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Palestinian gunmen said they shot dead a man and a woman accused of collaborating with Israel in the West Bank on Tuesday. Abu Ala, a local commander of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades in Nablus, said the two were killed in separate shootings in the city. Gunmen killed Jafal Abu Tzrur, 24, in a refugee camp and the woman, 27, outside a hospital. Abu Ala said the two were lovers. "We carried out the death penalty after we were sure they were both collaborators with Israeli military intelligence," Abu Ala told Reuters. He said the couple passed on information that enabled Israel Defense Forces soldiers to kill three Al Aqsa militants in the Balata refugee camp in March. more.. Al Aqsa Brigades shoot dead a Palestinian youth in Balata refugee camp; they claim he was an Israeli collaborator Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Fatah Movement, shot dead a Palestinian youth in Balata refugee camp in Nablus on Tuesday afternoon, claiming that he had been collaborating with the Israeli occupation. Palestinian security sources confirmed to Ma'an that the Brigades shot the youth, Jafal Mahmoud Abu As-Surour (24) claiming he had been collaborating with the Israeli occupation and providing Israel with information that facilitated the Israeli assassination of a number of the Al Aqsa Brigades leaders and members in Balata and Nablus city. [end] more.. Two houses demolished in Brouqin, near Salfit; curfew imposed Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-Israeli troops raided on Tuesday morning the village of Brouqin, west of Salfit in the West Bank, and imposed a curfew on some parts of the village before demolishing two houses in the village. The Ma'an correspondent reported that about 30 Israeli military vehicles and two bulldozers raided the village and prevented the citizens from leaving their houses. The raid focused on the Al Baq'aan and Ash-Shayab regions where they started to demolish two houses, one belonging to Muwaffaq Abdul-Rahman and the other belonging to Abdul-Aziz Khatir. The reason given by the Israeli forces for the demolition of the two houses was that they were built without licenses and they are close to the separation wall and the border with Ariel, an illegal Israeli settlement established on the lands of the villages of Marda, Kufl Haris and Salfit. more.. Israeli Forces forcibly enter homes, arrest 4 Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Hebron-Ma'an-Israeli Forces arrested four Palestinians from Hebron early on Monday morning, after forcibly breaking into and entering their homes. The Ma'an correspondent reported that, according to Palestinian sources, the Israeli Forces arrested Shadi Maswadah (19), Rashid Rashad Maswadah (26), Ahmad Azidat (23) and Khalid Azidat (25). The sources added that the Israeli Forces took the arrested men to an unknown destination. [end] more.. On Hill 725, settlers believe they've won on the 'awareness' front Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 Many settlers have a near-worshipful attitude toward the Albert family, a sort of local nobility whose sons are dispersed among outposts and settlements. Boaz Albert established the outpost on Hill 725 ? (south of Yitzhar? ) five years ago, one of 12 outposts for which evacuation orders were recently renewed by the defense minister. Boaz's parents founded Kibbutz Alumim, and half a year before the evacuation of Sinai, they joined the first Atzmona, the one in the Rafah Salient that was ultimately removed from there. The Alberts were also among the founders of the second Atzmona, in Gush Katif, which was evacuated in the disengagement. The father, Haim, ran the famous nursery there, the settlement bloc's showcase. more.. 7 killed by IDF in Gaza, West Bank operations Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 A special forces unit yesterday attacked Islamic Jihad militants launching Qassam rockets from deep inside the Gaza Strip. Three members of the cell were killed. Israel Air Force helicopters shot and killed a fourth Palestinian who belonged to Fatah's Force 17. Meanwhile in operations in the West Bank, a Fatah activist was killed near Nablus and an Islamic Jihad member was killed near Jenin. The Israel Defense Forces had no injuries. The Gaza incident began near midnight on Monday. A special unit that had apparently been waiting for some time spotted the Palestinians moving between Beit Lahia and the ruins of the the Dugit settlement in northern Gaza. Soldiers opened fire, killing three Islamic Jihad militants. more.. Report: 3 killed in Gaza operation YNet News 5/30/2006 For first time since disengagement, special IDF unit enters heart of Palestinian territory in northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya, hits group of terrorists planning to fire Qassam rockets at Israel; Palestinians say three killed, eight wounded by IAF missile -- Ground operation inside Gaza Strip: For the first time since the disengagement, a special IDF unit entered Palestinian territories in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya Monday night, hitting a group of terrorists planning to fire Qassam rockets at Israel. Simultaneously, an IAF helicopter fired a missile at other gunmen in the area. Eyewitnesses reported that three Palestinians were killed and eight were wounded, but only one casualty arrived at the hospital so far. There were no injuries among the IDF soldiers. more.. Defense Minister: Gaza raids against Qassam fire will go on Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz vowed Tuesday that Israel Defense Forces operations against Qassam launch cells in the Gaza Strip would continue by air, sea, and land in order to prevent further rocket fire at Israel. Earlier in the day, IDF troops killed at least seven armed Palestinians in a number of raids early Tuesday in the territories, with the intention of countering Qassam fire in Gaza and arresting wanted militants in the West Bank. Special forces units, operating in a rare IDF ground operation deep inside the northern Strip, killed at least three members of an Islamic Jihad Qassam crew setting up to fire rockets into Israel in the pre-dawn hours. The clash was followed by Israel Air Force helicopter missile strikes in the same area, which killed at least one armed man... more.. Brigades launch projectiles at Israeli towns on Tuesday Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, launched two homemade projectiles into the Israeli town of Azata on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades said that the launching operation was in response to the Israeli aggressions against Palestinian civilians, journalists and children in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Meanwhile, the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Islamic Jihad Movement, launched one homemade projectile into the Israeli town of Askhelon on Tuesday afternoon. [end] more.. 3 arrested, including 2 brothers, in Qalqilia Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Qalqilia-Ma'an-Israeli Forces raided the At Tabbal region in the south of Qalqilia and arrested three Palestinians, claiming that they are affiliated to the Al Aqsa Brigades. They were taken to an unidentified location. The Ma'an correspondent reported that Israeli Forces, reinforced with military vehicles, surrounded an orchard near the city. They fired at it randomly before arresting brothers Fadi and Abdul Latif Daod and Muhammad Sasa'a (21). The Daod brothers work in the Palestinian Security Forces. [end] more.. Sources: 3 Palestinians killed in Gaza blast YNet News 5/26/2006 Palestinians in north Gaza say three members of same family killed after IDF shell dud brought by teens into their Beit Lahiya home explodes for unknown reason; earlier Palestinian farmer killed by IDF artillery fire -- Palestinian sources reported Friday that three members of the same family were killed during an explosion that took place in their north Gaza home. According to reports, two teens found an IDF shell outside their Beit Lahiya home and proceeded to carry it into the house. For some unknown reason the dud exploded, killing the teens and another family member; seven other people were injured in the explosion. more.. Israel kills four in Gaza clash AlJazeera 5/30/2006 Four Palestinian resistance fighters have been killed by a missile fired from an Israeli helicopter during a cross-border clash in northern Gaza, Palestinian officials say. Six civilians were also wounded in Monday's clash, including two ambulance staff and two radio reporters. The Israeli army confirmed the incident and said that troops had spotted militants preparing to launch rockets at Israeli targets. "The force spotted the militants and a gun battle followed in which an air force helicopter was also involved," a Israeli army spokeswoman said. There were no casualties among the Israeli force, she added.... In violence earlier on Monday, Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian fighter along the Gaza-Israel border, Palestinian and Israeli officials said. more.. IDF says most Hezbollah border posts destroyed in Sunday clash Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Israel destroyed most of the military positions of the Lebanese Hezbollah along the northern border, in the heaviest fighting since it withdrew its troops from southern Lebanon six years ago, the IDF's northern division commander said Monday. The Sunday rocket and artillery exchanges killed two Hezbollah guerrillas and wounded two Israeli soldiers. The cross-border fighting began when Hezbollah fired Katyusha rockets from Lebanon at Israel's northern Galilee region, hitting an air force base, then attacked Israeli outposts along the border. "Our main effort was to destroy the frontline that Hezbollah has built in the last six years," Colonel Gal Hirsch said, adding the pro-Iranian group had established dozens of frontline outposts along the border with Israel. more.. Tel Aviv within range of new Iran-supplied Hezbollah rocket By Ze'ev Schiff, Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Iran has equipped the Lebanese-based radical Islamic group Hezbollah with long-range rockets capable of hitting targets up to 200 kilometers away, putting all of Israel's major urban centers - including the southern city of Be'er Sheva - within striking distance. The solid-fuel rockets lack an independent guidance system and their accuracy is questionable but they can still cause considerable damage. According to intelligence estimates, the rockets are meant to strike non-specific areas, such as towns and cities, and carry a warhead estimated to weigh 600 kilograms. This latest development doubles the range of weapons previously in Hezbollah's arsenal. In this latest transfer of military technology, Iran is seeking to improve its strategic options against Israel rather than better Hezbollah's capabilities. more.. IDF officer: Next time we’ll hit harder YNet News 5/29/2006 Galilee commander says if army didn’t make its message loud in clear with shelling in Lebanon Sunday, it will hit even harder next time; Hizbullah clears ruins of targeted bases. Monday morning calm along border, but tensions running high -- Galilee commander says if army didn’t make its message loud and clear with shelling in Lebanon Sunday, it will hit even harder next time; Hizbullah clears ruins of targeted bases. On the day after the drama in the north, the IDF is assessing damages on the other side of the border and hoping that their message was delivered. “We hope that the operation’s message was understood loud and clear on the other side... ” more.. Nablus raided by Israeli forces from all directions; all entrances to the city closed off Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-Israeli troops raided the city of Nablus from all directions on Monday. Palestinian sources and eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli forces raided the city early on Monday morning, focusing on the Rafidia district and As-Sikkah Street. The raids were carried out amid gunfire and the launching of sonic bombs at the citizens. The sources added that clashes took place in Balata Refugee Camp between the Israeli forces and a number of citizens; explosions were heard in the area but no injuries were reported. Early on Monday morning, the Israeli forces closed all the military barriers that surround the city of Nablus. Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli forces closed the barriers of Beit Eiba, Huwwara and Za'atara, adding that later the Israeli forces partially reopened these barriers. more.. Two dead in Lebanon border clash AlJazeera 5/28/2006 Clashes between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters in Lebanon following a rocket attack on Israel have left at least two people dead. United Nations peacekeepers in the region have managed in the past few hours to negotiate a cease-fire despite sporadic gunfire, officials said. Local reports said the two dead were a fighter from Lebanon's Hezbollah group and a Palestinian fighter. The clashes began at dawn on Sunday, after Palestinian fighters fired rockets at northern Israel and Israeli aeroplanes responded with air strikes on Palestinian bases near the Lebanese capital, Beirut. Witnesses saw black smoke rising from a military base outside Beirut and another in the eastern Bekaa Valley, both run by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command (PFLP-GC) which is based in Damascus. more.. Defense officials: 486 km of fence to be completed by Jan. '07 Ha'aretz 5/27/2006 By the beginning of 2007, 486 kilometers of the separation fence will be completed, defense establishment representatives told Justice Minister Haim Ramon at a meeting late last week. This constitutes 93 percent of the 523-kilometer fence route (not including some 300 kilometers that are awaiting legal rulings). Defense officials had previously pledged to complete 95 percent of the route by year's end. Sources in Ramon's bureau said the fence will be built in such a manner as to prevent suicide bombers from entering sovereign Israeli territory, including East Jerusalem. However, construction will hold off for now on 20 kilometers of the route in the Gush Etzion region, which have yet to receive final legal authorization. more.. Seven killed and 23 injured in different Israeli aggressions last week: report ReliefWeb/Palestinian National Authority 5/27/2006 GAZA, Palestine, May 27, 2006 (IPC) - A statistical report documenting the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people asserted that Israeli occupation forces killed seven Palestinians and injured 23 others in one week throughout the different Palestinian provinces, committing 744 violations of the ceasefire declared on February 2005. The report, prepared by the Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC), asserted that Israel has continued using its war machine against the unarmed Palestinian population, in addition to violating their human rights and inflicting maximum damages upon them. These violations included shooting incidents, bombarding neighborhoods, incursions, establishing military roadblocks and frequent closures of towns and villages. more.. Mortar shell lands near IDF base YNet News 5/29/2006 Army fires more than 450 shells at northern Gaza Strip Monday, but fire continues; another shell, rocket land in open areas -- The Palestinians fire at the western Negev continued Monday night, as a mortar shell landed near the Nahal Oz army base, causing damage. Simultaneously, another shell and a Qassam rocket fell in an open area in the western Negev. There were no reports of injuries in all incidents. The rocket fire from the Gaza Strip toward Israel continued as the IDF launched an enhanced move Monday in terms of artillery fire at territories in the northern Strip. The IDF fired more than 450 shells at areas in the northern Gaza Strip in one day, using artillery batteries. more.. Brit admits to aiding Hamas YNet News 5/29/2006 British citizen of Pakistani origin arrested by Shin Bet on suspicion of aiding Hamas through his work for UK charity in Gaza -- Iyaz Ali, a British citizen of Pakistani origin, arrested by the Shin Bet three weeks ago, admitted to having aided Hamas through his work for a British Islamic aid organization in Ramallah and Gaza. Ali, 36, is a humanitarian aid worker for the Islamic Relief Worldwide organization (IRW). According to the Shin Bet, Ali funneled sums of money to Hamas operative and charities in the Gaza Strip through his work for the IRW. Ali, who was appointed as project manager in Gaza last December, told interrogators that he had transferred aid to Hamas charities al-Wafa and al-Salah, banned in Israel for backing a terror group and inciting against the Jewish State. more.. Video - Officer: Bullets flew between our legs YNet News 5/29/2006 (VIDEO) Sunday's tough battle on northern border provides unfolding dramas in worst fighting since IDF left Lebanon. Army commander: 'My soldiers operated in best possible way' -- VIDEO - The fighting that took place Sunday between the IDF and Hizbullah has been categorized as the worst and most significant since Israel left Lebanon. IDF officers said after the ceasefire that their hope is that the message got across, but that if Hizbullah decides to attack again the Israelis are ready with an adequate retaliation. Meanwhile, officials at the northern border took the time to summarize the events of the last 24 hours. "They had snipers fire at us from all directions. I saw the bullets hit the asphalt, and ricochet on us; I knew I had to evacuate the infantry force from there... " more.. Brigades launch home-made projectiles Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Al Asifah Forces, affiliated to the Fatah Movement and the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Fatah, launched three home-made projectiles into Sderot early on Monday morning. In a statement, the Brigades confirmed that the launch was in response to the Israeli Forces' massacres of Palestinians. The stated that they will continue their resistance until the end of the Israeli occupation. [end] more.. IDF stops would-be suicide bomber en route to Israel from West Bank Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Israel Defense Forces soldiers on Monday foiled two separate attempts to carry out terrorist attacks, one in the West Bank including a would-be suicide bomber, and, a short time, later a second in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, troops spotted two suspicious Palestinians near the settlement of Yitzhar, south of the city of Nablus. The two suspects began fleeing when the soldiers called on them to stop, throwing away a bag as they ran. The soldiers caught up with them a short time later. The bag was found to contain an explosives belt, which was safely detonated by IDF explosives experts. more.. Report: Senior PA security official says civil war 'inevitable' Ha'aretz 5/28/2006 Palestinian security forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas are planning an offensive against Hamas' military wing, heightening the specter of a factional civil war in the territories, [Rupert Murdoch's] Sunday Times reported. "Time is running out for Hamas," a Fatah security official told the London daily. "We'll choose the right time and place for the military showdown. But after that there will be no more of Hamas's militias. " "Civil war is inevitable," the official said. The official also accused Hamas of plotting to remove Abbas from power, citing intelligence data. "I read our daily intelligence reports about Hamas and know very well that these people are planning to overthrow our president by force," the official told the paper. -- See original report: Abbas loyalists threaten Hamas with civil war more.. Militants open fire, hurl bombs at IDF patrol in Nablus Ha'aretz 5/28/2006 Palestinian militants opened fire and hurled bombs at Israel Defense Forces troops in the West Bank city of Nablus Saturday night. The troops returned fire and none of them were hurt. During the Nablus operation the IDF arrested two wanted militants - a Fatah member and a Palestinian Front for the Liberation of Palestine operative. Troops also encountered fire near the West Bank village of Atzira a-Shimaliya, north of Nablus. There were no casualties and no damage was reported in the incident. [end] more.. Katyusha rockets return to northern border, bringing back memories Ha'aretz 5/28/2006 Kiryat Shmona resident Moshe Ohana has been invited to two weddings in the city on Sunday, but he doesn't know if he will attend. "In Tel Aviv, the biggest dilemma people face when going to a wedding is what to wear. Here the dilemma is which one of the parents will get to go at all. On a day like this, one of us has to stay with the children. We can't leave them with a baby-sitter," says Ohana. Ohana stands beside block 820 in the Eshkol neighborhood. This structure, like many others in the neighborhood, knows suffering. Four Katyusha rockets have hit this very building over the years, killing one of its inhabitants, Vadim Shuchmann. more.. Islamic Jihad vows revenge for killing of official in Lebanon Ha'aretz 5/27/2006 Islamic Jihad, blaming Israeli intelligence, vowed to retaliate against a car bombing in southern Lebanon on Friday that killed a leader of the organization and his brother. Mahmoud Majzoub, a member of the group's policy-making Shura Council body and its leader in Sidon, 40 kilometers (24 miles) south of Beirut, was walking with his brother Nidal near the central square of this coastal city, when a parked car was detonated by remote control, security officials said. Mahmoud Majzoub survived the explosion but died during surgery. His brother Nidal was instantly killed, said the security officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information, more.. Israeli shellings kill Palestinians AlJazeera 5/26/2006 Israeli artillery fire have killed four Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip, security sources and medics say. While three Palestinians died in the latest shelling on Friday, a farmer was killed by a shell earlier during the day. Medics at Kamel Adwan hospital said that the three died when the shelling hit a house. But some security sources told Al Jazeera that the shell had landed near a house in Beit Lahia and was dragged into the building by three young men, after which it went off and killed them. The Israeli army said it was checking the report of the shelling. Five more Palestinians were wounded in the shelling, medics said, adding that the dead men were in their 20s. Palestinian security sources said none of them were known to be affiliated to armed groups. more.. Gazans killed dismantling shells BBC 5/26/2006 The teenagers were going to sell the explosives, relatives said -- Three Palestinians have been killed in Gaza after attempting to dismantle unexploded Israeli shells found outside their home, relatives say. One of the shells went off when it was taken into the house, destroying the basement of the house and killing the three teenagers. Five other people were wounded in the explosion in Beit Lahiya. Medics had previously said the deaths were caused when an Israeli artillery shell hit a house. Israel had denied firing artillery at the time and suggested explosives at the house may have gone off prematurely. In another incident, a farmer died when Israeli shells hit his fields near Jabaliya refugee camp. more.. Palestinian dies of wounds sustained during Israeli shelling of Gaza Strip Ma'an News 5/26/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-Palestinian citizen Omar Abu Wardah, 54, died of the wound he sustained on Friday when the Israeli artillery shelled the area of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Abu Wardah was seriously injured when the Israeli artillery shelled his home. He was then transported to the Awdah hospital where he subsequently died. Another two Palestinians were injured in the shelling, Tariq Mahmoud Shehadah, 14, whose condition is described as critical, and another citizen whose condition is described as stable. [end] more.. Palestinian old man injured in Beit Lahia north of the Gaza Strip Ma'an News 5/26/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Palestinian citizen seriously wounded when the Israeli artillery targeted the area of Beit Lahia north of the Gaza Strip Friday. Ma'an correspondent reported that Omar Abu Wardah 54 years was seriously injured when he was hit by splinters of the projectiles shelled the are of Beit Lahia , Abu Wardah was standing near his home when he was injured. The man was transported to Awdah hospital; medical sources said that he is suffering of dangerous wounds. [end] more.. Four unarmed Palestinians arrested near Israel border in the Gaza Strip Ma'an News 5/26/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested four unarmed Palestinian men near the fence that separates the Gaza Strip and Israel in the north of the Gaza Strip early on Friday morning. Israeli sources said that the Israeli army arrested the Palestinians transported them to an unnamed destination. [end] more.. Palestinian man murdered child YNet News 5/28/2006 Anwar Ahdush carefully planned murder, lured eight year-old Lipaz Himi to stairwell where he raped, murdered her. Victim's mother: My girl was raped and murdered on Independence Day only because she is Jewish -- Cleared for publication: Lipaz Himi, the eight year-old girl whose body was found several weeks ago in a Beit Shemesh market, was raped and murdered by a Palestinian, the police investigation revealed. Police officials said that the 35-year-old Palestinian, Anwar Ahdush, carefully planned the murder, adding that the murder was a criminally, rather than nationalistically, motivated crime. more.. Gaza: Hamas-Fatah shootout kills Palestinian policeman YNet News 5/25/2006 Gunfight between Palestinian security forces and newly established Hamas militia leaves one police officer dead, four others wounded in latest outbreak of internal Palestinian fighting -- A gunfight between Palestinian security forces and the newly established Hamas militia Thursday afternoon left one police officer dead and four others wounded in the latest outbreak of internal Palestinian fighting, doctors and witnesses said. The death brought to at least 10 the number of people killed in internal violence over the past month. Both Hamas and the security force accused each other of sparking the shootout. The fight in Gaza City occurred when a group of police riding in a car on their way back from the funeral of a top security commander clashed with the new militia, security officials said. more.. Nine Palestinians, including three women and one child, killed this week International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 Israeli soldiers killed during this week nine Palestinian residents, including three women and one child, in several military attacks carried out in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Among the casualties, one Palestinian fighter who was extra judicially assassinated; one child,his mother and grandmother were killed in the attack, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights reported. On Saturday 20/5/2006, Israeli air force fired missiles at a vehicle of one of the fighters, of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, in Gaza city, and assassinated him. The three civilians who were killed in the strike were walking by the vehicle of the fighters when the army fired the missiles. The center added that the Israeli army confirmed the strike but ignored the civilian casualties in its report. more.. Israeli military says it is expanding four settlements in Qaliqilia area Palestine News Network 5/25/2006 One week ago heavily guarded Israeli bulldozers dredged the lands of Amatin Village, 15 kilometers east of Qalqiliya in the area known as Jabal Abu Suwayd. Farmer Al Haji Suleiman Ghanem, who owns 80 square dunams of land planted with olive trees, has lived in the area since the 1950s. His family relies on olive oil production. However, farmer Ghanem told PNN Thursday, “The occupation army prevented me from entering my land on Saturday. ”He added, “The dredging includes building roads and imposing iron columns, and I do not know what is their purpose, however it seems to be that they are taking my land for a settlement. ”An Israeli military spokesperson says they are expanding four settlements in the northwestern West Bank area... more.. Armed clashes in Jenin, raids in Bethlehem; 11 arrested Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Bethlehem-Jenin-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested 11 Palestinian citizens in many towns and cities in the West Bank on Thursday morning. According to Israeli sources, the Israeli soldiers arrested four Palestinians in Jenin area claiming they are Jihad activists. The sources said that armed Palestinian men shot at the Israeli patrols when they entered the city of Jenin to carry out the arrest. Palestinian security sources said that the forces raided Jenin refugee camp and clashes between armed Palestinians and the Israeli forces erupted both in the city of Jenin and in the refugee camp. The Ma'an correspondent reported that the Israeli forces broke into many houses and clashes and gunfire were heard in the city but no casualties were reported. Four citizens were arrested. more.. Erekat slams Israeli decision to allow Jews to enter al-Aqsa mosque China View 5/25/2006 RAMALLAH, May 25 (Xinhua) -- Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat Thursday denounced a decision of Israeli police to allow extremist Jews to enter the al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem. Guards of the Temple Mount, a Jewish group, has recently got permission from Israeli police to enter the al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem. "This dangerous development comes in the context of Israeli aggression and assassinations which aim to inflame the region and worsen the situation," Erekat told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He said that the Palestinian National Authority will hold contacts with the international quartet to stop the Israeli escalation. Meanwhile, The Fatah movement called on the Palestinians, basically Jerusalem residents, to travel to the al-Aqsa mosque and defend it. [end] more.. Qabalan, town south-east of Nablus, placed under curfew Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-Israeli forces broke into the town of Qabalan, south east of the city of Nablus, on Thursday morning, and imposed a curfew on the town. Local sources said that confrontations erupted between the citizens and the Israeli forces and at least one Palestinian was injured as a result of tear gas used by the Israeli soldiers. The sources added that the forces entered the village from many sides and announced the curfew through loudspeakers. The soldiers also used gas and sonic bombs intensively to disperse the demonstrators. [end] more.. Four arrests in Nablus on Thursday morning, including the wife of a "wanted" Palestinian, and reports of a roadside bomb Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested the wife of a "wanted" Palestinian and three other citizens in the city of Nablus on Thursday morning after carrying out a raid of the old city of Nablus. The Ma'an reporter said that the Israeli forces broke into the house of Fadi Qafishah early in Thursday morning for the third time this month and arrested his wife, Samiah Istaitiyeh. Three other citizens were arrested in different parts of the city of Nablus. It was also reported that the Al Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing affiliated to Fatah, detonated a roadside bomb in Nablus when an Israeli military jeep passed next to it. The Brigades reported that the jeep received a direct hit. This was not confirmed by other sources. [end] more.. Five new temporary checkpoints set up between Salfit and northern villages Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-Israeli forces erected five temporary checkpoints in the Salfit area on Wednesday evening. The barriers were set up on the road between Salfit and the villages north of the city with one kilometer between them. This caused great obstruction to people's movement in the area in general. One citizen reported being stopped five times at the barriers and as a result, delayed for a long time. [end] more.. Israeli forces raid Nablus at dawn again today, taking three Palestinians to unknown locations Palestine News Network 5/25/2006 At dawn during the daily raids, Israeli forces took Samia Kafishah from the Old City of Nablus to an unknown location. Her 27 year old husband, Fadi, was imprisoned in the past. Eyewitnesses told PNN that Israeli soldiers broke into the woman’s home and took her directly to a military jeep. In Balata Refugee Camp, Israeli forces took two young men to unknown locations, including 25 year old Ziad Abu Adis and 22 year old Abdul Rahman Al Hefnawi. Eyewitnesses said Israeli soldiers took a young man as a human shield during the raid in Balata Camp under the pretext of looking for brothers in the same neighborhood. Some members of the armed resistance returned military fire during the invasion, and as Israeli forces withdrew a large explosion was heard emanating from the city center. more.. An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades launch projectile at Yameet, north of Gaza Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Khan Younis- Ma'an-The An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Palestinian Resistance Committees, have claimed responsibility for the launching of a homemade projectile at Yameet, an Israeli town north of the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. In a statement issued Wednesday evening, the Brigades said that the launching was in retaliation for the Israeli crimes, the latest being the incidents in Ramallah in which four Palestinians were killed and dozens injured. [end] more.. Al Aqsa Brigades launched five projectiles at Sderot on Thursday morning Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Al Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing affiliated to Fatah, have claimed responsibility for the launching of five homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday morning. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Brigades said that the launching of the projectiles was a reaction to the Israeli killings and crimes against the Palestinian people. [end] more.. Israeli forces imprison families; forbid driving in Nablus invasion International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 Palestinians in southern Nablus were held under curfew while dozens were imprisoned in small rooms since Wednesday. Early this morning Israeli forces finally left. Lawyer Zayed Omran reported that Israeli soldiers invaded his home at six in the evening yesterday and forced his 20 member family, including women and children, to stay in one room, while the soldiers occupied the rest of the house, turning it into a military installation. His family was without water or medication for his elderly diabetic family members..... Israeli forces have also imposed a ban on driving in the town under the pretext that youth threw stones at invading Israeli military vehicles. more.. Israeli forces invade, impose curfew on Qabalan, southeast of Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 Israeli forces invaded the town of Qabalan, south east of the city of Nablus, on Thursday morning, and imposed a curfew on the town. Local sources said that confrontations erupted between the citizens and the Israeli forces and at least one Palestinian was injured as a result of tear gas used by the Israeli soldiers. The sources added that the forces entered the village from many sides and announced the curfew through loudspeakers. The soldiers also used gas and sonic bombs intensively to disperse the demonstrators. [end] more.. Army annexes five Dunams of Assira Al Shamalia village lands near Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The Israeli army annexed five Dunams of Assira Al Shamalia village lands, near the West Bank city of Nablus, Thursday. The orders were signed by the Israeli Army Central Command office and stated that the lands will be annexed for the use of the Israeli army from January 2006 to December 2007, the municipality of the village said. Also the orders stated that the owners of the lands should go to the District LIason Office near Nablus for compensation, the municipality said. [end] more.. Army installs new military watch tower at Al Arop refugee camp in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The israeli army have installed a new military watch tower at Al Arop refugee camp in the West Bank city of Hebron, Thursday morning. The watch tower's installation was completed today,and was built on land belonging to Ibrahem Tokar from the nearby village of Beit Omer, residents reported. The army has now put the camp under total siege, soldiers are searching anyone passing the tower checking ID cards, the residents added. [end] more.. Army arrest resident from Beita village and turns a house into a military post International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The Israeli army invaded the village of Beita south of the West Bank city of Nablus, arrested two residents and turned a house into a military post, Thursday morning. Ihssan Adly, 50, who works as a Palestinian Authority national security officer, was arrested along with his son after troops searched their home, both were taken to unknown locations, the family reported. Soldiers took over a house in the village, detaining the family in one room before using the roof as a military post, local sources reported. [end] more.. Army installs a military checkpoint at Tamon village entrance International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The Israeli army installed a military checkpoint at the entrance of Tammon village east of the West Bank city of Tubas, Thursday morning. Soldiers stopped residents and cars, searched them and checked the Id cards of the passengers, several residents were detained at the checkpoint, local sources said. Troops chased cars that tried to bypass the checkpoint on nearby farm road, the sources added. [end] more.. Army arrest three residents at a random military checkpoint north of Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The Israeli army arrested three residents at a random military checkpoint north of the West Bank city of Nablus, late on Wednesday night. Of those known from the three was Hussam Thaher, 29 from Sida village the two are from Alar village near Tulkarem, but their names have not been released, all were taken to unknown destinations, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Four residents arrested from Borqen village in Jenin International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2006 The Israeli army arrested four residents from the village of Borqen in the West Bank city of Jenin, Thursday at dawn. The arrestees were identified as Mostafa Sobeh, 20, Majdi Massad, 20, Rajee Amodi, 27, Qaisser Abu Ghanem, 30. All were taken to unknown destinations, villagers said. More than 20 army vehicles invaded the village and soldiers conducted house-to-house searches before arresting the four, the villagers added. more.. IDF shells Gaza Strip launch areas following Qassam hits Ha'aretz 5/25/2006 The Israel Defense Forces directed heavy artillery fire at Qassam rocket launch areas in the northern Gaza Strip on Thursday morning. The IDF Spokeswoman said that by Thursday noon some 150 shells were fired at the Gaza Strip, Israel Radio reported. The shelling came in retaliation for two Qassam rockets that hit open areas in the western Negev before dawn Thursday. No casualties or damage were reported. In routine overnight arrest raids in the West Bank, the IDF arrested 11 wanted Palestinian militants. Troops encountered gunfire during a raid in the town of Qabatiyah south of the city of Jenin. No casualties or damage were reported in the incident. more.. Father and son arrested in Nablus on Thursday morning Ma'an News 5/25/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian preventative security officer and his son from their village of Bita, south of Nablus, on Thursday morning. Palestinian source said that many Israeli military vehicles raided the village and arrested Ihsann Adaily, 46, and his son Wadah, 25, after breaking into their house. The Israeli forces took the two men to an unknown destination. [end] more.. Ignoring Military Incursions Palestine Monitor 5/25/2006 Four Palestinians killed and seventy injured during Israeli military incursion into Ramallah. -- Four Palestinians were killed after being fired upon with live bullets in the central square in Ramallah on Wednesday during an Israeli military incursion. One Palestinian died after being hit in the head by an exploding bullet, another after being struck in the chest by a high velocity bullet. Another seventy Palestinians were injured, fifteen severely, and five arrested. The dead include one Palestinian police officer, and the rest unarmed youths.... At approximately 2:30 pm on Wednesday, Israeli military jeeps accompanying the undercover Duvdevan unit entered Manara square on Ramallah's main street as part of a supposed arrest operation. more.. Housing Min. seeks NIS 32m to guard Jews in E. Jerusalem Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 The Housing Ministry has requested NIS 32 million in the 2006 budget to provide security for the residents of Jewish enclaves in the heavily Palestinian neighborhoods of East Jerusalem. The budget request appears despite the fact that former housing minister Isaac Herzog (Labor) announced last year that his ministry would cease allocating funds for this purpose. Herzog had said that he was adopting the recommendation of a public committee that he appointed to investigate this practice. The committee, headed by reserve major general and former Labor MK Ori Orr, recommended that responsibility for financing these guards be transferred to the Public Security Ministry. Peace Now Secretary General Yariv Oppenheimer was furious yesterday over the ministry's failure to keep this promise. more.. Four Palestinians killed in Israeli raid AlJazeera 5/25/2006 Four Palestinians have been killed in an Israeli arrest raid in the centre of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Israeli troops and Palestinian militia members exchanged gunfire after Israeli armoured vehicles entered the centre of the city. At least 50 other Palestinians were wounded by live gunfire and others by rubber bullets, the director of Ramallah's hospital said. Mohammed al-Shubaki, a leading member of the Islamic Jihad group, was arrested during the Israeli operation. The Israeli killings in the West Bank came on the eve ofPalestinian cross-party crisis talks in Ramallah designed to put a lid on factional violence. And Mahmud al-Zahar. the Palestinian foreign minister, accused Israel of seeking to scuttle Thursday's talks by escalating the violence in the Palestinian territories. more.. Hamas suspected as bomb attack kills Gaza security commander The Guardian 5/25/2006 Victim was loyal to Palestinian president · Shots exchanged as body taken to morgue -- A security force commander loyal to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, was killed in an attack on his car in the Gaza Strip yesterday, sharpening tensions between Hamas and Fatah that have now claimed 10 lives this month and prompted warnings of civil war. Nabil Hodhod, the commander for the central region of the Gaza Strip for the elite Preventive Security Service, was killed by an explosion that was suspected to be either a hand grenade thrown into his vehicle or a bomb planted under it. Two of his colleagues were wounded.... Shooting broke out at Gaza City's Shifa hospital between Hamas and Fatah gunmen after Mr Hodhod's body was taken to the morgue there. more.. Hamas fighters on high alert as members' targeted Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Khan Younis-Ma'an-The Al Qassam Brigades have called upon its' fighters to stay on alert to frustrate what it said was, " the conspiracy which has been cooked up against its members. "This declaration came after one of its members, Salim Qadeeh, was killed in Khan Younis on Wednesday. The Brigades issued a statement in which they said that current events against members of the Brigades are part of the Israeli American conspiracy against Hamas. Some Palestinian factions are working with them try to weaken Hamas steadfastness. The statement said that those who committed these crimes will be chased and punished. more.. Despite High Court ban, settlers occupy Matityahu East homes Palestine Monitor/Ha'aretz 5/24/2006 At least two settler families moved Tuesday into apartments in a neighborhood of the West Bank settlement of Upper Modi'in that was built illegally on land belonging to the neighboring Palestinian village of Bil'in. The move is in flagrant disregard of a Supreme Court injunction forbidding the occupation, transfer of ownership, or use of structures in the Matityahu East neigborhood. Palestinian farmers reported Tuesday afternoon that they had witnessed from their fields two families in the neighborhood unloading their belongings from moving trucks.... Attorney Michael Sfard, who represents Bil'in residents, called the police, who arrived after he threatened to a file motion charging the them with contempt of court unless they stopped the settlers. But the arrival of police did not deter the settlers from moving in. more.. Army forbids a farmer to build his family house, bulldozers demolish it International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 Several Israeli army vehicles, accompanied by three bulldozers / drills, invaded the village of Funduq near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia at the early hours of Wednesday morning. Within minutes, bulldozers started to demolish one house and several agricultural structures between the villages of Funduq and Hajja, local sources reported. The house was under construction and planned to house a family. The owner, Salim Odeh said he had spent most of his savings to build this house for his family. He added that he stopped building after receiving a demolition order and fulfilled all the requirements to get a permit for the house, but he was told there is no way to “legalize” it and his appeal against the demolition order was subsequently rejected by the Israeli court. more.. Army bulldozers demolish several buildings and barns in Al Fonduq village International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 Israeli army bulldozers demolished several buildings and farm sheds in Al Fonduq village, near the West Bank city of Qalqilia. The bulldozers demolished a house belonging to Salem Abas from the village, and also demolished a wall around farmland that belongs to Hakam Abu Tabikh, local sources reported. Barns under construction were leveled by the army during the invasion. The army has destroyed more than 30 buildings in the village since April 2005, claiming that they were constructed without building permits. Since 1967, no permits have ever been issued by Israel to Palestinians who wished to build on their land. Local residents point to illegal Israeli settlement expansion onto Palestinian land as the reason for the ongoing demolitions in the area. [end] more.. One killed from Al Qassam in southern Gaza Strip this morning Palestine News Network 5/25/2006 A member of Al Qassam Brigades, the armed resistance wing of the Hamas political party, was killed this morning after being kidnapped at dawn east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Two others were injured. According to preliminary details of the incident and narrated by young people who survived the incident and eyewitnesses, a car was attacked at dawn. Three young men from Al Qassam were inside after having attended early prayers in the area Mosque. Unknown persons attacked the people in car, striking them with steel bars and then abducting them at gunpoint. After about half an hour during which they were subjected to beatings, the three youths were forced to stand up against a wall. The unknown persons then opened fire, injuring two in the legs and abdomen. more.. Hamas condemns attack on its members outside mosque Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Hamas movement has condemned the killing of Salim Qadeeh and the injury of two other Izzedine Al Qassam members in Abasan, east of Khan Younis, by unknown armed men on Wednesday morning. Musheer Al Masri, Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) member described those who are shooting at the Palestinians as "night bats" which target Hamas members in the mosques. This is what happened this morning, when the three were kidnapped and beaten after they left the mosque. One was killed and two were injured after they were shot. Al Masri accused what he called, "the death squad" which works for the Preventative Security of being responsible for this and many other crimes. He called for the Interior Ministry and Preventative Security apparatuses to expose these "criminals", who he said are working for the Israelis. more.. Hamas fighters abducted in Gaza AlJazeera 5/24/2006 Unknown gunmen have kidnapped three Hamas fighters and shot them in the legs, killing one of the men. The men were carried off into a car as they left a mosque at dawn after morning prayers in the town of Khan Yunus, officials and witnesses said on Wednesday. They were then beaten and shot in the legs before being dumped at a petrol station. One of the injured men later died in hospital, medical sources said. Although no one has claimed responsibility for the incident, one Hamas official blamed rival Fatah gunmen loyal to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. Bitter struggle: The two sides have been engaged in a power struggle since Hamas won elections in the Palestinian territories earlier this year. more.. Twelve arrests across the West Bank Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Qalqilia-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested two Palestinian brothers who were traveling to work from their village of Nabi Ilia on Wednesday. Raed Mohammad Radwan, 28, and his brother Jihad, 23, were arrested by Israeli forces Wednesday morning and taken away to an unknown destination. Another twelve Palestinians were arrested in several cities, towns and villages in the West Bank under the Israeli 'charge' of being "wanted. [end] more.. Palestinian run over by Israeli miltary jeep near Jenin Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-Palestinian citizen Mohannnad Zaki Abu Bakir, 29, was injured when an Israeli military jeep ran over him while he was riding his motorcycle on the main road near the town of Yabad, south west of Jenin. Abu Bakir was transported to the government hospital in the city and is said to be suffering from moderate wounds and bruises. [end] more.. Israeli Forces raid Qabatia,Yamoun and Kofrdan, arrest 1 Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Jenin-Ma'an–Israeli Forces arrested a Palestinian resident of Qabatia, south of Jenin, in the north of the West Bank early on Wednesday morning. Israeli Forces raided the town and broke into many homes in the town. They arrested Ala'a Zakarnah (22) and took him to unknown location. Israeli Forces said that Zakarnah was an Islamic Jihad activist and that they found an M16 machine gun at his home during the search. The Forces also raided the villages of Yamoun and Kofrdan, west of the city and launched a search campaign in the villages. [end] more.. Army arrests two children and imposes curfew in Howwara town International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 The Israeli army arrested two children at midday during an invasion to the town of Howwara south of the West Bank city of Rammallah, on Wednesday. Yunis Damidi, 16, and Sanad Isma'el, 15, were arrested when troops entered the town and provoked students leaving school, local sources saidNo clashes occurred but the soldiers arrested the two children anyway, and imposed a curfew on the town. [end] more.. Israeli Forces arrest Al Aqsa activist Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Jericho-Ma'an-Israeli Forces arrested Al Aqsa Brigades' activist Tariq Zay'youd (31) after surrounding him in his house. The Ma'an reporter said that more than twenty Israeli military vehicles forcibly entered Jericho and surrounded the eastern neighborhood of the city. They launched a search campaign during which they broke into many houses. They exploded sonic bombs and used police dogs during the raid on Jericho. [end] more.. Brigades launch RPG Ma'an News 5/24/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Fatah movement and the Abu Ali Mustapha Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the PFLP, launched an RPG at an Israeli military tower in Johr Ad'deek in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. In a joint statement, the Brigades said that they hit the tower directly. A second Israeli military patrol was attacked by the brigade in the same area. The statement added that this operation is in retaliation for the Israeli crimes and killing of Palestinian people. [end] more.. Army invades Mithlon village, south of Jenin International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 The Israeli army invaded the village of Mithlon, south of the West Bank city of Jenin, Wednesday morning. Troops stormed the villagers' homes and the municipality building, then forced all municipal workers out and removed the Palestinian flag from the building, local sources reported. The soldiers then took up positions near the local school and fired tear gas at the students in their classrooms, eyewitnesses said. [end] more.. Settlers continue to install barbed wire around annexed Palestinian land in Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 The Israeli settlers from Rotem settlement continued to install barbed wire around annexed Palestinian land belonging to Tubas West Bank city residents, Wednesday morning. The settlers are increasing the number of the olive trees planted on the stolen lands and guard dogs are being let loose in order to keep the original owners off of the land, residents said. The lands were annexed by the Rotem settlers two years ago who started plant olive trees, the residents added. [end] more.. Army arrests two residents from Hebron and takes over a house in Dora village International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 The Israeli army arrested two residents from the West Bank city of Hebron and took over a house to use as a military post in the nearby village of Dora, Wednesday morning. Mohamed Al Dowik, 19, and Rami Alamah, 25, were arrested when troops conducted a wide-scale search campaign in the city, then both were taken to unknown locations, local sources reported. Troops took over the house of Maher Ghanem, from the nearby village of Dora and turned it into a military post. All family members are still locked in one room of the house are not allowed to enter the other rooms or leave the house, eyewitnesses said. [end] more.. One killed and two injured by unknown gunmen in east Khan-Younis International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 Mohamed Kadih, 22, died of wounds he sustained on Wednesday at dawn when unknown gunmen fired at him in east Khan Younis in the Gaza strip. Also, Salah Kadih and Na'el Kadih were injured in similar incidents. All were taken to Al Nasser hospital in the city, medical sources reported. According to local residents, unknown masked men abducted the three,; they were found injured near a gas station in the town of Khan-Younis. [end] more.. Army invades Qabatia village and arrests one resident International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 Ala Zakarna, was arrested when troops invaded Qabatia, south of the West Bank city of Jenin, Wednesday at dawn. Troops invaded the town, searched several homes and interrogated residents before taking Zakarna to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported. The West Bank area of Jenin has recently witnessed an increase of army activity in which the army has installed military checkpoints and inspected cars and persons passing along the main streets linking the city of Jenin with the surrounding towns and villages. [end] more.. Army arrest several residents from Nablus during the ongoing military operation International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2006 Israeli troops arrested three residents during an ongoing military operation in the West Bank city of Nablus, Wednesday morning. In the old city of Nablus, troops stormed residents' homes and searched them before arresting Samier and his brother Sameer Al Sarbesi. Meanwhile, another force invaded Ein Al Maie refugee camp west of the city and soldiers surrounded the house of Lou'e Harz Allah, 22, then arrested him, eyewitnesses reported. Army vehicles and troops stormed the city from several directions and shot tear gas, live rounds and sound bombs randomly at the residents' homes causing panic-related injures, residents said. [end] more.. Militants killed as Gaza is gripped by feuding The Independent 5/25/2006 A Fatah area security commander was killed in an explosion when his car was attacked by armed men in Gaza City last night. The killing came after a day of violence in which a Hamas militant was shot dead by masked gunmen. A security source said Nabil Hodhod, head of the Fatah-dominated Preventative Security Service in central Gaza, was killed when a grenade was thrown at his car. A colleague was wounded in the attack. The incident brings the number of Palestinians killed in factional violence this month to ten as an intensifying power struggle takes place among Palestinians over control of the security services between the elected Hamas government and the former Fatah regime. more.. Four Palestinians killed, 35 hurt in gunbattle with IDF in Ramallah Ha'aretz 5/24/2006 Four Palestinians were killed and 36 others were wounded Wednesday in fierce gunbattles between Israel Defense Forces soldiers and Palestinians in Ramallah on Wednesday. The clashes erupted when troops entered the West Bank city to arrest militants, Palestinian security officials said. Israel Radio reported that undercover troops from the elite Duvdevan unit arrested a member of the militant Islamic Jihad organization in the city. The detainee was later named as Mohammed Shubaki from the West Bank city of Qalqilyah. Islamic Jihad, in a telephone call to The Associated Press, confirmed the arrest, and Palestinian officials said five militants in total were arrested. Shubaki's family said he was released from an Israeli prison last year after serving 20 months of a 20-year sentence. more.. Al-Zahar spits on officer demanding wages YNet News 5/24/2006 Verbal scuffle erupts as Palestinian foreign minister waits at Rafah crossing to enter Egypt when policeman asks minister’s chauffeur to inquire when employees would be paid their salaries. Al-Zahar reportedly unleashes string of curses and the two nearly come to blows -- At the climax of an atypical verbal scuffle, which broke out Tuesday morning at the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt, Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar spit in the face of a police officer who demanded his wages. When al-Zahar arrived at the crossing on his way to Egypt, from where he planned to tour various destinations in Asia, he heard a police officer at the border request of his driver to ask when salaries – which haven’t been paid since the beginning of March – would be paid. -- See also: Zahhar, on way to China at start of Asia tour, asked about salaries by police at border crossing more.. Israel Kills 5 Palestinians, Expands Settlements Palestine Chronicle 5/23/2006 He was hit as he returned home from hospital, where his wife had just given birth to a daughter, a hospital official later said. -- NABLUS, West Bank - Israeli occupation troops killed Sunday, May 21, a Palestinian woman in a pre-dawn raid on the Balata refugee camp in the West Bank, hours after the killing of four Palestinians in Gaza, including a senior Islamic Jihad commander and a four-year-old boy. Aisha Abu M'Salaam, 48, was killed by an Israeli bullet during exchanges with Palestinian fighters near her home, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). A source said that an Israeli army unit in jeeps was fired at by Palestinian gunmen as it attempted to enter the camp and responded in kind. An army spokesman confirmed the incursion and said that the Palestinians had opened fire but denied that the troops had shot back. more.. IDF arrests most-wanted Hamas bomb mastermind in West Bank Ha'aretz 5/23/2006 After an eight-year manhunt, Israeli security forces early Tuesday seized the Ramallah-area commander of Hamas' military wing, Israel's most wanted man in the West Bank. Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, 41, has been wanted since 1998 for terror attacks that claimed the lives of 78 civilians and Israel Defense Forces soldiers. Hamed was arrested at a hideout in the al-Balua neighborhood of Ramallah, surrendering to a combined force of Israel Defense Forces troops from the Duchifat infantry battalion, the Shin Bet security service, and the police's Yamam anti-terror unit. The force surrounded the house in which Hamed was staying, but Hamed refused calls to come out. The troops then opened fire on the house, and when a bulldozer began to push against the walls of the structure, Hamed emerged, alone and apparently unarmed. more.. Nine year old child injured by army fire in Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2006 A 9-year-old child was injured by an Israeli bullet after the army entered the west Bank city of Tobas, Monday morning. An IMEMC reporter in the area said that troops stormed the city and opened fire on local youth standing in the street. The name of the child still remains unknown. [end] more.. Army invades Nablus, arrests 16 residents International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2006 Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers invaded the West Bank city of Nablus and Balata refugee camp and arrested 15 students from Al Najah Univercity in the city. One Palestinian policeman was also arrested. Soldiers and army vehicles stormed the residents' homes and surrounded student dorms in the city. Abeb Afanah, 37, was arrested when Israeli forces searched his house in the city. Abed is a Palestinian Authority police officer andworks in the city. Meanwhile soldiers attacked the residents' homes and shops in the nearby Balata refugee camp; no arrests were made. The military operation is ongoing. Israeli army sources said this military operation, that started Tuesday morning, aims at arresting what the army describes as "wanted" residents. [end] more.. Aqsa Brigades member arrested in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2006 Thursday at night, Israeli soldiers invaded West Bank city of Bethlehem and arrested a resident, said to be a member of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, Palestine News Agency reported. Troops, supported by eleven military vehicles invaded Bethlehem through the nearby city of Beit Sahour, and through the northern entrance of Bethlehem, near Rachel Tomb, and drove through the streets until reaching Hindaza neighborhood, in Bethlehem. Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers surrounded one home in Hindaza and ordered the residents to step out raising their hands over their heads, and arrested one resident identified as Ziad Dakhlallah, 31. more.. Israeli forces invade Jenin area, take five Palestinians to unknown locations including three Al Aqsa leaders Palestine News Network 5/23/2006 Palestinian security sources reported Tuesday morning that Israeli forces took five Palestinians, including three Al Aqsa leaders, from the Jenin District to unknown locations. Included in the northern West Bank arrests were three from Qabatiya Village, all leaders from Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed resistance wing of the Fateh political party. Twenty Israeli military patrols invaded Qabatiya, southwest of Jenin City, besieged the Western neighborhood and closed the area. Israeli forces would not allow citizens or ambulances to move, while they stormed homes in an invasive search campaign. An eyewitness, Fadi Deibs, told PNN that the Israeli army surrounded a building belonging to a family member and forced residents to leave their apartments, detaining them for eight hours. more.. IDF conducts Gaza invasion drills YNet News 5/23/2006 Southern Command says troops conducted drills based on blueprints of ground operations in the Gaza Strip; IDF officer tells Ynet exercise was planned ahead and doesn't signal imminent operation -- As the IDF relies on artilleries, unmanned drones and air strikes in its daily efforts to quell Qassam fire into Israel from the Gaza Strip, troops have been ordered to be prepared for a scenario where a ground offensive in the Gaza Strip becomes the only option on the drawing board. The Southern Command on Tuesday launched a two-day drill in the Negev to test various ground strategies against the terror infrastructure in Gaza and the operational fitness of IDF commanders at times of war. more.. Dud IDF shell explodes, killing one boy and injuring another Ha'aretz 5/24/2006 A 7-year-old boy was killed and a 12-year-old boy injured Tuesday evening when a dud shell exploded in an IDF firing zone near Kibbutz Revivim in the Negev, where the two were riding a donkey. The father of one of the boys began driving the two to the hospital, and transferred them along the way to a Magen David Adom ambulance which was headed to the scene of the explosion. The 7-year-old was pronounced dead in the ambulance by MDA staff. the 12-year-old was taken to the Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva for further treatment. [end] more.. Arrests in Bethlehem include assassination survivor Radi Safi Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli Forces carried out early on Tuesday morning an extensive arrest campaign in the Bethlehem governorate: seven Palestinian citizens were arrested and Israeli forces broke into several houses in the governorate. The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that the Israeli forces arrested Radi Safi, 40, from Ad-Duha. Safi survived an assassination attempt in June 2000 in Bethlehem when he was critically injured. The Society clarified that Safi was arrested on 22/6/2000 and transferred to the Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital where he underwent several surgical operations to remove part of his pancreas, his kidneys and a part of his stomach and intestines. [end] more.. Army invades Al Far'a valley near Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2006 The Israeli army invaded Al Far'a valley south of the West Bank city of Tubas, Tuesday at noon. Soldiers stormed the area and hurled tear gas and shot rubber bullets at the residents and the school students going back to their homes after work and school, local sources reported. Meanwhile another army force closed Al Far'a- Srbes road then stopped civilian cars, searched them and checked the ID cards of the passengers. [end] more.. Army invades Al Karmel village south of Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2006 Israeli forces invaded the village of Al Karmel south of the West Bank city of Hebron allegedly looking for "wanted" Palestinians, Tuesday morning. Soldiers entered the village and conducted a wide scale search of the village; no arrests were made, villagers said. [end] more.. On the same day Israeli forces assassinated Mohammad Al Dahdouh, his baby girl was born Palestine News Network 5/23/2006 On the same day that Israeli forces assassinated Mohammad Al Dahdouh, his baby girl was born. Israeli forces assassinated the Al Quds Brigades leader in Gaza City on Saturday. Within hours of his death, his wife gave birth. During the assassination, Israeli forces also killed a young boy, his mother, and his grandmother. Three months ago Israeli forces assassinated Al Dahdouh’s brother, Khalid Al Dahdouh (Abu Walid), in a car explosion. And approximately a year ago, Israeli forces assassinated his other brother, Ayman Dahdouh. The Israelis say that Mohammad Al Dahdouh was on their “wanted” list for being the engineer of the “Al Quds III” and “Katusha” projectiles, and for planning attacks against Israeli targets. more.. Israeli Forces raid Carmel Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Hebron-Ma'an-Israeli Forces raided the village of Carmel, east of Yatta and south of Hebron in the West Bank. The Forces launched a search campaign of residential homes, claiming they were looking for " wanted" Palestinians. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli Forces broke into many houses, including the homes of Sulaiman Dababsah, Tayseer Dababsah, and Ibrahim Dababsah. No arrests or clashes were reported. [end] more.. Army injures a child form Al Zababda village near Jenin International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 The Israeli army injured an eleven year- old child during an invasion to Al Zababda village near the West Bank city of Jenin, Monday morning. Children using empty glass bottles and stones clashed with the soldiers who fired rounds of live ammunition and tear gas at them. One child then was injured and transferred to a nearby hospital in Jenin, his name remains unknown, local sources reported. Soldiers searched resident homes, and deployed all over the city, troops then stopped reporters and medical teems from entering the village, the sources added. No arrests were made during the invasion, but residents are afraid of a further attack. [end] more.. Brigades launch 2 home-made projectiles Ma'an News 5/23/2006 Date : 23/05/2006Time :18:59 Large SmallGaza-Ma'an-The Abu Ar Rish Brigades,affiliated to the Fatah Movement, announced responsibility for the launch of two home-made projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon early on Tuesday morning. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Brigades said that the launch of the projectiles was in retaliation for the Israeli crimes and killing of Palestinians. The Brigades said that they will continue to launch the projectiles until the end of the Israeli occupation. more.. Rivalry deepens Palestinian crisis BBC 5/23/2006 Gaza always feels like a pressure cooker. How could it be anything else? It is one of the most overcrowded places in the world. A member of the new security forces of the Hamas-led government in Gaza City on 22 MayHamas' deployment of its own security force has raised tensionsGetting on for a million and a half people live in a strip of land around 50km long and 9-12km wide. But in this claustrophobic, fragile place, brutalised by getting on for 40 years of a violent Israeli occupation, the temperature is rising. The heat has been turned up by a competition for power between Hamas and Fatah, the two main Palestinian factions, by the financial sanctions... and by the pressure that never goes away, which comes from the Israeli occupation more.. Israel arrests 'militant who killed 78' The Independent 5/24/2006 Israeli security forces have arrested a leading Hamas militant said by the army to have been sought since 1988 for carrying out attacks which claimed the lives of 78 civilians and soldiers. The seizure came after Ismail Haniyeh, the Palestinian Prime Minister and Hamas leader, told a leading Israeli newspaper that the faction would offer a "long-term ceasefire" if Israel ended the occupation of the West Bank and returned to 1967 borders. Sheikh Ibrahim Hamed, 41, said by the army to be head of Hamas's military wing in the West Bank, surrendered after troops opened fire at the house where he was staying and began to bulldoze the walls. more.. Jihad leader: Israel prevented me from marrying YNet News 5/23/2006 Islamic Jihad commander in Jenin area says Shin Bet forbade him from getting married to Israeli Arab woman; 'The incident fostered great hatred and hostility towards Israel within me,' he says -- The Islamic Jihad commander in the Jenin area told Ynet on Tuesday that he was prevented from marrying an Arab Israeli woman because the Shin Bat exerted pressure on her family to foil the matrimony. Sheikh Mohammad Saadi, who ranks high on Israel's most wanted list, claimed his activity with Islamic Jihad was limited to social and political work. The Shin Bet, however, believes he was involved in planning suicide attacks in Israel. Saadi was injured during an IDF arrest raid last week but managed to escape. more.. Hamas fight police in battle for Gaza streets The Guardian 5/23/2006 Heavy fighting between Hamas and the Palestinian police in Gaza City left a Jordanian man dead as rival security forces claimed to be in charge of the streets. A 45-year-old driver at the Jordanian diplomatic mission in Gaza, Khaled Radaida, was killed and 11 people wounded when shooting erupted outside the Palestinian parliament building. Forces loyal to the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, blamed yesterday's fighting on Hamas militiamen who were alleged to have challenged Fatah-run security forces. But Hamas said that "suspicious figures" had attacked first, implying that Fatah provoked the confrontation. Witnesses described Hamas fighters taking shelter in a building and hurling grenades while policemen and civilians ran for cover. more.. Fears of Palestinian civil war mount as Olmert visits U.S. The Daily Star 5/23/2006 A Jordanian was killed and at least eight Palestinians wounded on Monday in renewed clashes between rival Hamas and Fatah forces near the Parliament in Gaza, forcing Palestinian officials to rush into emergency talks brokered by Egypt. As fears of a Palestinian civil war heightened, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert prepared for a summit Tuesday with the U.S. President George W. Bush to win support for a plan to unilaterally draw Israel's final borders. Olmert, who arrived in Washington on Sunday, met with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice late Monday. Back in Gaza, explosions pounded the city, bullets reverberated off walls and ambulances screeched through streets as clouds of acrid smoke filled the air. more.. Fatah and Hamas meet to cool tensions AlJazeera 5/22/2006 One person was killed and six others wounded in the clashes -- Hamas and Fatah officials have met to try to calm tensions after a new Hamas security force battled fighters from a Fatah-dominated force near Gaza's Palestinian parliament. The driver of the Jordanian ambassador was killed and six people were wounded in the worst internal fighting on Monday in recent weeks. The Hamas and Fatah leaders were brought together by Egyptian mediators after which they both condemned the driver's killing and sent condolences to the Jordanian people and to King Abdullah. They agreed to hold daily meetings to try to calm tensions and sent a message to their respective fighters that they would not protect them if they violated public order. Hamas and Fatah accused each other of starting the battle. more.. Jordanian Ambassador's driver killed by stray gunfire during clashes between rival security forces in Gaza Ma'an News 5/22/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Jordanian ambassador's driver, Khaled Hasan Ar-Radaydah (40), was killed and another nine Palestinian citizens were injured when clashes erupted between Palestinian Security Forces and the "Executive Unit" Forces under the control of the Palestinian Interior Ministry on Monday afternoon. The clashes broke out in the area known as "Al-Jundi Al-Majhul" or "The Unknown Soldier" near the PLC headquarters in Gaza City. Eyewitnesses said that Ar-Radaydah was injured by bullets during an exchange of gunfire that occurred when he was passing the place where the clashes were taking place. The head of public relations at Ash-Shifa'a hospital in Gaza City, Dr. Juma'ah As-Saqah, reported that nine civilians, including one member of the Palestinian Forces, had sustained light to moderate injuries. more.. Israel kills militant as Gaza erupts The Guardian 5/21/2006 Islamic Jihad commander dies in missile strike -- Israel assassinated the most senior commander of the terror group Islamic Jihad in Gaza yesterday in an attack that also killed a woman bystander and her five-year-old son. Mohammed Dadouh, 40, who Israel says has been behind a series of rocket attacks, died instantly when a missile hit his car. The killing of Dadouh is certain to further exacerbate the anarchic security situation in Gaza, already tense following an attempt on the life of the Palestinian intelligence chief - allegedly by Hamas - which prompted gun battles between rival factions. Tareq Abu Rajab, close to moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, was seriously wounded in a bomb blast in a lift at his Gaza headquarters which killed one of his aides. more.. PNN network member Ammannet exclusive interview with Jordanian Ambassador moments after unknown persons open fire on his car in Gaza City, killing the driver & later spoke live with the Palestinian Am Palestine News Network 5/22/2006 Palestine News Network member, Ammannet, conducted an exclusive interview late Monday afternoon via telephone with the Jordanian Ambassador in Gaza City just moments after unknown persons opened fire on his car, killing the driver. The Jordanian Ambassador, Yahya Al Karala, said there was no mistake that the gunmen knew exactly whose car they opened fire on. Unknown persons, during half a days worth of fighting in the center of Gaza City, opened fire on the Jordanian Ambassador’s car, killing the driver, 54 year old Khalid Hassan Radaida. The Jordanian Ambassador, Yahya Al Karala, told Ammannet late Monday afternoon, “They knew we were coming. The car was clearly marked as the Jordanian Ambassador’s car. When they opened fire, they knew we were coming, they knew who we were. ” more.. Israeli forces open fire on young Palestinians near Arab American University, shoot 16 year old in the neck Palestine News Network 5/22/2006 Israeli forces opened fire on several young people in the northern West Bank city of Tubas yesterday. The city and district are just to the southeast of Jenin, and home to the Arab American University of Jenin. One boy was shot in the neck and is hospitalized. Mohammad Abdul Mohsen Abu Hussein is just 16 years old. He lives with his family in Tubas. Eyewitnesses reported to PNN that an Israeli patrol fired at a number of young people while passing near Tubas, wounding Abu Hussein with a bullet in the neck. He was transferred to Shaheed Hospital and Dr. Khalil Suleiman performed his surgery. [end] more.. Nine year old child injured by army fire in Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 A 9-year-old child was injured by an Israeli bullet after the army entered the west Bank city of Tobas, Monday morning. An IMEMC reporter in the area said that troops stormed the city and opened fire on local youth standing in the street. The name of the child still remains unknown. [end] more.. IDF authorizes expansion of West Bank town of Betar Ilit Ha'aretz 5/22/2006 GOC Central Command Yair Naveh on Thursday signed a military decree authorizing the expansion of the municipal boundaries of Betar Ilit by 500 dunams. The decision to expand the town, located in the West Bank southwest of Jerusalem, was made by former defense minister Shaul Mofaz and was approved by his successor, Amir Peretz. However, the Defense Ministry said Sunday that Peretz planned to reassess the policy of expanding settlements and allowing construction work there. Nevertheless, Peretz did not intervene to prevent the latest expansion orders. Over the past few weeks, three similar decrees were issued for the expansion of Jewish settlements: Givat Ze'ev, north of Jerusalem; Oranit, on the Green Line in the Samaria region; and Maskiot, in the northern Jordan valley. more.. Peretz approves expansion of four West Bank settlements Ha'aretz 5/21/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz has approved expansion of four West Bank settlements, the first such approvals under his tenure. The expansion orders enlarged the settlements' "jurisdictional area," a designation which in many cases serves as a prelude to construction of new settlement neighborhoods. Most of the settlements involved are located close to the pre-1967 war Green Line border. The Defense Ministry, responding Sunday morning to press reports, said that the four cases involved processes undertaken during the term of Peretz' predecessor, Shaul Mofaz, and that Peretz intends to review the question of enlarging settlements. more.. Army puts Jenin under siege, invades Sarbes village and arrests one resident International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 The Israeli army invaded the village of Sarbes in the West Bank city of Jenin and arrested one resident there while the whole city was under siege. The arrestee was identified as Wa'el Mohamed, 27. After troops surrounded his home and searched it, he was taken to an unknown location, his family reported. Soldiers have installed more checkpoints around the city and its villages putting it under total siege. Residents must now be searched then have their ID checked before they may continue on their way out or into the city, local sources said. [end] more.. One killed and one injured by unknown gunman in Khan-Younis International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 Mohamed Abu Tamia, known to be a Fatah activist, was killed in Khan-Younis, a town in the Gaza strip, after being shot by unknown gunmen, Monday at dawn. According to medical sources in the town, Abu Tamia was hit by several live rounds and died shortly after. Another man, identified as Mohamed Abu Salah, was also injured from this attack. Palestinian security forces have insisted on an investigation to discover the reason of the attack and the group responsible for it. [end] more.. Fatah threatens to take clashes with Hamas into its West Bank stronghold Ha'aretz 5/21/2006 Fatah is threatening to take the armed conflict between its forces and Hamas in the Gaza Strip to the West Bank. Senior Palestinian Authority officials said that Fatah is interested in replicating the clashes between Fatah and Hamas in the West Bank, where Fatah is stronger. The conflict between the two organizations escalated further yesterday, with the assassination attempt on Gen. Tareq Abu Rajab, chief of the Palestinian Authority intelligence service in the Gaza Strip. Abu Rajab, a staunch adversary of Hamas, survived with moderate to serious injuries. Meanwhile, senior Islamic Jihad operative Mohammed Dahduh was killed in a targeted Israel Air Force air strike that also killed three members of the same family - a grandmother, mother and her 5-year-old son. more.. Israeli officials: Fatah expected to retaliate for Hamas attacks Ha'aretz 5/23/2006 Fatah officials in the Gaza Strip are certain that Hamas is behind the two latest assassination attempts on senior members of the Palestinian Authority's security services. Fatah considers this an escalation in the violent struggle and deems itself obligated to respond in kind. This is the assessment of senior defense officials in Israel, in view of the events of the past few days in Gaza. According to the Israeli analysis, Hamas is targeting senior security agency members in Gaza because it considers them loci of Fatah power. These people were involved in some of the instances in which the PA dealt harshly with Hamas, such as the wave of arrests it conducted in the winter of 1996 following the bus bombings in Israel. more.. Four Palestinians injured in Bethlehem Ma'an News 5/22/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Bethlehem Governor Salah Tamari has placed responsibility on the Israeli Forces for the fight which took place in the Al Fureidis and Zaatarah areas, east of Bethlehem, and ended with the injury of four Palestinians. Tamari added that Israeli Forces prevented Palestinian Police Forces from trying to intervene to end the fight as the area is considered an "Area C",which falls under Israeli responsibility. Consequently, maintenance of security and order in the area is responsibility of the Israeli Forces. Israeli sources said earlier that the Israeli patrol were caught in the middle of a gunfight between two families, which forced them to react. This led to the injury of four citizen. [end] more.. Group claims Palestinian spy chief hit AlJazeera 5/22/2006 An explosion wounded Tareq Abu Rajab seriously -- A previously unknown group that links itself to al-Qaeda has claimed responsibility for a failed attempt to kill the Palestinian intelligence chief, according to an internet statement. The group, calling itself the Qaeda Organisation of the State of Palestine, also vowed to target other senior officials, including Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president. "Your brothers in the Qaeda Organisation of the State of Palestine were capable of reaching the workplace of... [Tareq] Abu Rajab," said the statement on Sunday, which was not posted on websites usually used by groups such as al-Qaeda. "The mujahidin were able to plant a bomb in the elevator," it added.... an Amman-based journalist told Aljazeera that the statement could not be taken seriously. more.. Jordanian dies in Gaza crossfire BBC 5/22/2006 A Jordanian man has died in clashes between Palestinian security forces and Hamas in Gaza City, reports say. Witnesses said violence erupted outside the parliament building, with Hamas supporters reported to have fired at least one rocket-propelled grenade. At least six others were reported injured in the exchange of gunfire. The clash comes amid high tensions in the Gaza Strip, where Hamas has deployed troops despite the opposition of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas. The Jordanian man was named as Khaled Radaida, a driver working for the country's diplomatic mission in Gaza. Witnesses said the windscreen on his car was hit by three bullets, thought to have been fired from close range. It was not immediately clear what sparked the fighting. more.. Egypt calls Fatah-Hamas talks after Jordanian dies in Gaza clash Ha'aretz 5/22/2006 Egyptian mediators brought Hamas and Fatah leaders together in Gaza on Monday night, after a day of clashes that left a Jordanian embassy staffer dead. Both condemned the killing of 55-year-old Khaled Radaida, and sent condolences to the Jordanian people and to King Abdullah. They agreed to hold daily meetings to try to calm tensions and sent a message to their respective gunmen that they would not protect them if they violate public order. Jordan demanded a swift Palestinian inquiry after Radaida was killed as new Hamas-led security force exchanged heavy fire with gunmen near the Palestinian parliament building in Gaza City. Seven other people were wounded in the clashes. more.. Rafa Today: The night comes here, again no way to get out Rafah Today 5/22/2006 [with photos] -- [Five] Palestinians have been killed and several were injured in an Israeli air strike by Israeli helicapters in Gaza City. No more information about the attack is available, although some news says that the target was an Islamic Jihad leader, Mohammed Al Dahdouh. Reports from the scene of the strike say a second vehicle appears to have been involved - possibly caught in the blast from the attack on the jeep. Some reports say a family was travelling in the second vehicle and some of its members are among the injured in Gaza Strip. The attack came after a day of horrible tension in Gaza Strip and mainly in the middle of Gaza City, which saw the Palestinian intelligence service chief seriously injured in a blast at his very well protected office on the shores of Gaza beach. more.. Army invades Batah village and arrests one resident International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 Mohammad Qabaha, 23, from the village of Bartah, south west of the West Bank city of Jenin, was arrested by the Israeli army on Monday. Troops entered the village and searched several homes including Qabaha's house, before taking him to an unknown location, a IMEMC reporter in the city claimed. [end] more.. One resident arrested from Biet Amreen village near Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 Montasser Hasson, 25, was arrested from the village of Beit Amreen north of the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday morning. Troops entered the village and stormed residents' homes before arresting Hasson and taking him to an unknown location, eyewitnesses said. [end] more.. Army invades Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 The Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Nablus Monday at dawn, shooting live rounds and sound bombs at the residents' homes. The soldiers were provoking the stone throwing youth in the city to clash with them, but their attempts failed, local residents said. Nablus city has been the scene of daily invasions, arrests, and assassinations for the past month. [end] more.. Israeli forces arrest six Palestinians in and around Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2006 A large group of Israeli troops istormed the West Bank city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, and the nearby villages of Beit Ummar and Ethna on Sunday morning, arresting six Palestinian citizens. Among the arrested was the vice-mayor of the town of Ethna. The troops proceded to ransack a number of Palestinian homes in the city and in the two villages. [end] more.. Palestinians: Settlers once more assault schoolchildren Ha'aretz 5/21/2006 Palestinian schoolchildren from the West Bank village of Umm Tubba were assaulted Sunday morning by settlers who approached them from a community called Ma'on ranch, Palestinians said. The children who were making their way to school were escorted by Israel Defense Forces soldiers, but the escort did not prevent the assault. The children said a woman pushed two of them unto thorn bushes at the side of the road. The IDF has been escorting the Palestinian children to school daily due to the intensified assaults by settlers. On Sunday three soldiers and an army jeep escorted the children, but the Palestinians say that the soldiers did nothing to stop the settlers from assaulting the children. more.. Israeli forces reinvade Balata Refugee Camp, shoot 48 year old woman in head, killing her immediately Palestine News Network 5/21/2006 Israeli forces killed 48 year old Aisha Abu Muslim in eastern Nablus’ Balata Refugee Camp. Israeli forces have invaded and reinvaded the northern West Bank city almost daily for weeks, months, years on end since the beginning of the Intifada. Israeli soldiers shot the woman while she was in her home in the camp Sunday morning. Apparently she was near a window. Her husband delivers in the central vegetable market, while their home is on a street bordering the camp’s center. Eyewitnesses report that Israeli forces opened heavy random fire, shooting the woman in the head. Relatives took Aisah to Nablus’ Rafidiya Hospital immediately, but there was little doctors could do. Israeli forces have hit this camp time and time again, destroying infrastructure and lives. more.. Just a day after the failed assassination attempt against the Director of General Intelligence, 70 kg of explosives found along route of Director of Internal Security in Gaza City Palestine News Network 5/21/2006 A security source in the Palestinian Preventive Security said Sunday that an explosive was discovered today on the main road along the route of Director General of Internal Security, Rashid Abu Shobaki. The source said a package weighing 70 kilograms was packed with explosives, awaiting Abu Shobaki. The security source who chose to remain unnamed, told PNN via telephone Sunday, “The discovering was made exactly along the route of Abu Shobaki. We had engineers dismantle the explosives and do a further search for any more explosives in the area. ”It is well known that Rashid Abu Shobaki was appointed Director of Palestinian Internal Security by Presidential Decree. The headquarters are in southern Gaza City. more.. Israeli forces raid southern West Bank, arrest 6 Palestinians, including 4 student brothers Palestine News Network 5/21/2006 Israeli forces took six Palestinians to unknown locations from Hebron this morning. The raid began early Sunday in the southern West Bank. Four of those arrested are brothers. The incursion into Hebron City and neighboring villages was widespread, with soldiers invading from the north to the west of the Hebron District parameters. According to local citizens living in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old City of Hebron, a number of Israeli soldiers occupying a military roadblock imposed in the vicinity of the Haram Al Sharif Mosque detained a Palestinian woman Sunday morning. They thoroughly searched her and then arrested and transported him to an unknown destination, on the pretext of finding her with a knife. more.. Fear of physical fighting between Hamas and Fateh moving from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank Palestine News Network 5/21/2006 Palestinian security sources from the Fateh party claim that the armed resistance wing of Hamas, Al Qassam Brigades, purchased large quantities of light weapons in the West Bank recently. The security sources said Sunday that the purchases were made after the Palestinian Legislative Council elections, which the Hamas party swept, leaving the Fateh party with little power. The same sources claim that as clear differences between the parties emerged, leading to a rise in tensions and physical fighting in the Gaza Strip, the Hamas resistance wing was prepared. Now they are suggesting that Al Qassam is preparing itself for something similar in the West Bank. more.. Israeli forces storm Jenin Refugee Camp, resistance fights back & Israelis arrest one young man from nearby town Palestine News Network 5/21/2006 During this morning’s Israeli invasion of Jenin Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank, members of the armed resistance fought back at dawn. Israeli forces invaded as they were looking for people on their “wanted” list. Eyewitnesses report that several military machines stormed the camp early Sunday while opening random fire and throwing sound bombs. After a relatively short period Israeli forces withdrew without taking any Palestinians with them. Israeli forces also invaded the town of East Berth, storming and searching homes. Israeli soldiers targeted the family home of 23 year old Mohammad Qubha, searching the house and arresting the young man, however no one was able to give a reason for either. [end] more.. Israeli strike kills Palestinians BBC 5/20/2006 A grandmother, mother and her four-year-old son were killed. -- Four Palestinians have been killed and several injured in an Israeli air strike on a car in Gaza City. A senior militant from Islamic Jihad and three members of a family were among the dead, including a child. Islamic Jihad said Mohammed al-Dahdouh was one of its senior engineers involved in weapons manufacture. The Israeli army has struck at militant targets in this way many times before, a BBC correspondent in Gaza says. The strikes form part of their effort to stop militants from firing rockets into Israeli territory. For their part, militants often say their attacks are in retaliation for Israeli military action in both Gaza and the West Bank. more.. Fatah, Hamas Forces Exchange Fire Palestine Chronicle 5/19/2006 Palestinian PM Ismail Haniya, from Hamas, said the new force was legal and would provide support for the police and the Palestinian people. -- GAZA CITY (BBC) - Two police officers have been wounded in a gun battle between Palestinian factions in Gaza City. Police supporting the mainstream Fatah party said they had been attacked by a militant-led force set up by the new Hamas government - a claim it denies. The clash came after the two rival security forces paraded through the streets in a show of strength. Rivalry between the Fatah and Hamas has intensified since Hamas' victory in parliamentary elections in January. Hamas has rejected calls by Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw its force, first deployed in Gaza on Wednesday. more.. Palestinian woman arrested for smuggling data from Hezbollah Ha'aretz 5/20/2006 The Shin Bet security service recently arrested a Palestinian woman for trying to smuggle instructions from the militant Hezbollah organization on how to carry out terrorist attacks. According to the details of the case, which were released Friday, the woman was detained two weeks ago as she crossed the Allenby Bridge from Jordan into Israel. The woman was found to be carrying a "disk on key" portable device containing specifications and instructional material pertaining to the execution of bombings. The Shin Bet believes that the woman was trying to deliver the information to her son, who lives in the West Bank. Several similar attempts have been foiled in recent years. more.. Palestinians, Israelis Decry Settlers' Jungle Law Palestine Chronicle 5/19/2006 Walking around downtown Hebron to see the homes where their descendants once lived in harmony with Palestinians, the nine Israelis were shocked to the bones. -- HEBRON, West Bank - The occupied West Bank city of Hebron (Al-Khalil) was once an icon of peaceful co-existence between Palestinians and Jews, but for years the city has been plagued by fanatic Jewish settlers. "There is no justice. It's a jungle law here," Palestinian coffee shop owner Hani Abu Haikal told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Thursday, May 18. "Settlers can kill, shoot, attack, do anything," he added, flanked by a group of Israelis visiting the occupied city. Abu Haikal recalled last year's assault by Jewish settlers on his hilltop villa while he was entertaining a group of his Israeli and Christian friends. The attack caused his elderly father to collapse in shock and later die. more.. 10 Palestinians arrested in Nablus and Bethlehem early on Friday, including two women, one a political activist's mother Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Nablus-Bethlehem-Ma'an-Seven Palestinians were arrested in Nablus on Friday morning, and three in Bethlehem. Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinians, including the mother of an Al Aqsa activist, in the city of Nablus early on Friday. The Ma'an reporter said that more than twenty Israeli military vehicles entered the city of Nablus and headed to Amman street near the Balata refugee camp and to Nablus' Old City. The Israeli forces arrested the mother of Rami Aqqoubah from her house in the Qarioun neighbourhood in the Old City. This is the second time this month that Mrs. Aqqoubah has been arrested in an attempt to force her son Rami to surrender to the Israeli forces. The forces also arrested two brothers, Samir, aged 20, and Sami Sarisi, aged 21, in addition to another two unnamed Palestinians. more.. Construction of Separation Wall around Salfit speeded up Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-The Israeli authorities have accelerated the construction of the Separation Wall in the Salfit governorate. It was noticed in the governorate that the number of workers and construction equipment had increased. The construction of the separation wall surrounding the governorate is in its last stage of construction. Once completed, the Salfit governorate will become an afflicted governorate in demographic and economic terms. [end] more.. Elderly Nablus Man Dies in Nablus When Israeli Forces Deny Him Medical Treatment International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Meshref Al Mubaslat, 73, died of a heart attack as Israeli forces bulldozed the area in front of his house in Nablus. He was not able to open his front door to seek help, after Israeli forces bulldozed his fence and the trees surrounding the house. Neighbors reported that Al Mubaslat had a weak heart, and when the soldiers began bulldozing around his house, he was struck with a heart attack. Al Mubaslat was then denied urgent medical treatment by the Israeli occupation forces invading the city. Medical sources confirmed that Meshref Al Mubaslat, 73, was found dead at his house of a heart attack, after Israeli forces stormed the Rafidiyya neighborhood in the city of Nablus on Wednesday. more.. Troops shell several areas in the Gaza Strip International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Israeli tanks stationed at the borders with the Gaza Strip shelled on Friday at dawn areas east of Gaza city, Beit Lahia and Beit Hannon, south of the Gaza strip. The shelling targeted residential areas; damage was reported, no injuries. [end] more.. Four Gaza residents injured International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Four residents were injured in the city of Gaza when fired at by unknown gunmen, early Friday morning, medical sources reported. D. Mo'awia Hassanin, the head of emergency and ambulance service in the city, said that the four were injured in separate incidents and among them was a security officer for the Palestinian Authority. Also he added that all were moved to Al Shifa hospital in the city. [end] more.. Army arrests five residents from Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 The Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Nablus on Friday at dawn and arrested five residents. Among the arrestees were Um Rami Okop, Samier and Samer Al Sarbess, and Ahmad Al Damoni. All were arrested after a search campaign in the city, all were taken to unknown locations, eyewitnesses reported. Nablus is the daily scene of military operations that Israeli military sources claim is targeting the Palestinian resistance, but local residents claim that 90 % of those arrested have been civilians, not involved in any fighting. [end] more.. Gunmen clash with Palestinian Police in Gaza, four wounded International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Four Palestinians including two policemen were wounded Thursday night in clashes which erupted between unknown gunmen and Palestinian police in Gaza city, Palestinian medical sources reported. The clashes erupted near the Palestinian Parliament building in the city. The Palestinian Ministry of Interior dismissed reports that the clash is between the newly Palestinian force formed by Hamas and the PA security force. Denying any clash between the two forces, Khaled Abu Hilal, spokesperson of the ministry told reporters on Thursday, that "a suspicious group in an unknown car opened fire at Gaza's main police department targeting both the PA police and the special force. " Dr. Muawiya Hasaneen director of the emergency room in the Ministry of Health, said two have been treated for bullet wounds in their legs. more.. Gunfight erupts between Hamas and Fatah forces in Gaza Ha'aretz 5/19/2006 A midnight gun battle erupted Thursday night after a day of tense standoffs in Gaza between security forces loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and a new militia run by the Hamas-led government, competing for control of the Gaza Strip. At least four people were hurt, two police, one member of the Hamas force and a gunman from Abbas's Fatah movement, security sources and medics said. It was not known what set off the exchange. The Palestinian police, who are mostly Fatah loyalists, were instructed by radio to respond with force to any attacks by Hamas forces. The clashes came after Abbas told the Hamas-led government it must immediately remove its new security forces from the streets of Gaza, a top Abbas aide said Thursday. more.. Resistance fires six homemade shells at the Western Negev International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 An Israeli military source reported on Thursday at night that Palestinian fighters fired six homemade shells at Israeli targets in the Western Negev area. The sources added that one of the shells landed near a “strategic facility”, other hit a military base, while the rest landed in open areas;no injuries were reported. [end] more.. Nasser Salah Addin Brigades launched projectiles at Kerem Shalom on Thursday evening Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Popular Resistance Committees, have claimed responsibility for launching three homemade projectiles at the Israeli military post of Kerem Shalom at 9:15 pm on Thursday. In a statement, the Brigades said that the launching operation was in response to the assassination of six Palestinian fighters in the town of Qabatya near Jenin on Sunday, in addition to the assassination of two of their leaders and the arrest of Shadi Khazima on Thursday. [end] more.. Two homemade projectiles launched at Netiv Haasarah Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Al Fat'h Al Mobin Brigades claims responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Netiv Haasarah early Friday. The brigades who" declared about themselves for the first time" said that they targeted the town from two different locations and confirmed that they will continue the struggle against the Israeli occupation. In a statement issued Friday the brigades confirmed that resistance to continue and that this launching of the projectiles was retaliation for Israeli crimes against Palestinian people. [end] more.. PRC launches projectiles at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Popular Resistance Committees-PRC-, launched two homemade projectiles towards the Israeli city of Al Majdal (Ashkelon) Thursday. In a statement, the Brigades said that the launching operation was in response to the assassination of Palestinian resistance fighters and they confirmed that they will continue their resistance until the end of the Israeli occupation. [end] more.. Zakaria Dughmush, accused of killing Musa Arafat, warns Dahlan that his life is in danger Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Ma'an- When the correspondent of the Israeli newspaper "Maariv" interviewed the "wanted" Palestinian Zakaria Dughmush, he did not expect Dughmush to threaten Fatah leaders, including Dahlan. During the interview, Dughmush's telephone rang. He was warned in the telephone call that there is a plane in the skies. Dughmush responded, "If I am going to die, it will not be because the Israelis want that, no, it will be because Allah wants that". Dughmush is the man accused of killing the former Palestinian head of intelligence in Gaza, Musa Arafat. According to the paper, he is also the most dangerous and violent man in the Palestinian Resistance Committees. He is considered responsible for the launching of many projectiles at Israeli towns and cities. more.. Gaza tense after faction clashes AlJazeera 5/19/2006 The situation in Gaza remains tense after a day of gunfights between a new Hamas-led security force and the Palestinian police. At least three people - a Hamas gunman and two police officers - were injured during the fighting early on Friday, witnesses said. Tensions arose when the 3,000 strong Hamas-backed force, formed under the authority of Said Siyam, the interior minister, deployed across the territory on Wednesday. A day later about 1,000 Palestinian police officers marched through Gaza in a show of allegiance to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president and the leader of the Fatah faction. After a tense stand-off, the Hamas force surrounded the main police station and parliament building in Gaza City and exchanged fire with those inside. more.. Six Palestinian citizens arrested in Bethlehem and Nablus Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Bethlehem- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrest six Palestinian citizens in the city of Bethlehem southern west bank and in Nablus northern West Bank Friday. Israeli sources said that two Palestinians were arrested in Nablus for being PFLP and another for being Jihad member; the other three were arrested in Bethlehem for being Fatah and PFLP members. The sources added that one of the arrested in Bethlehem area was a Palestinian girl but did not reveal her identit. [end] more.. Palestinian police man arrested in Bethlehem Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Bethlehem- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrest Palestinian police man in the village of Al Khadir south of the city of Bethlehem Friday morning. Palestinian sources said that many Israeli military vehicles raided the city of Bethlehem Friday morning and patrolled the streets before headed to the village and broke into Dar Salah neighborhood and arrest Mamoun Sabir Shehadah 28 year. [end] more.. One prisoner from Tulkarem released; another three receive arrest warrants Ma'an News 5/19/2006 Tulkarem-Ma'an-The Israeli authorities released on Friday morning a Palestinian youth from the city of Tulkarem while Israeli forces raided the town of Deir Al Ghusoun north of Tulkarem. The Ma'an correspondent reported that the Israeli authorities released the youth, Yousef Zidan (25), after eight months' imprisonment. On the other hand, Israeli forces raided early on Friday morning Deir Al Ghusoun and broke into several houses in the town. The forces delivered a formal arrest warrant from the Israeli intelligence services for three Palestinians youths: Walid Jundub (15), Osama Ghanim (25) and Jasir Abu Hinna (24). [end] more.. Terrorists planned to blow up El Al plane YNet News 5/19/2006 Swiss security services uncover 2005 plot to bring down Israeli plane during takeoff through RPG attack -- A plot to blow up an El Al plane at Geneva's international airport has been thwarted. Swiss intelligence agencies uncovered a terrorist cell last December that plotted to strike an Israeli plane while it was taking off through an RPG rocket attack in December 2005. The French website Le Point featured a report on Friday saying that "intelligence of the Swiss secret services carrying the date December 2005 shows that two people, an Libyan and an Algerian, held a mortar bomb, and planned to carry out an attack against an Israeli airlines El Al plane at Geneva's airport. " more.. Army invades Deir Al Ghesson village International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 The Israeli army invaded Deir Al Ghesson village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, and handed out military orders to three youth in the village. The youth were identified as Waled Gondiah, 15, Osama Ghanem, 25, and Jasser Abu Hanna, 24. The orders were issued by the Israeli secret service Shin Bet, and consisted of orders for the youth to report to a nearby Israeli settlement for interrogation, local sources reported. [end] more.. Israeli Army invades Bethlehem-area village and arrests one International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Saber Salah, 28, was arrested when troops invaded the village of Al Khader in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Friday at dawn. Troops entered the village, surrounded Salah's home, then arrested him and took him to unknown location, his family reported. [end] more.. Palestinian caught with Hizbullah memory card YNet News 5/19/2006 Security officers manning Allenby Bridge apprehend woman carrying memory card with Hizbullah information on how to assemble weapons she planned to pass on to her son in West Bank -- A few days ago security officers manning the Allenby Bridge between Israel and Jordan apprehended a Palestinian woman carrying a memory card with Hizbullah information stored on it. The woman planned to transfer the chip, which held information on how to assemble weapons, to her son in the Samaria area. The chip was confiscated and the woman was taken in for questioning. Security establishment officials said the incident is part of an extensive effort by terror groups to relay information into the WestBank. more.. Two settlers injured in shooting attack near Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 An Israeli military source reported on Thursday at night that two Israeli settlers, one man and a woman, were mildly injured after being fired at neat Tapuah junction, close to the West Bank city of Nablus. The two settlers are members of the same family, the source added. The man was moderately injured in his stomach while the woman suffered a mild injury in the hand. The were transferred by the Israeli Magen David Adom paramedics to the Israeli Beilinson hospital in Petah Tikva. According to the Israeli Ynetnews, the Al Aqsa Martyres Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, claimed responsibility for the attack. Following the shooting, Israeli forces were heavily deployed in the area and near the settlement of Migdalim, near Nablus. more.. Israeli troops invade a Bethlehem refugee camp, two youths injured International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 Thursday at night, Israeli soldiers invaded Aida refugee camp, norththe West Bank city of Bethlehem, and clashed with dozens of residents there. Two youths were mildly injured, local sources reported. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that soldiers invaded the camp through its northern entrance, near the Rachel Tomb and Bilal Bin Rabah mosque. A local source in the camp reported that dozens of youth hurled stones and empty bottles at the invading forces. The clashes lasted for one hour. The invasion was carried out by three armored jeeps and more than fifteen soldiers on foot. Apparently, the army invaded the camp in an attempt to conduct military searches of homes and conduct arrests, but soldiers withdrew following after clashing with the youth. more.. Israel to deploy driverless tanks and bulldozers on Gaza borders Ma'an News 5/18/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli TV has revealed the first photos of a driverless tank and bulldozer used by the Israeli army to guard Gaza's borders with Israel. Israeli TV Channel 2 showed photos of grey-coloured tanks that look like children's toys but are equipped with computers, steering, and tires which can be used on sand. The tanks are at least one metre long and have machine guns, cameras, aerials and sensors. A photo was also shown of a computerized room or office which controls the tanks. The Israeli army is counting on using these tanks to fight arms smuggling and to locate land mines, as well as preventing people from infiltrating Israel. The tanks may even carry out arrests. more.. Palestinian armed men open fire, force PA official to halt meeting International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 A group of Palestinian armed men opened fire on Thursday morning at Governorate building in Tulkarem city in the northern West Bank, where deputy Prime Minister Nasser Eddin El-Sha'er was holding meetings with the some PA officials, Palestinian sources reported. Ten armed men, said to be members of Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigade, the armed wing of the former ruling Fatah party, accompanied by scores families of prisoners arrived at the governorate to protest against not paying the monthly stipend for the prisoners for more than two months. Al-Sha'er who also occupies the Ministry of Education told the crowd that the money will be paid soon. "I, responsively announce that within one week the money due to the prisoners families will be fully paid," Al-Shaer said. more.. Army arrests 10 residents from Abood village near Ramallah International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Thursday, Israeli soldiers arrested ten residents in a morning invasionof the village of Abood north of the West Bank city of Rammallah. Elias Azar, the mayor of the village said that several army jeeps and soldiers stormed the village, searched the residents' homes and arrested ten residents. The arrestees were identified as; Ahmad Abu Zied, Amjad Thabet, Abdullah Ibrahim, Abada Abdul-Majeed, Mohamed Shalatha, Tariq Dar Saleh, Awni Othman and his brother Mohammad, Dawoed Suleiman and his brother Mostafa, local sources said. [end] more.. Army closes Taiaseer checkpoint, near Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Thursday morning, the Israeli army closed Taiseer checkpoint and the surrounding area east of the West Bank city of Tubas. Soldiers informed the shepherds that if they approach the area they will be subjected to arrest or fired at, local sources reported. Several previous Incidents of attacking shepherds and their herds were documented, the army claims that the shepherds approached a "closed military zone. [end] more.. Herds of wild pigs dumped by Israeli military attacking farmers homes and crops in Salfit International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Herds of wild pigs attacked farmers' homes and lands in the West Bank city of Salfit late Wednesday night. According to local farmers, the pigs were released by the Israeli settlers who live in the nearby settlements, rounded up from within Israel, and dumped onto Palestinian land in the Salfit area. Local sources also added that the pigs had destroyed farmland and crops, and attacked the farmers' homes, in some cases threatening the lives of the children, but no injuries were reported. The municipality of Salfit has initiated a campaign that started last week to stop the pigs, and protect the farmers and their lands from the settlers' attempts to force them out , local sources said. [end] -- See also: Israeli army releases wild pigs around Salfit area and Settlement pigs destroy Palestinian crops in Salfit more.. After dawn invasion, Israeli army imposes curfew on city of Jenin International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 The Israeli army installed several military checkpoints around the West Bank city of Jenin Thursday morning, putting the city under total siege. Troops are searching all the cars entering and leaving the city, and they are preventing people under the age of 30 from entering or leaving the Jenin. Soldiers are installing checkpoints across all the main city streets, checking ID cards and strip searching civilians before letting them pass, local sources reported. The Israeli army has invaded Jenin since the early hours of Thursday morning. Three Palestinians have been arrested by troops so far in the invasion. [end] more.. Resistance fires six homemade shells at the Western Negev International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2006 An Israeli military source reported on Thursday at night that Palestinian fighters fired six homemade shells at Israeli targets in the Western Negev area. The sources added that one of the shells landed near a “strategic facility”, other hit a military base, while the rest landed in open areas;no injuries were reported. [end] more.. Homemade projectiles at the Israeli towns Ma'an News 5/18/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Aqsa Brigades "military wing for the Fatah Movement" said they have launched eight homemade projectiles at the Israeli towns Wednesday evening. In a statement issued Thursday the brigades said that they have launched four projectiles at the town of Sderot and another projectile at the city of Ashkelon. The statement added that another three projectiles were launched at the Kerim Shaloom Crossing. The brigades said that they have launched the projectiles as retaliation for the Israeli assaults and aggressions against Palestinian people. [end] more.. Israeli forces raided Jenin city Thursday morning Ma'an News 5/18/2006 Jenin- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrest three Palestinian citizens from the city of Jenin early Thursday morning. Palestinian security sources said that the Israeli forces raided the city at dawn and broke into many houses while shooting and using sonic bombs before arresting Nasr Ad Din Tafish 25 years, Sultan Sabanah 35 years and Bilal Istaiti 25 years. The sources added that the Israeli forces raided many areas in the city accompanied with military dogs and searched invasively many houses. Israeli sources said that the Israeli forces arrest 10 citizens in many cities and towns in the West bank. [end] more.. Army surrounds a house in Qabatia injuring one but the military operation is still on going International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 The Israeli army invaded the village of Qabatia south of the West Bank city of Jenin, and sounded one house, on Thursday afternoon. Soldiers have surrounded the house of Ratep Khazima, and are firing directly into the house, eyewitnesses reported. D. Issam Nazal, the mayor of the village also said there are clashes between the resistance and the invading troops all over the village. He also said that there is one injured man that the army preventing the ambulances from reaching. Army jeeps and bulldozers have been seen entering the village 1 hour ago in what seems to be a massive military operation , eyewitnesses reported. more.. Army arrests four residents from Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Thursday at dawn, the Israeli army invaded the villages of Beit Ola, Beit Ummar and Al Arroub refugee camp in the West Bank city of Hebron and arrested four residents. Troops stormed the residents' homes in the camp before arresting Ismail Jawabra, 30, and taking him to a nearby military camp. Also, troops invaded Beit Ola and Beit Ummar villages and arrested Khaled Sarhan, Jammal Jaber, and Yousif Mohamed after searching homes there, local sources reported. In the city of Hebron, soldiers attacked several neighborhoods and fired rounds of live ammunition at the houses, no injuries were reported, eyewitnesses said. [end] more.. Israeli army claim that parts of missile smuggled into Gaza International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Israeli army intelligence reported that the Palestinian resistance managed to smuggle parts of a Russian missiles into Gaza and attempted to assemble it there. The report said that the missiles are grade-1 type and their range is a maximum of 24 km, and surmised that the parts were smuggled in from Egypt, and had come from Iran. Abu Ahmad, the spokesperson of Al Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said that the brigades had managed to develop a homemade rocket of the grade-1 type that could strike a range farther than the Katyush rocket range of 24 km, and added that the new rocket had a two-phase dispersal process. [end] more.. 2 wounded in shooting attack YNet News 5/18/2006 Man and woman moderately and lightly injured after being shot near Tapuah Junction; Large IDF forces scouring the area - Two Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack at the Tapuah Junction in the West Bank Thursday night. The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades took responsibility for the attack. IDF forces were mobilized to the Tapuah Junction area following reports of the shooting between the Tapuah Junction and the settlement of Migdalim, Samaria. Two Israelis, a man and a woman, were injured by the shooting. The man was moderately wounded in his stomach and the woman was lightly wounded in the hand. more.. Army invades Qabatia village International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2006 Thursday morning, Israeli troops invaded Qabatia town, south of the West Bank city of Jenin, and searched several houses. Although no arrests were made, the reisdents expressed concerns that this invasion could be part of a wider operation in their town especially since five residents were killed in a previous operation conducted by the army three days ago. [end] more.. Ex-Phalange leader: We killed 4 Iranians in '82 Ha'aretz 5/19/2006 Four Iranians missing in Lebanon since 1982 were killed by Phalangist militiamen, according to Samir Geagea, a former head of the Christian paramilitaries during the civil war. In a full interview that will appear in the Lebanese daily Al-Safir tomorrow, Geagea said that the four - three diplomats and a journalist - were killed by members of the Christian militia and not by Israel, as Iran had claimed. Iran also had claimed that the four had been abducted by Israeli forces in 1982, and were being held in Israel. The Iranian claims had been made repeatedly in an effort to justify and explain the lack of willingness of its Lebanese surrogates, Hezbollah, to reveal any information on the fate of the captured Israel air force navigator Ron Arad. more.. Three killed in Nablus predawn invasion International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 Palestinian medical sources in Nablus reported on Wednesday afternoon that the number of Palestinians killed in the Israeli military invasion in the West Bank city of Nablus has risen to three after medical and civil defense teams uncovered a body of an aged man under the rubble of the attacked house. The man was identified was MosharrafTawfiq Al Mbaslat; 74. His body was transferred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli troops invaded Nablus,surrounded a house where resistance fighters were hiding, and exchanged fire with them killing two. The two fighters, hiding in the house of Al Mbaslat, are members of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad. more.. Israeli forces raid eastern Bethlehem villages, make multiple arrests at dawn International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses both report Israeli forces invaded several eastern Bethlehem villages at dawn Wednesday. Israeli soldiers broke into homes, invasively searched them, and forced dozens of Palestinians to stand outside for hours. The attack was focused on Janata, east of Bethlehem in the West Bank. A 44 year old man’s home was overrun with soldiers who arrested him. Mustafa was a Municipal Council elections candidate last year running on the Hamas list. Eyewitnesses report that Israeli soldiers blindfolded the man, handcuffed him and took him to an unknown location. more.. Army invades north of the Gaza strip International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 An Israeli army force invaded the northern areas of Biet Hanon town north of the Gaza strip, Wednesday afternoon. Several tanks and army bulldozers entered those areas coming from Erezcrossing for more than 800 metres inside the town, and intiated a Combing operation across the area, eyewitnesses told PNN correspondent. According to Israeli radio reports the troops do not plan to stay for long time and this operation Aims to dismantle explosive devices planted in the area near the fence between Gaza strip and Israel. Local residents said this is not the first time that army has invaded this area this week. [end] more.. Army invades several villages near Bethlehem and arrests four International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 The Israeli army arrested four residents after invading several villages around the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Wednesday at dawn. Troops and army jeeps stormed the village of Jenata, to the east of the city, surrounded the house of Mostafa Al Oroje, the mayor of the Jenata, then arrested him and took him to unknown location, eyewitnesses reported. Meanwhile another force entered the village of Za'tra also to the east of the city and arrested Mohamed Hassan, 21, he also was taken to unknown location. In Al Obadia village soldiers invaded and searched several residents homes before arresting two youth and taking then away, with no names issued, local sources said. [end] more.. Army continue to hold Arqaba village south east of Nablus under seige International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 The Israeli army continued its siege of Arqaba village south east of the West Bank city of Nablus which has lasted for more than four days, this Wednesday. Jaodat Bani Jaber, the mayor of the village said that the army installed a military checkpoint at the village entrance four days ago and are preventing residents under the age of 30 from leaving the village, and the situation is on going. [end] more.. The Israeli Army seize a car belonging to a resident from Kofer Ra'e village International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 An Israeli army undercover team seized a taxi owned by resident form Kofer Ra'e village near the west bank city of Jenin, Wednesday morning. The soldiers were wearing civilian clothes when they stopped the taxi and forced the passengers out at gun point then high jacked the car and went towards the nearby village of Araba, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Army assaults a medical patient at a military checkpoint near Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 Israeli soldiers stationed at Tyaeasser checkpoint near the West Bank city of Tubas, assaulted a medical patient on his way to get treatment, late Tuesday night. Sami Nimir, who lives in Tubas, was attacked by the soldiers while crossing the military checkpoint to go to a nearby hospital for treatment, after hitting him the soldiers allowed him to go, he said. [end] more.. Three residents arrested in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2006 Three residents arrested from the West Bank city of Hebron and refugee camp afterthe Israeli army conducted an arrest campaign , Wednesday at dawn. Army jeeps and soldiers stormed homes in the city, before arresting Bassel Al Shareef, 23, and Amen Al Natsha, the two then were taken to unknown locations. Hassan Jawabra, 24, who lives in Al Arob refugee camp in Hebron city was arrested after Israeli troops stopped him at a military checkpoint in the city whilst on the way to school, local sources reported. [end] more.. Hilltop youths disown Yesha Council YNet News 5/17/2006 In letter circulated among nationalist-religious youths and obtained by Ynet, youth hilltop activists and the 'Jewish National Front' call for a disengagement with the Yesha Council -- Right-wing youth activists have disavowed the Yesha Council in a letter obtained by Ynet. "Not only have these go-getters not contributed to the struggle in Gush Katif, but they have caused damage, and continue to cause damage. We won't listen to their orders, we will organize for an independent struggle, and lead a different struggle, an uncompromising struggle," the letter said. In recent days, the youths distributed the letter to youth activists in the Bnei Akiva, Ezra, and Youths for the Land of Israel youth movements, as well as youth centers in Judea and Samaria. more.. Two Palestinians killed in Israeli raid AlJazeera 5/17/2006 The Israeli army confirmed an arrest raid in Nablus -- Two members of Islamic Jihad have been shot and killed and another wounded by Israeli soldiers in Nablus in the northern West Bank. Osman Sadaka, 26, from Jenin, and Mustapha Ghani, 20, from Tulkarm, were killed in a clash when an Israeli unit advanced into Nablus and surrounded a building, said Palestinian medical sources. The wounded Palestinian was captured by Israeli occupation forces, they said. An Israeli army spokesman said that an arrest operation was under way in Nablus and that three Palestinians had at least suffered injuries in an exchange of gunfire. Journalists were prevented from entering the area to cover the incident, an Aljazeera correspondent said. more.. Palestinian gunmen kill senior Hamas member, wound two in Gaza Ha'aretz 5/17/2006 Unidentified Palestinian gunmen shot dead a senior Hamas activist in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday night, Palestinian medics and a security source said, in a further escalation of lawlessness in the coastal strip. They said unknown gunmen shot and killed 25-year old Mohammed Tatar, a senior member of Hamas's military wing, as he was driving near Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's office in Gaza city. No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Separately on Tuesday night, masked gunmen in the Khan Yunis area of Gaza shot and critically wounded another senior member of Hamas's military wing and wounded a second Hamas member, witnesses said. more.. IDF: At least another year until fence is completed Ha'aretz 5/17/2006 Construction of the separation fence started nearly four years ago, but only 42 percent of the planned structure has been completed and military officials say it will take at least one more year to finish. According to figures issued by the Defense Ministry, only 336 kilometers of the fence are considered operational out of a total planned length of 790 kilometers. An additional 102 kilometers are in various stages of construction, 67 kilometers are still at the paperwork level, and the building of 285 kilometers is still waiting for court approval. Israel Defense Forces officials say the delays are not due to budgetary or technical reasons. They promise that work can be accelerated as soon as the legal and planning decisions are made. The final version of the barrier may be significantly shorter than originally planned.... more.. Israeli army arrests PA security officer in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2006 A large Israeli military force invaded Bethlehem are and arrested a Palestinian security officer on Tuesday evening, local sources reported. Eyewitnesses said at least ten military vehicles invaded the village of Irtas south of Bethlehem and closed all the entrances to the village. After one hour and a half of intensive search of residents houses, troops arrested Mahmoud Shaheen, 27 and took him to unknown location after handcuffing blindfolding him. Shaheen is an officer at the "Preventive Security" force, the first security force established shortly before the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat returned to Gaza in 1994. more.. Israeli soldiers invade Al-Khader village, beat two children International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2006 Tuesday afternoon , Israeli soldiers, backed by armored vehicles, invaded the West Bank village of Al-Khader, west of Bethlehem. The troopsbroke into Palestinian homes and conducted wide scale searches, local sources reported. The residents affirmed that the soldiers were violent to people in their own homes, and beat two youths in their homes. Other soldiers, who were deployed around the schools , held up several students on their way home and forced them to stand by the wall of their schools with their hands up for over half an hour. No injuries were reported. An Isreali military spokesperson said that those procedures were conducted after Palestinian youths from the area hurled stones at settlers' vehicles when crossing the settlers' bypass road near of Al-Khder village... more.. Hebron: Israelis show solidarity with Palestinians YNet News 5/16/2006 Descendents of Jews killed in 1929 Hebron massacre visit city to tell settlers ‘you have no legitimacy to act in our names, harass local Palestinian population’ -- Surprise visitors arrive in Hebron Tuesday: Some 10 Israelis, the descendents of Jewish families who lived through the events of 1929, when Arab attacks during the British mandate took the lives of 133 Jewish victims. The Israelis came to show full solidarity with the local Palestinian population for “the harassment they suffer at the hands of settlers, who use what happened to our families to justify their violence today,” according to Shabtai Gold. Gold does not object to the existence of a Jewish settlement in Hebron, as long as it exists peacefully next to its Arab neighbors. “We came to tell them, you don’t represent the families of 1929,” Gold said. more.. Israeli Army invades the West Bank city of Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2006 The Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Nablus, on Tuesday morning. The Israeli Army stormed the city and fired randomly at residents homes which caused a case of panic amonst civilians, no arrests were made but army was provoking stone throwing youth to clash with them, local sources reported. [end] more.. Ma'an Exclusive: Al Quds Brigades have manufactured Katyusha-style rocket with range of 24 km, claims spokesman Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Ma'an–Exclusive-Al Quds Brigades Spokesman Abu Ahmad has revealed to Ma'an News that his Brigades have surprised themselves by managing to develop a homemade projectile which is more sophisticated than the notorious Katyusha rocket. The Al Quds Brigades, which is the military wing affiliated to Islamic Jihad, say that this rocket is similar to the Russian-made Grad rocket and it has a potential range of 24 km. Abu Ahmad said that full details about the new projectiles will be announced within the coming days. He expects this news to "embarrass the Israeli occupation forces" who are trying to prevent the launching of such projectiles at Israeli towns and cities. The Brigades also claimed responsibility for the launching of a Katyusha rocket at the Israeli city of Ashkelon early on Tuesda. more.. End the siege of Nablus Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-The Asirah Ash Shamaliyah Municipality made an appeal on Tuesday to all international and human rights’ organizations to intervene to end the siege that Israeli Forces have imposed on Nablus. In a statement, the Municipality confirmed that since the closure of the Al Badhan-Nablus Road, it has become almost impossible to enter Nablus from the surrounding towns and villages. The closure has made it necessary for residents of villages and towns surrounding Nablus to get a permit to visit Nablus. [end] more.. 195 raids carried out since 9 May; 125 arrested, 48 injured, 7 killed Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Palestinian National Information Centre has released their weekly report on the Israeli aggressions during the last week. It mentions that the Israeli forces used all of the available military measures against Palestinian civilians. The report confirmed that the Israeli forces have continued their attacks on Palestinian citizens in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, stating that, during the last week (9/5/2006 to 15/5/2006), there have been 836 violations committed by the Israel forces which has led to the killing of 7 citizens and the injury of 48 citizens. The Israeli forces carried out 42 arrest campaigns, resulting in the arrest of 125 citizens. The Israeli forces have also carried out 195 raid operations. more.. More demolitions carried out in East Jerusalem than in west Ha'aretz 5/17/2006 The Jerusalem municipality implemented 95 percent of the demolition orders it issued against illegal structures in East Jerusalem in 2005. In West Jerusalem, by contrast, only 65 percent of the orders were carried out. Municipal officials said recently that building code violations dropped by 60 to 70 percent in 2005, largely in East Jerusalem. Since 1967, almost no building permits have been issued for the eastern part of the capital. Therefore, the thousands of housing units built there since then were constructed illegally. In 2004, the city demolished 53 percent of the illegal structures that it located in East Jerusalem that year, compared to 26 percent of those in West Jerusalem. more.. Preventive Security Officers targeted again in Jabalia Refugee Camp Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Eyewitnesses have told the Ma'an News Agency that a large number of armed, masked men attacked the house of a preventative security officer, Tahir Khwaiter, in the Zaitoun neighborhood, in the east of Gaza City at 3 am on Tuesday. According to the witnesses, armed clashes erupted in the area during which the armed men detonated two bombs in two cars belonging to Tahir Khwaiter's family. Palestinian security sources said that in the clashes two citizens were injured; this has not been confirmed by any medical or independent sources. In Jabalia refugee camp eyewitnesses said that a preventative security officer was shot in the leg by anonymous men who shot at him while he was walking in one of the streets of the camp at the same time on Tuesda. more.. Increased Israeli military presence in Huwwarah (Nablus), including new checkpoints in the town Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Salfit-Ma'an-Israeli forces have set up several military checkpoints in Huwwarah, a town south of Nablus in the northern West Bank. Municipality sources in Huwwarah said that the Israeli forces erected a checkpoint at the entrance to the municipality building and stopped the Palestinians cars and searched them. The sources added that Israeli forces patrolled the streets of the town and erected a number of checkpoints in the streets where they stopped citizens, checked their ID's and searched them in a humiliating way. [end] more.. Palestinian youth arrested in Artas, near Bethlehem Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli forces arrested the Palestinian youth Mahmoud Ahmad Shahin (24) after breaking into his house in the village of Artas, southwest of Bethlehem, on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of Israeli military vehicles raided the village and besieged Shahin's house before breaking in and arresting him. Shahin works for the Palestinian civil defense. [end] more.. Main street in Gaza City closed by family demanding release of kidnapped son Ma'an News 5/16/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Muhandis family from the As-Sabrah district in Gaza City has closed the main street in the city, Thalathini Street, by setting up an earth mound. The family is calling for the release of one of its sons who was kidnapped one week ago. Masked gunmen kidnapped the aforementioned son a week ago but it is still unknown where the kidnapping took place or where the man is being held. [end] more.. Israelis build tower taller than Wall in northern Bethlehem Palestine News Network 5/16/2006 PHOTOS: Mohamad Zboun photographed the new Israeli tower that is taller than the Wall in northern Bethlehem, behind which the Israelis plan to build a Synagogue, a Jewish-only university, and a settlement, according to Bethlehem officials after confiscating Palestinian lands. [end] more.. Charismatic leader in armed resistance tells PNN that question of “truce” is one for the occupying government Palestine News Network 5/16/2006 The Palestine News Network recently sat down with a some what unlikely local hero. He is young for his experiences, in his mid-twenties. Zakaria Zbaidi is the head of the Fateh armed resistance wing, Al Aqsa Brigades, from Jenin Refugee Camp in the northern West Bank. The Israelis have tried to kill him, arrest him, and have spent hours harassing his family members and threatening their home..... The gist of Zbaidi’s point of view is easily summarized in two pointed sentences. “The only option is to escalate the resistance and the Intifada, and to not forget the sanctity of Palestinian blood by not spilling it on one another. Our position has nothing to do with the victory of Hamas in the elections or the newly formed government. ” more.. Katyusha kills 30 chickens YNet News 5/16/2006 Grad-type Katyusha Rocket carrying six kilograms of explosives fired Tuesday morning at western Negev community of Nativ Haasara strikes chicken coop, killing thirty hens, damaging community's greenhouse -- A Katyusha rocket fired Tuesday morning at the western Negev community of Nativ Haasara struck a chicken coop, killing thirty chickens, and damaging the community's greenhouse. The rocket fell on a hilltop opposite one of the coops belonging to a resident. Shrapnel struck the coop facing the hilltop and the adjacent greenhouse. A pipe bringing water to the coop was also hit. IDF sappers arrived at the scene after the rocket fell in order to check the type of rocket. more.. Right-wing Jewish extremists try to set fire to a mosque in Hifa International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2006 A group of right-wing Jewish extremists tried to set fire to Al Manshia mosque, in the city of Hifa, late Monday evening. According to Al Shikh Mohamed Madi, the head of the Islamic Movement in the city, the group of men and women smashed the main door with logs and set it on fire. Residents rushed to the burning mosque in attempt to extinguish the fire, then called the fire brigades, Madi said. Similar groups have attacked this mosque and other Palestinian holy sites before in Hifa. [end] more.. Army arrests two youth from Ithna village in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2006 Ja'far Salimi and Khaled Nimir were arrested from the village of Ithna, in the West Bank city of Hebron, Tuesday at dawn. Israeli army troops invaded the village and searched several homes before arresting the two and taking them to unknown locations. The two are Palestinian Authority police officers in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, local sources reported. [end] more.. Israel targets car in Gaza Strip BBC 5/15/2006 The Islamic Jihad armed group said those in the vehicle were its members. Doctors said two people were injured. The Israeli military frequently launches such air strikes, saying they are an attempt to combat Palestinian rocket attacks launched from Gaza. But Palestinian militants counter that their rocket attacks are in retaliation for Israeli military action. The blast happened near the Khan Younis refugee camp. It came as Palestinians marked the anniversary of the creation of the state of Israel in 1948 - a day the Palestinians mourn as the "Catastrophe" or al-Nakba. [end] more.. Israeli troops briefly intrude into Gaza: Palestinian sources China View 5/15/2006 GAZA, May 15 (Xinhua) -- Israeli military vehicles briefly intruded into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun on Monday following a spate of Palestinian militant rocket attacks, Palestinian security sources said. At least two Israeli army bulldozers and two tanks intruded into Beit Hanoun by 1 km, said the sources. There was no immediate word from the Israeli army concerning the incident. Earlier, the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) militants fired at least three homemade rockets from northern Gaza at Israel, which prompted an Israeli shelling onto the area. Jihad claimed in a written statement that the rocket attacks were a retaliation for the Israeli killing of seven Palestinians including a top Jihad militant during raids in the West Bank on Sunday. more.. On This Day in 1974: Dozens die as Israel retaliates for Ma'alot BBC 5/16/2006 Israeli planes have bombed seven Palestinian refugee camps and villages in southern Lebanon killing at least 27 people and leaving 138 injured. The attack was in retaliation for yesterday's hostage crisis at a school in Ma'alot near the Lebanon border in which 18 teenagers were killed and 70 were wounded. Worst hit by the Israeli fighter-bombers were the crowded refugee camps of Ein El Helweh near the city of Sidon and Nabatieh. An official announcement from the Israeli Defence Force said the planes had been aiming at offices and training bases used by the Popular Democratic Front, led by Nayef Hawatmeh, and the Popular Front under Ahmed Jibril. more.. Frequently Asked Questions – Al Nakba MIFTAH 5/15/2006 Al Nakba (the Catastrophe), or what Israel refers to as the War of Independence, was the war between the Arab armies in Palestine and Jewish forces in 1948. The war, part of which resulted in the independence of the State of Israel, also led to the dispossession of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homes. How did it all start? On November 29, 1947, the UN General Assembly voted 33 to 13, with 10 abstentions, in favor of the Partition Plan dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The area of greater Jerusalem was to come under international control. The Jewish state was to receive 55% of Mandatory Palestine. The Arab leadership opposed the plan, arguing that it violated the rights of the majority of the people in Palestine, which at the time was 67% non-Jewish (1,237,000) and 33% Jewish (608,000). more.. Palestinians Commemorate Nakba Day; Israel Kills 7 Palestine Chronicle/Palestine Media Center 5/15/2006 The bloodshed was the worst for a single day since the Israeli army killed eight Palestinians in a Gaza air raid on April 8. -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - On the eve of the 58th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, Israeli “Defense” Minister Amir Peretz bragged on Sunday of the success of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in shooting dead four unarmed Palestinians and extra-judicially killing two activists in northern West Bank, in the second bloody operation since he assumed his duties eight days ago. The IOF soldiers shot dead a sixth Palestinian in Qabatiya while dispersing protesters during a raid into the northern West Bank village. Palestinian medics and security sources said two of the six killed in Qabatiya were civilians and four anti-occupation activists of whom only one was armed. more.. Gaza: IAF attacks Qassam cell; 4 hurt YNet News 5/15/2006 Aircraft launches missile at vehicle carrying Islamic Jihad terrorists apparently en route to launch Qassam rockets from Gaza toward Israel; four terrorists wounded in strike, one of them critically -- IDF renews targeted killings: An IAF aircraft attacked Monday afternoon a vehicle carrying Islamic Jihad terrorists that were apparently on their way to launch Qassam rockets from Gaza toward Israel. Four terrorists were wounded in the strike, one of them critically. Palestinian witnesses said the attack was carried out east of Khan Younis in south Gaza. According to the witnesses, at least one missile was fired toward a white Peugeot. more.. Islamic Jihad said planning to assassinate PA Chairman Abbas Ha'aretz 5/15/2006 Palestinian security services recently obtained intelligence information regarding plans by Islamic Jihad to assassinate Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Security around Abbas was beefed up substantially in the wake of these alerts. Sources close to Abbas reported the matter in talks with Israeli security officials. According to these sources, Islamic Jihad operatives plan to kill Abbas by means of a car booby-trapped with a large amount of explosives. Since Abbas took over as PA chairman, upon winning an election last January in the wake of Yasser Arafat's death, there have been several reports of intentions by Palestinian terror groups to eliminate him.... Some Palestinian officials said that last month security forces discovered a 20-meter tunnel dug beneath Abbas's house... more.. Peretz defends wave of attacks on Palestinians The Guardian 5/16/2006 Israeli defence minister lauds 'war on terror' · Rights group condemns arbitrary arrests by army -- Israel's new defence minister, Amir Peretz, has defended a wave of killings and arrests of Palestinians accused of attacks on Israel, including the latest suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, as "a very important achievement in the war on terror". Islamic Jihad, the target of many of the raids, described the Labour party leader as "even worse than Shaul Mofaz", his predecessor at the defence ministry, who made "targeted assassinations" a core part of the army's strategy. Since April the army has killed about 45 Palestinians, including five children, in scores of raids on the West Bank and by firing thousands of shells into the Gaza Strip. The victims included women and elderly farmers. more.. Israeli measures stepped up in Jenin area following Sunday's bloody clashes Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-Israeli forces stepped up their measures in the areas of Jenin and Qabatia after the killing of six Palestinians on Sunday. Palestinian sources said that after the funerals of the Palestinians killed by Israeli forces on Sunday, Israeli soldiers set up many temporary barriers in the region. A barrier was erected at the Shuhada crossroads north of Qabatia and another between the village of Zababdah and Qabatia. Another barrier was erected between Qabatia and Maythaloun and a fourth east of Qabatia. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces at the barriers were checking all citizens IDs and, in many cases, forcing them to take off their clothes claiming they were looking for explosive belt. [end] more.. Another explosion targeting Fatah members in Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-An explosive device was detonated on Monday morning in front of the house of a Fatah activist, Saleh Qudas, in the Jabalya refugee camp in the north of Gaza City. Eyewitnesses reported that they heard the explosion which resulted in light damages to the house but no injuries. This is the fourth explosion in front of the houses of Palestinian preventive security forces and Fatah Movement activists in Jabalya refugee cam. [end] more.. Army installs a military checkpoint at Tammon village entrance International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2006 The Israeli army installed a military checkpoint at the main entrance of Tammon village east of the West Bank city of Tubas, on Monday. Soldiers closed the main road and stopped the residents' cars, no one was allowed to pass until they were searched and ID checked, local resident reported. [end] more.. Slain U.S. teen to be flown home to Florida on Monday for burial Ha'aretz 5/15/2006 Daniel Wultz, a 16-year-old American who was critically wounded in a Tel Aviv suicide bombin three weeks ago and who succubled to its injuries on Sunday, is to be flown home to Florida for burial on Monday. Daniel, who was in Israel for the Passover vacation, was having lunch with his father when the explosion went off in a downtown shwarma stand. His death raises the total number of people killed in the April 17 bombing to 11. He will be buried on Tuesday in South Florida. A memorial service will be held in Jerusalem on Monday. He is survived by his parents, Cheryl and Tuly Wultz and his sister Amanda, a student at Tufts University outside Boston. more.. 6 killed in bloody Sunday in Jenin Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Jenin-Ma'an-Israeli Forces killed six Palestinians, including two brothers, in Qabatia on Sunday afternoon. Five were killed in Qabatia and the sixth was killed in the neighbouring city of Jenin. Three other brothers were arrested after Israeli Forces surrounded their home. On Sunday, Israeli Special Forces shot and killed Ali Omar Jabareen, a member of the Palestinian Intelligence. According to eyewitnesses, they took away his weapon while his body lay on the ground. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli Forces surrounded the home of Akram, Issam and Allam Aref Jabareen. They ordered all other family members to leave the house, after which they arrested the three brothers. On Sunday Israeli Forces also killed two brothers in the town of Qabatia as well as a member of the Palestinian Intelligence in Jenin on Sunday afternoon. more.. Israel Kills Five, Court Rules Against Residency Palestine Chronicle 5/15/2006 JENIN, West Bank - Israeli occupation forces gunned down on Sunday, May 14, five Palestinians in the Jenin area of the occupied West Bank, while the supreme court upheld a controversial law barring Palestinians from living with spouses and children in Israel. One of the victims was Ali Jabarin, a 21-year-old intelligence officer, while four of his colleagues were wounded at their Jenin headquarters, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). Two brothers, at least one of whom was said to be a member of Islamic Jihad, were also shot dead in Qabatiya... Thair Hanaisha was shot by Israeli soldiers as they entered the town... His brother, Mejahid, was shot and killed as he tried to help his dying brother. more.. Peretz praises W Bank operation BBC 5/15/2006 Israeli Defence Minister Amir Peretz has praised a military raid on Sunday which triggered the bloodiest violence in weeks in the occupied West Bank. Six Palestinians, two of them leaders of the hardline Islamic Jihad faction, were shot dead by Israeli troops. "The operation in Qabatiya was an important achievement in the war against terrorism," Mr Peretz said. Jihad members vowed further suicide bombings in Israel and "to face aggression until we are victorious". Israeli troops frequently launch raids in the West Bank against suspected militants. In a separate incident on Sunday, a Palestinian security guard was killed by Israeli forces near the Palestinian Authority intelligence headquarters in Jenin. more.. IAF missile strike wounds three Islamic Jihad militants in Gaza Ha'aretz 5/15/2006 Three Islamic Jihad militants were wounded Monday evening in an Israel Air Force missile strike on a pickup truck filled with militants in the southern Gaza Strip. The strike occurred in the Little Abassan village located east of the Khan Yunis refugee camp and less than one kilometer from the border with Israel. The area of the strike is often used by militants to launch Qassam rockets into Israel. The IAF struck at the members of an Islamic Jihad cell responsible for firing Qassam rockets who were traveling in the truck at the time. more.. Projectiles fired at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Gaza–Ma'an-The Al Aqsa Brigades, Fatah's largest military wing, have claimed responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles into the Israeli city of Majdal (Ashkelon). In a statement issued on Monday, the Brigades said that the launching of the projectiles was in reaction to the killing of six Palestinians in Qabatia and Jenin by the Israeli forces on Sunday. The Brigades said that they will continue their resistance until the liberation of the land and the establishment of the Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. [end] more.. 3 more arrests in Nablus Ma'an News 5/15/2006 Nablus-Ma'an-Israeli Forces arrested three Palestinians from Nablus during an intensive raid of the city on Monday. Israeli Forces forcibly entered many neighbourhoods in the city, during which they fired rapidly and randomly. Palestinian source said that fierce clashes erupted between Palestinian armed men and Israeli Forces, with the fiercest clashes taking place in the Old City and Amman Street, near Balata Refugee Camp, east of the city. No casualties were reported on either side. [end] more.. Assassination fears for Abbas AlJazeera 5/15/2006 Mahmoud Abbas could be killed by Islamists, his entourage says -- Security measures to protect Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, are reported to have been stepped up amid worries about an assassination plot possibly tied to political rivals Hamas. Restrictions have been imposed on traffic in the area around his Ramallah office and snipers have been placed in buildings near his West Bank residence, officials said. "We have information there are plans to kill President Abbas," a senior Palestinian source said on Monday, declining to give any details. Some officials said assassinating Abbas would help Hamas, since the speaker of the Hamas-led parliament would automatically become president, in line with the Palestinian basic law or constitution. more.. Army arrests two Hebron residents International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2006 Monday at dawn, the Israeli army invaded various neighborhoods across the West Bank city of Hebron, and conducted wide scale searches resulting in the arrest of two residents. Official sources at the Hebron Palestinian Prisoner's society reported that Israeli soldiers broke into several houses in the neighborhoods of Daheyat Al-Zaytun and Al-Husien south as well as in the city center. They arrested Abdel Haleem Mohamad Al Zeer ,34, and Nathmee Atef AlSharabati,28, who works for the Palestinian military intelligence. [end] more.. Army arrests three residents from Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2006 The Israeli army arrested three residents in an invasion of the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Monday morning. Troops stormed the city and searched several residents' homes before arresting Wa'el Meslamani, 20, Omar Ishtawi, 19, Mo'atez Al Qarep, 24. All were taken to unknown locations. [end] more.. Settlers left without guns after horse shot YNet News 5/15/2006 Two weeks ago, police confiscated arms from setters for ballistic check due to suspicions they shot dead horse belonging to Palestinians -- Police confiscated guns belonging to residents of the West Bank outpost of Adei Ad following clashes with Palestinians in which a horse was shot dead. Police seized the guns in order to carry out a ballistic check and settlers say that the move has endangered their lives. "This is a severe blow to the security of the residents," Avigdor Shatz, security officer of the Binyamin Regional Council, told Ynet Monday evening. Two weeks ago, Palestinians claimed settlers attacked local farmers from the village of Marayar near the outpost, which is in the Ramallah region, and shot dead a horse. more.. Fatah and Hamas renew violent face-off Jerusalem Post 5/14/2006 Hamas and Fatah forces engaged in armed clashes again on Monday as an explosive device was detonated in the northern Gaza strip, next to the residence of a Fatah operative, though no one was injured, Israel Radio reported. Clashes were renewed on Sunday, when Hamas activists shot a Palestinian Preventative Security Service officer in Gaza, and a Hamas operative was shot and seriously wounded by Fatah operatives. Threats against Palestinian reporters and editors have also intensified over the past few weeks, prompting some of them to keep a low profile or to go underground. The threats coincide with growing tension between the two rival groups and armed clashes in the Gaza Strip over the past week. more.. Israeli Settlers attempt to burn a Palestinian alive International Middle East Media Center 5/13/2006 An extremist settler group attempted, on Thursday at night, to burn a Palestinian resident while he was present in a caravan in Huwwara village, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli police and security sources reported on Friday. The settlers set the caravan on fire while knowing that a Palestinian guard in inside it after he barricaded himself there in an attempt to avoid them. He was injured in his face. After the caravan was set on fire, the guard had to step out and was attacked by the settlers. Later on, the guard ran to a nearby Israeli military checkpoint to report the incident..... An Israeli military tracker confirmed Friday that he identified a trail of the attackers' footprints leading to the Bracha outpost. more.. Palestinian shot dead during armed raid in Nablus' Old City Ma'an News 5/12/2006 Nablus- Ma'an- Ra'ed Tobailah, 28, was killed by Israeli forces when they raided the city of Nablus early on Friday. Tobailah, an Al Aqsa Brigades' leader, was killed during an armed clash with the Israeli soldiers in the old city of Nablus. Two of his comrades were slightly injured. The Ma'an correspondent reported that early on Friday morning, Israeli forces entered Nablus and surrounded the old city. Clashes broke out between armed Palestinians and the Israeli forces and Tobailah was shot in the head. Medical sources said that Tobailah was held up at one of the Israeli barriers when he was being transported to hospital for treatment for the serious head wounds he had sustained in the clash. more.. Palestinian killed in clashes with PA police YNet News 5/12/2006 1 man killed, 5 injured in clashes between PA policemen and Khan Yunis family whose members forcibly entered hothouses area in former settlement of Morag -- A Palestinian man was killed and five were injured on Friday in clashes between Palestinian policemen and a Khan Yunis family, whose members occupied greenhouses in the former settlement of Morag in the Gaza Strip. Three of the injured were Palestinian Authority security officers who were ordered to regain control of the hothouses. Settlements and land evacuated by Israeli during the 2005 disengagement were declared state property by the Palestinian Authority. Balaclava-clad gunmen set ablaze two PA police stations in Khan Yunis to avenge the man's death. more.. Israeli forces continue invasions of Nablus, killing 28 year old Al Aqsa member at dawn Palestine News Network 5/12/2006 As Israeli invasions continue in the besieged northern West Bank city of Nablus, Israeli soldiers killed a 28 year old member of the armed resistance at dawn Friday. One of the most prominent members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, an armed resistance wing affiliated with the Fateh party, Ra’ed Tabaileh, died today. Israeli forces killed him during an invasion of the Old City in Nablus. Eyewitnesses report that Tabelh was first injured in the Kasaba, Old City, in Nablus, and was quickly rushed by ambulance toward Rafidiya Hospital in the city. However, in direct contravention to international law, Israeli soldiers would allow the ambulance to pass. more.. Resident killed, three injured during Gaza infighting International Middle East Media Center 5/12/2006 A Palestinian security source reported that one Palestinian resident was killed, and three Palestinian security men were injured during clashes which erupted after dozens of residents attacked the property of an evacuated settlement at grabbed hothouses. The source stated that resident Rami Al Masry, 20, was killed after suffering a live round in his head during the clashes that erupted between the residents and the P. A security men. The incident took place in what was known as Morag settlement, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Several members of Al Masry family closed the main road between Khan Younis and Rafah, completely blocking the traffic before burning a Palestinian security vehicles; two P. A security men were injured, one seriously. more.. Israeli army releases wild pigs around Salfit area International Middle East Media Center 5/12/2006 The municipality of the West Bank city of Salfit started on Friday a campaign to fight the wild pigs that were released by the Israeli army in the area. The boars, most likely rounded up from some part of Israel, were dumped into the Palestinian area by the Israeli army and have been threatening both children and adults. Boars have been known to kill people in some instances. The boars have also been tearing up Palestinian farmland and crops, ravaging the only source of income for the mainly-farming community. Local residents in the area said they have seen an Israeli truck releasing herds of wild pigs, and the residents believe this is done on purpose,to force residents to leave their land by terrorizing them and destroying their farming crops. more.. Tel Aviv bombing victim dies of his wounds at Ichilov Hospital Ha'aretz 5/13/2006 A 26-year-old Tel Aviv resident who was critically injured in last month's suicide bombing near the Central Bus Station succumbed to his wounds before dawn Saturday at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, Army Radio reported. The victim, Lior Anidor, represents the 10th fatality in the attacks. David Shaulov, 29, of Holon; Philip Balasan, 45, of Ashdod; Benjamin Haputa, 47, of Lod; Victor Erez, a 60-year-old taxi driver from Tel Aviv; Lily Yunes, 42, of Oranit; and 31-year-old Ariel Darhi were six casualties laid to rest last month.... Meanwhile, a sixteen-year-old tourist from the United States who sustained critical wounds in Monday's suicide bombing was still in serious condition on Tuesday. more.. Relatives vow to avenge fighters killed in Hamas-Fatah clashes The Daily Star 5/13/2006 ABASSAN, Gaza Strip: "We will have our revenge. Their mothers will feel the pain that we feel today. " In the Gaza Strip, relatives of the latest victims of intra-Palestinian violence are in no mood to begin mourning. Ahmad al-Juruf's outburst comes as he tries to comprehend the loss Monday of his son Mohammad, a member of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades. Mohammad died not at the hands of Israeli troops but during clashes with gunmen fromHamas in Abassan, close to the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Another Fatah activist, Abdel-Rahman Daghma, as well as a member of Hamas, Wasfi Shahwane, both in their 20s, were killed in the same clashes... more.. Police: Settlers who set caravan on fire knew guard was in it Ha'aretz 5/13/2006 Settlers who broke into a Palestinian-owned quarry in the West Bank village of Hawara on Thursday night and set fire to several caravans knew a Palestinian guard was in one of the caravans, according to a police and Shin Bet investigation. Israel Defense Forces sources said the settlers also beat a Palestinian guard who exited the caravan due to the fire. The guard ran to a nearby military checkpoint to report the incident. The guard told the IDF forces that he witnessed his five attackers fleeing toward the nearby illegal Bracha Bet outpost, one of three illegal outposts in the Nablus area. IDF sources told Haaretz they know where the assailants set out from, and that they planned to force the Palestinians from the quarry. more.. Mortar projectiles at Kitzovim Ma'an News 5/12/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Al Aqsa Brigades" military wing of the Fatah Movement" announce responsibility for the launching of two mortar projectiles at the Israeli military position of Kitzovim early Friday. In a statement issued Friday the Brigades said that they will continue their resistance against that Israeli occupation until victory. [end] more.. Two projectiles at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/12/2006 Ma'an- Al Aqsa Brigades" military wing of the Fatah Movement" announce responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon early Friday. In a statement issued Friday the brigades said that the launching of the projectiles was a reaction to the Israeli crimes against Palestinians. [end] more.. Fatah supporters choose to pray in the fields rather than in the mosques in protest against incitement Ma'an News 5/12/2006 Ma'an- Gaza- For the second successive time thousands of Fatah members and supporters have prayed the Friday noon prayers in open fields in many locations in the Gaza Strip in order to show their protest against using mosques for incitement. The imam of the group said that the worshippers did not pray in the mosques to protest against using mosques for incitement against Fatah members. [end] more.. Four Islamic Jihad activists arrested in Tulkarem Ma'an News 5/12/2006 Tulkarem- Ma'an- Israeli forces have arrested four Islamic Jihad activists in the Dinnabah area of Tulkarem on Friday morning. Eyewitnesses said that more than ten Israeli military vehicles entered Dinnabah in the east of Tulkarem and surrounded one of the houses. The Israeli forces shouted at the people through loud speakers to get out of the house during which the Israeli forces were shooting intensively and firing sound and gas bombs. They then broke into the house and arrested the four Palestinians. No injuries or casualties were reported. [end] more.. Shin Bet foils Hamas scheme to abduct IDF soldier Ha'aretz 5/12/2006 [more on this questionable story - Ed. ] The Shin Bet security service yesterday revealed the arrest a month ago of two Hamas operatives who were planning to set up a terrorist cell in the West Bank to abduct an Israel Defense Forces soldier. The arrested men are Rizat Shaaban, 33, and Jumaa Azzam, 38, both from the Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. They infiltrated into Israel through Sinai and were detained by the security forces on April 14 at Mount Harif in the southern Negev. The operatives were carrying two pistols, two hand grenades and $2,300 in cash. They told interrogators that they had met with senior Hamas people, including the head of Hamas's operational arm in the northern Gaza Strip, Ahmed Randor, who instructed them to set up the cell. more.. IDF kills gunman in Nablus YNet News 5/12/2006 Army forces shoot, kill al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades member Raed Tubela during Nablus arrest raid; six other activists wounded in operation -- An al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades activist, Raed Tubela, 26, was killed and another six wanted Palestinian terrorists were wounded in an IDF overnight operation in Nablus. The incident took place during an arrest raid carried out in the West Bank town Thursday night, in which Palestinian gunmen opened fire at army forces in two occasions. None of the soldiers were injured and no damage was reported. In the course of the operation the troops identified a Palestinian gunman, Tubela, and shot at his direction. more.. 23 Palestinians arrested on Thursday Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Israeli soldiers during an arrest raidBethlehem- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrested 23 Palestinian citizens in West Bank towns and cities early on Thursday. Israeli sources said that eight of those arrested were from the city of Nablus and three others from the surrounding area of Nablus. The sources added that one other Palestinian was arrested in Ramallah for being an Islamic Jihad member, and six others were arrested in the Bethlehem area. Elsewhere, four Palestinian citizens were arrested in the Hebron area for being members of Fatah and Islamic Jihad. [end] more.. In last week alone, 106 arrests, 122 new "temporary" checkpoints, 52 raids, 31 injured and 9 killed Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza-Ma'an- The Palestinian National Information Center has released a detailed report which confirms that the Israeli occupation forces are continuing their aggressions and attacks against Palestinians in the occupied territories. The report states that, during the last week alone, the Israeli forces made 768 violations against Palestinians which resulted in the death of 9 people and the injury of 31 others. The report added that in these cases of Palestinian death and injury, the Israeli forces used live ammunition 96 times. 106 people have been arrested and 52 campaigns of raids and arrests in towns and village in the West Bank have taken place, according to the report. more.. Five injured in Fateh-Hamas clashes International Middle East Media Center 5/11/2006 Five Palestinian residents were wounded, on Thursday afternoon,after renewed clashes took place between Fateh and Hamas gunmen, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The five residents were injured in four separate shooting attack on Thursday, just one day after leaders of the two movements agreed to stop the in-fight and chaos that took over the streets in Gaza. In one of the incidents, two brothers, members of Fateh, were moderately injured after being fired at by masked men driving a car between Gaza city, Jabalia and Beit Lahia. Also, three members of Hamas were shot and injured in different locations in northern Gaza. One of them was shot while walking towards a mosque, another as he stood outside his house while the third in a drive by shooting, officials in Hamas reported. more.. Hamas cell arrested along Egypt border YNet News 5/11/2006 Two-member cell arrested by Shin Bet had planned to kidnap soldiers, carry out terror attacks -- The Shin Bet and IDF two months ago arrested two Hamas members who attempted to infiltrate Israel from Egypt and set up a larger terror cell in the West Bank, it was revealed Thursday. The men were equipped with guns, hand grenades and a large amount of cash. Security officials said the two men had most likely planned to kidnap IDF soldiers. Razek Shaaban, 33, and Azzam Ban, 38, of the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza, met in an Israeli jail where they served sentences for security offenses. After his release, Shaaban met a Hamas commander in Gaza who ordered him to set up a terror cell in Ramallah. more.. Hamas are smuggling militant members from Gaza to West Bank, claim military sources Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli military censors have allowed the publication of news about Hamas cells smuggling themselves from Gaza to Ramallah recently. The Israeli military attorney general has announced that its forces have arrested many Hamas members who were attempting to reach Ramallah which led to the discovery of the whole issue. 45 days ago, Joumah Ibrahim Issa and Razeq Ahmad Sha'aban, both of Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, were arrested while crossing the border from Egypt into the western Negev in Israel. The Israeli forces arrested them and found on them two pistols two hand grenades, and US $2300. According to Israeli sources, the two men have admitted that they were on their way to Ramallah and Tulkarem to train groups of Izzedine Al-Qassam Brigades in these areas. more.. 75- year old man seriously injured after settler rammed him with his car International Middle East Media Center 5/11/2006 A 75- year old man was seriously injured on Thursday after a settler rammed him with his car close to Efrat settlement, in the far north of the West Bank city of Hebron. The resident was heading towards his farmland located north of Efrat settlement which is installed on Palestinian annexed lands. A Palestinian medical source in Hebron reported that Mohammad Abdul-Aziz Ibregheeth, 75, suffered fractures in his skull, severe hemorrhage and fractures in his pelvis. Ibregheeth was transferred to Hadassah Israeli hospital in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Israeli sources claimed that the resident was hit by a vehicle of an American tourist driving in the area. [end] more.. Army invade several areas of Hebron and arrests five residents International Middle East Media Center 5/11/2006 The Israeli army invaded several areas across the West Bank city of Hebron and arrested five residents, on Thursday. Troops stormed homes in Al Fowar refugee camp, Yata village, Al Thahria village, and Kharsa village. The prisoners society club in the city issued the following four names of those arrested: Mahmoed Ahieb, 33, Hamed Al Wawi, 17,Taleb AL Najar, 45 , Bassam Halahla, 48 the fifth name was not published. This brings the total number of Hebron civilians arrested to 14 in the last 48 hours and 25 form the beginingof May. [end] more.. Gaza militants cook up deadly mix BBC 5/12/2006 Since the start of the year, Palestinian militants have fired hundreds of home-made rockets from the Gaza Strip into Israel, killing two Israeli civilians. The Israeli army has hit back hard, firing some 6,000 shells into Gaza. Five Palestinian civilians have been killed in these attacks. But neither side shows any sign of giving up. Inside a makeshift kitchen with whitewashed walls, a girl's bike with stabilisers and pink trim lies on the floor. In the room next door, children's voices can be heard chattering. Overhead, the roof is made corrugated iron - protection from both the fierce sunlight and from the Israeli drones which would love to look down and see what I can see. What I can see are three masked men - Gaza's rocket makers. more.. 4 Qassams hit western Negev YNet News 5/11/2006 Four Negev regional council heads demand Defense Minister Peretz, PM Olmert declare Gaza perimeter ‘confrontation line,’ allot budget to secure, develop area for sake of Israel's strategic security -- Palestinians fired four Qassam rockets at the western Negev Thursday night from the northern Gaza Strip. There were no reports of damage or casualties, and according to security establishment assessments, the rockets landed in open areas. Earlier Thursday, Negev regional council heads.... addressed Defense Minister Amir Peretz and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert with demands to declare the region a confrontation line. more.. Shoot-outs and exploding devices in Gaza; perpetrators unknown Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Medical sources in Shifa'a hospital in Gaza have reported that two brothers, Refat and Basim Ibrahim Madhoun, 21 and 34 years, have been injured in unknown shooting in the north of the Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that a number of armed men stepped out of a jeep and a Subaru car at 2 am this morning and started shooting at a car the two brothers were travelling in. The brothers were on their way to the house of a third brother, Samih Madhoun, who is a leader with the al-Aqsa Brigades (a Fatah-affiliated military wing). The shooting occurred in the main street near Samih's house in Gaza City. Witnesses suggested that it might have been Samih who was the one targeted, but he was not in the car. more.. Aqsa Brigades shoot at Israeli jeep in Nablus Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza-Nablus- Ma'an- The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Fatah, have announced that they are responsible for the shooting at an Israeli military jeep in Hitten St. in Nablus on Thursday. A statement was released by the Brigades saying that one of its groups attacked the jeep in the city and hit it directly, and then they withdraw to their base. [end] more.. Aqsa Brigades fire projectiles at Zizzufim Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza- Ma'an-The Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Fatah, have claimed responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli military position of Zizzufim early on Thursday. In a statement issued on Thursday the Brigades said that the launching of the projectiles was in retaliation for the Israeli attacks and aggressions against the Palestinians. [end] more.. Militants to be charged in murder of Minister Ze'evi Ha'aretz 5/11/2006 The Jerusalem District Court is to charge on Friday four Palestinian militants suspected in the October 2001 murder of Minister Rehavam Ze'evi. The suspects are members of the militant group the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. They were detained in an Israel Defense Forces raid in a Jericho prison. District Attorney Eran Shender and Attorney General Menachem Mazuz decided in their deliberations not to try another suspect, former secretary-general of the PFLP, Ahmed Sadaat, for involvement in the murder after finding insufficient evidence to his guilt. Sadaat and Poaz Shubaki, a former senior financial man in the Palestinian Authority, will be tried in an IDF court in the West Bank, however, on charges of smuggling weapons and other security crimes. more.. Masked gunmen shoot man in Gaza Strip Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Palestinian citizen Mohammad Hassan Rajab, 30 years, was seriously injured on Thursday morning when he was shot by anonymous armed and masked men in the northern Gaza StripThe director of public relations at Shifa'a Hospital in Gaza City, Jom'ah Saqqa, said that Rajab was shot in his thighs and is now suffering from broken legs and is in the surgery room. It is reported that Rajab's brother is a member of the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Hamas. [end] more.. Two Islamic Jihad leaders arrested in Jenin during armed clashes Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Jenin- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrested two prominent leaders of the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Islamic Jihad, in Jenin on Thursday. Salih Saadi, 28 years, and Mohammad Jamal were arrested after armed clashes broke out in the east of Jenin. Eyewitnesses said that more than 20 Israeli military vehicles had raided the city of Jenin and surrounded the house where they were hiding. In the violent confrontations, four children received light injuries. Following the arrests, the Israeli forces launched a search campaign in the area and turned one of the houses into a military position. Salih Saadi was released from prison in 2004 and just one month after that, he became a Palestinian "wanted" by the Israeli forces. [end] more.. Aqsa Brigades warned of "suspicious elements" aiding Israel to target the resistance Ma'an News 5/11/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- The Al Aqsa Brigades (Fatah-affiliated) has declared that the routine and programmed targeting of members of the Al Aqsa Brigades by the Israeli forces and others, who the Brigades described as "suspicious elements", is "clear evidence that the Israelis are targeting the Palestinian resistance in order to end this resistance. "A statement issued on Thursday said that "all Palestinian people should be careful" and warned that "those people who are going to support these suspicious elements are only serving the Israeli occupation. "The statement called for the interior ministry to "take strong action and chase all the collaborators and bring them to justice. " [end] more.. Evacuees: State trying to trick us YNet News 5/11/2006 Gaza evacuees living in tent encampment claim State plans on moving them permanently to Ashkelon apartment building instead of offering them permanent residence in Kibbutz Palmahim -- Evacuees from the Gaza settlement of Elei Sinai, who have been residing at a tent encampment in the Yad Mordechai junction, claimed Thursday that the Disengagement Authority tried to trick them into permanently moving into an apartment complex in the southern town of Ashkelon, contrary to an agreement between the families and the Authority. The evacuees were scheduled to see an apartment building in Ashkelon, where they were meant to be housed temporarily until permanent residences in Kibbutz Palmahim, south of Tel Aviv, were ready. more.. Israel Has Nearly 300 Atomic Warheads Palestine Chronicle 5/11/2006 The Post has revealed that Israel has succeeded in modifying US-made cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads to be launched from submarines. -- LONDON - Israel, the only nuclear power in the Middle East and the sixth country in the world to acquire nuclear weapons, has between 200 and 300 atomic warheads. This estimate "is based on the production capacity of the country's reactors," John Eldridge, editor-in-chief of Jane's Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Defense told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Tuesday, April 9. The International Institute of Strategic Studies estimates the number of warheads as being "up to 200". An unknown number of ground-to-ground missiles, comprising short range Jericho 1 and medium range Jericho 2 missiles, forms Israel's strategic force. -- See also: Israel Has Sub-Based Atomic Arms Capability more.. IAF missile strike hits militant training base in southern Gaza Ha'aretz 5/10/2006 Israel Air Force aircraft fired two missiles at a militant training base in the southern Gaza Strip late Wednesday, Palestinian security and witnesses said. There was no immediate word of casualties. Palestinian security officials said the base, in the evacuated Jewish settlement of Neveh Dekalim, is run by the Abu Rish Brigades, loosely affiliated with Fatah, led by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. An Israel Defense Forces statement said that aircraft attacked a building used by Fatah for "planning and staging terrorist attacks. " [end] more.. Olmert kicks off the “Negev Development Plan” by leveling Arab houses International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 The Israeli government, headed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, started on Wednesday morning implementing what is known as “The Negev and Galilee Development Plan” by demolishing three Arab houses in Al Za’roura and Al Boheira villages, both unrecognized by Israel, in the Negev. Dozens of Israeli policemen and Special Forces guarded the bulldozers while leveling the houses that belong to the Osama Farraj, who was planning to get married next week and live there with his wife. The second house belongs to Awadalah Abu Jouda. Abu Jouda was living in his house with his pregnant wife and his four children. Dozens of residents gathered in the area in an attempt to stop the leveling of the two houses but Israeli policemen and soldiers were intensively present in the area and barred them from reaching the two houses. more.. Army arrests four children and one teen in Beit Fourik town International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 In a pre-dawn invasion, Israeli troops arrested four children and one teen in Beit Fourik, a town east of the West Bank city of Nablus, on Wednesday. Soldiers stormed residents' homes before arresting Tawfik Hanini, Fadi Hanini, Qassam Hamdon, and Souhip Hanini, all in the eleventh grade. The fifth arrestee was identified as Habash Hanini, 18, local sources reported. [end] more.. Israeli army shells two areas in the Gaza Strip International Middle East Media Center 5/11/2006 Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses reported on Wednesday at night that Israeli fighter -jets fired at least two missiles at locations in Al Mawassi area, in Khan Younis in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. The first missile landed close to a training location used by Salah Ed Deen Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, while the second missile landed near a training camp that belongs to Abu Al Reesh Brigades, the military wing of Fateh. No injuries were reported in both attacks, Palestinian sources reported. On Tuesday morning, three civilian were injured after the Israeli army fired with heavy artillery at the northern part of the Gaza Strip. more.. New checkpoints around Nablus and Salfit; Palestinian citizens held at barrier for 3-4 hours Ma'an News 5/10/2006 Nablus – Ma'an- Israeli forces have erected a temporary checkpoint at the eastern entrance of Salfit and blocked the passage of Palestinian citizens. Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers at the checkpoint stopped the cars and the citizens who were trying to pass through for more than three hours. It has also been reported that the Israeli forces erected another checkpoint north of Nablus and held about 150 Palestinians there for more than four hours. The citizens were forced to wait in the sun while the Israeli soldiers checked their ID's. [end] more.. Settler harassments drive police away YNet News 5/10/2006 Locals claim police are ones guilty of violence -- Head of the Samaria and Judea District police decided Wednesday to close the community policing station in the West Bank southern Mount Hebron area, due to ongoing harassments by local settlers. According to police sources, ever since security forces have been involved in the evacuation of the illegal Amona outpost and the razing of buildings at the place, the station's building has been repeatedly vandalized by settlers. Incidents included damage to property, smashing of windowpanes, and sabotaging signposting. At one case the word "Nazi" was sprayed on the structure's walls. more.. Army invades Araba and Al Yamon villages near Jenin, clashes erupted International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 Israeli armed forces invaded the village of Araba and Al Yamon near the West Bank city of Jenin, on Wednesday morning. In Al Yamon village, invading soldiers clashed with resistance fighters from the AL Aqsa martyrs Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, and Al Qudes brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, no arrests or injures fon either side were reported. Meanwhile, the Israeli army stormed Araba village and searched several homes, after several hours troops left the village without making any arrests, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Three residents arrested in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 The Israeli army arrested three residents during an intrusion in the West Bank city of Hebron, on Wednesday. The arrestees were identified as Nedal Al Zighaier, 38, Ibraheem Abu Rmoze, 25, Soheib Hamdia, 18; all were taken to an unknown destination. According to local sources the troops were focused on Abu Sinaniah nighberhood in the city, also soldiers assaulted an 11-year-old girl and her brother Khalile, 28, when they searched their home and then locked all family members in a small room in the house during the search. Soheib Hamdia, one of the arrestees, suffers some health problems and had underwent two surgeries this year, his family reported. [end] more.. Army arrests three residents from Al Khader village near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 The Israeli army invaded Al Khader, a village located south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and arrested three youth on Wednesday morning. After several jeeps entered, soldiers immediately closed the village and started a search campaign that involved several residents' homes, eyewitnesses reported. The arrestees were identified as Yousif Ghniem, 20, Al'a Mossa, 21 and Al'a Da'do'e, 26,. The three were taken to unknown locations. [end] more.. Projectiles launched at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/10/2006 Khan Younis- Ma'an- The Ahmad Abu Ar-Rish Brigades, a military wing affiliated to the Fatah Movement, have claimed responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon early on Wednesday. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Brigades said that the launching of the projectile was in reaction to the Israeli aggressions and attacks on the Palestinian people. The Brigades vowed to continue their struggle against the Israeli occupation until Palestine is liberated and the Palestinian state is built. [end] more.. Two homemade projectiles at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/10/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Ahmad Abu Ar Rish Brigades " a military wing affiliated to the Fatah Movement" claim responsibility for the launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon. In a statement issued Wednesday, the Brigades said that one of its groups managed to launch the two projectiles at the Israelis city and safely return to base. [end] more.. Mine injures 2 near Jordan border YNet News 5/10/2006 During army groundwork near Israel-Jordan border bulldozer hits landmine; civilian who drove tractor sustains light wounds, army NCO moderately injured -- A soldier and a civilian sustained light to moderate wounds Wednesday after a bulldozer hit a landmine near the Rabin Terminal at the Israel-Jordan border in the Arava region in southern Israel. The mine is believed to have been washed to the place or exposed during a huge flooding that swept the area in February. Afif Granawi, 24, of the Bedouin town of Rahat, who was lightly injured in the incident, related: "I was working on a bulldozer at the border area near the Rabin Terminal. We were performing groundwork for the army in order to level the road and prepare it for fixing the fence. " more.. Settlers: Police fabricated arrest warrants YNet News 5/10/2006 Attorney representing two settlers arrested during evacuation of Shapira house in Hebron says arrest warrants issued by police were fabricated. Police in response: These are pointless accusations -- The Police on Wednesday released two settlers arrested in Hebron on Sunday for hurling stones at troops during the eviction of Beit Shapira in Hebron. Police wanted to keep the settlers in jail until the conclusion of legal procedures against them, but their lawyer said police officers used fictitious arrest warrants. Violent confrontations erupted between settlers and evacuation troops, leaving 17 policemen and seven settlers lightly injured. more.. Army levels a Palestinian house in Jerusalem International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2006 Tuesday morning, Israeli soldiers leveled a Palestinian house that belongs to two brothers of Al Ja'bary family, in Beit Hanina neighborhood in Jerusalem. Soldiers surrounded the area, broke into the house and leveled it after forcing the family out without allowing them to evacuate their furniture and belongings. Army claims that the house was constructed without obtaining a legal construction permit. Several institutions in Jerusalem denounced the demolishing of the house and considered it part of the Israeli policy and the policy of the Jerusalem municipality to empty the city from its Palestinian residents. [end] more.. Renewed clashes in Gaza; ten injured including five school children Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Renewed clashes between Fatah and the Hamas fighters erupted on Tuesday morning in the neighbourhood of Daraj in Gaza City resulting in the injury of ten Palestinians, including five school children. The clashes started after a series of tit-for-tat abductions. The rival factions began exchanging gunfire near the house of Fatah leader Samir Mashharawi in the Toffah area in an attempt to release the abductees. These clashes come after a committee was formed to discuss Monday's clashes which left three Palestinians killed and ten others injured. This committee called for the factions not to use weapons to solve their differences. [end] more.. Peretz to open Karni crossing only if security situation allows Ha'aretz 5/10/2006 The Karni crossing point, the Gaza Strip's economic lifeline, is for all intents and purposes closed to the passage of Palestinian goods and is functioning only partially as a crossing point for Israeli supplies to the Strip, mainly for humanitarian purposes. In an assessment of the situation over the weekend, Defense Minister Amir Peretz adopted the line of his predecessor, Shaul Mofaz, saying he would reopen Karni according to the security situation. Activity at Karni has slowed down markedly since January when Israel closed it on the grounds that there were warnings of terrorist attacks. A few weeks ago, Palestinian police stopped a booby-trapped car loaded with hundreds of kilos of explosives designed to explode at the crossing. more.. Clashes in Jericho Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Jericho–Ma'an-More than twenty Israeli military vehicles entered the Khidaiwi neighborhood of Jericho and surrounded the house of Ahmad Bali. Palestinian sources said that Israeli Forces entered the area and surrounded the house. They then broke into and forcibly entered Bali's house and held the family in one room for more than three hours while they searched the house. On Monday, strong confrontations erupted between Palestinian residents and Israeli Forces. Israeli soldiers used tear gas and live ammunition against the residents. No injuries were reported. [end] more.. Israelis arrest 12 from West Bank on Tuesday Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an-Israeli Forces arrested 12 Palestinians from different West Bank towns and villages on Tuesday morning. Israeli security sources said that Israeli soldiers arrested six Palestinians in Nablus, two of them are members of Islamic Jihad and another two were members of Fatah. One of those arrested was reported to be a Palestinian girl from the Ramallah area. The Israeli army also arrested three Hamas activists from Zatarah, claiming that they were "wanted," and one Fatah activist from Harmalah. In related news,the leader of Al Aqsa Brigades in the Askar Refugee Camp, east of Nablus, Ramadan Adsi,( 26 )was injured in clashes with Israeli Forces. more.. Gaza arms shipment intercepted YNet News 5/9/2006 Navy foils Gaza arms smuggling attempt after opening fire at suspicious vessel -- Cleared for publication: The Navy thwarted an Independence Day attempt to smuggle a few hundred kilograms of standard explosive materials from Egypt to the Gaza Strip. The story was cleared for publication Tuesday. A special Navy underwater unit brought 13 sacks up from the depth of the sea, containing the explosives. Colonel Yoram Lax, commander of the Ashdod region Navy, told Ynet that the incident began when an Israeli Navy vessel was patrolling the area between the Gaza Strip and Egypt and noticed a sea vessel that was traveling from the direction of Egypt towards the Gaza Strip. more.. Israel seizes explosives AlJazeera 5/9/2006 Naval divers retrieved 550 kilos of military grade TNT -- Israel's military says it has thwarted an attempt by an Egyptian boat to smuggle half a tonne of explosives to Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Captain Jacob Dallal, a military spokesman, said the Israeli navy spotted the boat near two Palestinian vessels off the Gaza coast on May 3. It fled before it could be intercepted, its crew dumping 11 bags overboard, Dallal said. "Israeli naval divers searched and retrieved 550kg of military grade TNT," he said. Dallal said the Palestinian boat crews were interrogated and found to have no connection to the smuggling attempt. His office had said earlier that initial reports indicated the Palestinians had received the shipment. more.. Israeli forces raid Qalqilia Tuesday afternoon Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Qalqilia- Ma'an- Israeli forces raided the city of Qalqilia on Tuesday afternoon. Eyewitnesses said that many Israeli jeeps and military vehicles entered the city from the northern entrances and surrounded a shop before carrying out an invasive search of the premises. The Ma'an reporter said that the Israeli forces were still present in the Nakkar neighborhood west of the city late on Tuesday afternoon. [end] more.. Israeli forces held a woman sick with cancer for more than four hours at a military barrier north of Nablus Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Nablus- Ma'an- Israeli forces stationed at the military barrier of "17", north of Nablus, held a sick Palestinian woman at the barrier for more than four hours. Daher Az-Zahir, a relative of the woman, told the Ma'an reporter that the woman, Fahmiyeh Az-Zahir (60) from the village of Yased, is suffering from cancer and was on her way to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus in an ambulance when she was stopped at the barrier for four hours. Az-Zahir added that the Israeli soldiers at the barrier had been preventing all citizens from the villages of Yaseed and Tallouzah from passing through the barrier since the early hours of Tuesday without any clear reason. [end] more.. Preventative security men attacked ministerial advisor in Gaza Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- PLC member Musheer Al Masri confirmed that preventative security members attacked the Prime Minister's Political Advisor Ahmad Yousef and prevented his car from approaching the barrier. Al Masri told Ma'an via telephone that Yousef was with the PLC member Sayed Abu Mosamih when he was prevented to pass through the barrier. Al Masri added that "they beat Yousef and prevented him from passing through. They took his guards into the building of the preventative security". Al Masri looked at the incident as part of what he called a "continued series" that he blames on the preventative security, starting with the clashes in Khan Younis on Monday, and followed by the shooting in the Toffah neighborhood in Gaza City today Tuesday. more.. Third Security Officer in Gaza targeted by bombing devices in one week Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Eyewitnesses said that a huge explosion occurred on Tuesday morning near the house of a preventative security officer in the Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that the officer targeted was Adil Hammad. This is the third time which bombing devices have exploded near the houses of Palestinian officers. The houses of two officers were targeted last week when devices were detonated outside their homes. [end] more.. Following security alerts, Israeli forces aggressively clamp down on Nablus region Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Nablus-Ma'an- Israeli forces imposed a tightened security siege on the Al Badhan area north of the city of Nablus and arrested two Palestinian citizens. The Ma'an correspondent reported that the Israeli forces reinforced their presence in the Al Badhan area and flew pilot-less military helicopters over the area. The head of the Al Badhan council, Muhammad Salahat, said that the Israeli forces have closed the area completely and taken over several houses in the region, transforming them into military observation posts and barracks. Salahat added that the Israeli forces confiscated a number of cellular phones from citizens and carried out a wide combing operation in the farms near to Al Badhan. more.. Israeli forces invade Jenin Refugee Camp, arrest 3 Palestinians including school teacher Palestine News Network 5/9/2006 Israeli forces arrested three young men in the Jenin Refugee Camp Tuesday morning during an invasion with several military vehicles. Camp resident Sofian Astete told PNN that Israeli forces surrounded his home and that of his relatives for several hours. He said that Israeli soldiers detonated several grenades and detained Palestinians from throughout the camp. Omar Astete said that the soldiers forced the family to leave their homes and detained Salbohm Bara for several hours. They also detained women and children, searching them and checking their ID cards while storming their homes with military dogs. The Professor Howe Astete said that Israeli forces destroyed the contents of his home and his son Shauki’s as well, while arresting a 23 year old brother, Samir. more.. Israeli Authorities level two houses in Jerusalem International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2006 Israeli bulldozers leveled on Tuesday morning one Palestinian house in Beit Hanina neighborhood, in Jerusalem after claiming that the house was illegally constructed seven years ago. Another house was leveled in Jabal Al Mokabber area, in Jerusalem. Resident Mohammad Eid Al Ja'bary, the owner of the 150 square meters leveled house, said that the Israeli police leveled his house without allowing him and his family to empty it from the furniture and belongings. The house was leveled one hour before an Israeli court was supposed to examine an appeal regarding an Israeli order to level it. Al Ja'bary stated that he did not receive any official order informing him the Israeli authorities intend to level his house during this period. Before bulldozing the house, soldiers surrounded in and violently forced the family out. more.. Under cover units of the Israeli army abduct a resident from Bethlehem's Dehiesha refugee camp International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2006 Under-cover units of the Israeli army abducted, on Tuesday, one resident from Deheisha refugee camp, in of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Local sources reported that, the units disguised as Palestinian civilians stepped out a private Palestinian vehicle, and abductedMohammad Yasin Manasra, 21, while he was standing near a local supermarket in the city. The united forced Manasra into the vehicle and fled the scene, local source added. [end] more.. Troops invade Nablus, arrest five residents International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2006 Tuesday at dawn, Israeli soldiers invaded the West Bank city of Nablus, and its Askar refugee camp, conducted military searches of homes and arrested five residents. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that soldiers supported by more than twenty armored vehicles invaded several neighborhoods in Nablus and Askar refugee camp and arrested five residents identified as Imad Al Aghbar, 21,Ahmad Abu Sa'da, Abdul-Raziq Al Ratroot, 21, Ahid Al Deery, 30, and Ahmad Al Sarras, 18. The arrestees were taken to an unknown destination. [end] more.. Israeli Apartheid Wall Closing Fast on Palestinians in Jerusalem Palestine Media Center/Toronto Star 5/9/2006 Fears of division and isolation abound in East Jerusalem's Arab neighbourhoods, writes Mitch PotterThe writing has long been on the wall for the Palestinians of East Jerusalem, who watch with growing dread the slow, methodical march of concrete slabs through their neighbourhoods in the name of Israeli security. Until now, there have been ways to slip through gaps in the work-in-progress that is the eight-metre-high ribbon of pre-cast cement enwrapping the Holy City. So numerous are the gaps that an estimated 60,000 Palestinians pass unchecked every day, many walking westward to the Muslim shrine they revere as the spiritual heart of their future state, others to share in the street commerce of the bustling Arab souks. But now the wall is closing fast, the pace of construction redoubled as an urgent first priority of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's newly minted government. more.. Al Quds launch 2 projectiles Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Al Quds Brigades, military wing affiliated to the Islamic Jihad Movement, have claimed responsibility for the launch of two home-made projectiles into Sderot on Tuesday. In a statement, the Brigades said that they will continue their resistance against Israeli aggression until the end of the Israeli Occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. [end] more.. Fatah-affiliated Brigades launch 5 home-made projectiles Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Ahmad Abu Ar Rish Brigades' and three other groups of Al Aqsa Brigades, all affiliated to Fatah, announced responsibility for the launch of five home-made projectiles at the Israeli cities of Ashkelon and Sderot. In two separate statements, the Brigades said that the Aqsa groups launched a home-made projectile at Ashkelon on Tuesday morning. The Brigades added that they also launched two home-made projectiles at Sderot. The Abu Ar Rish Brigades said that they launched two home-made projectiles at Ashkelon. The Brigades said that they launched the projectiles a partial response to the Israeli aggression against and killing of Palestinians. [end] more.. Hamas wants Katyushas' YNet News 5/9/2006 Military Intelligence chief Major General Amos Yadlin says terror group highly motivated to manufacture long-range Grad rockets; warns of ease with which global terrorists are able to enter PA through Egypt. Referring to Iranian threat, Yadlin estimates country would develop atom bomb within 3. 5 years -- The Hamas organization seeks to manufacture Grad rockets - a type of Katyusha capable of reaching a 21-kilometer range, Military Intelligence chief Major General Amos Yadlin warned Tuesday. Speaking at a Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, Yadlin said that at this point Hamas is still only capable of producing Qassam rockets with an 11-13 kilometer (roughly 7-8. 5 mile) range. more.. Al-Qaeda in Palestine? Ma'an News 5/9/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- For the first time a statement bearing the signature of Al-Qaeda has been published and distributed in the Gaza Strip. In the statement, Al-Qaeda says that a group called the "Al-Quds Islamic Army" has been formed, and this army is affiliated to the Al-Qaeda organisation in Palestine. The statement also calls Palestine the "Ard Ar-Ribat", or the land of 'frontier-guarding'. The statement says that this new group will work against the occupation and the "crusaders", saying that they came to Palestine in order to implement the words of Osama Bin Laden, Dr. Ayman Zawahiri, Abu Musab Zarqawi and the rest of the 'mujahideen' in the Islamic countries. more.. Four Palestinians injured in renewed clashes in Khanyounis International Middle East Media Center 5/10/2006 On Tuesday evening four more Palestinians were injured during renewed fighting between members of Fatah and Hamas in the Eastern area of Khanyounis in the southern part of the Gaza strip. Palestinian sources say that the fighting reoccurred’ following the funeral of two of the men killed in Mondays’ clashes at Abasan east of Khanyounis. Palestinian Medical sources state the injuries suffered by the four ranged from minor to moderate. Hamas deny involvement with the clashes and claim that some members of Palestinian security forces fired at civilian houses. Hamas media spokes person Sami Abu Zuhri denounced the clashes saying that they do not serve the interests of the Palestinian people. In the earlier clashes where ten residents were injured five were children. more.. Three Killed in Hamas-Fatah Fighting Palestine Chronicle 5/8/2006 Hospital officials said two followers of Fatah and one member of Hamas, all in their 20s, were killed, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP). -- GAZA CITY - Three Palestinians were killed and 11 wounded Monday, May 8, when simmering tensions between Hamas and Fatah supporters erupted into deadly violence in the Gaza Strip in the most serious inter-faction strife over the past three months. Hospital officials said two followers of Fatah and one member of Hamas, all in their 20s, were killed... Sources told AFP that the violence broke out when Hamas members attempted to seize Sunday night, May 7, Salman Abu Mutlak, head of security in the Gaza Strip and a senior Fatah member. more.. Nablus markets collapse under Israeli earthquake Palestine News Network 5/8/2006 The blacksmiths market, Granada Street and the commercial markets in Nablus City appear as if hit by a violent earthquake. One cannot divert their eyes to the intensity of destruction and ruin that Israeli forces leave behind with each invasion to the city and Balata Refugee Camp. After Israeli forces deeply penetrated the camp over the weekend, dozens of people, including shop owners, rushed to inspect the damage. Military vehicles swept through, and amidst their dense shooting hit windows, houses, and store fronts, finally subsiding Monday..... After a large Israeli bulldozer broke through the camp, storefronts were destroyed and gates were left as twisted bits of metal, while the camp’s center was not spared either. more.. Five dead as Israelis strike Gaza BBC 5/5/2006 Five people have been killed in an Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials say. An Israeli army spokeswoman said the strike had targeted a training area for militants in Gaza City. The area is believed to be used by a group involved in launching rockets from Gaza into southern Israel. Earlier in the day, Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man during a stone-throwing demonstration in the city of Nablus. The Israeli military said the militants were training for attacks on Israel. "We carried out a strike against a terror target of the Popular Resistance Committees where armed militants were training," a spokeswoman told the AFP news agency. more.. Israeli strikes on Gaza claim six more lives The Observer 5/7/2006 Six Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip over the weekend while workers began to protest against their government's failure to pay them wages for two months. A 60-year old farmer was the latest victim of Israeli shelling, which continued all day yesterday in response to the firing of six missiles at Israel on Friday. Five militants were killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike on their training camp in Rafah in the northern Gaza Strip. The militants, who belonged to the Popular Resistance Committees, were buried yesterday as their comrades vowed to fire hundreds more missiles in revenge.... The Israeli army has fired tens of thousands of shells at Gaza to suppress the firing of homemade rockets at Israel, but without success. more.. Israeli tank shells injure two Palestinians, including a 15 year old, this morning in northern Gaza Strip Palestine News Network 5/8/2006 Israeli forces continue to bombard the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian security sources reported that a Palestinian man and boy were injured Monday morning. After Israeli tanks occupying the northeastern Gaza Strip border fired tank shells, the two citizens suffered shrapnel wounds. Palestinian medical sources in the northern Kamal Adwan Hospital reported that a 15 year old is moderately injured in both legs, while the adult man is injured in the hand. The man sells beans for work, while the 15 year old was simply in the area. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli tanks renewed their intensive bombardment with heavy artillery on regions in the northern Gaza Strip Monday morning. The Israelis claim they shoot at the entire region in order to stop members of the Palestinian resistance from launching homemade projectiles. [end] more.. Israeli Army attacks shops and houses in Hebron; imposes siege International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 The Israeli army closed the West Bank city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank, putting it under an intensified military siege while soldiers attacked and searched several Palestinian shops and homes in the old city area, on Monday. Soldiers stationed at the military checkpoints all over the city detained school children, searched them and assaulted some of them, eyewitnesses said. Meanwhile, troops also targeted some shops in the old city area and homes. Damage to the residents' belongings was also reported. [end] more.. Army shells Gaza, kills an elderly resident, injures four International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2006 A Palestinian medical source at Kamal Adwan Hospital, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, reported that one resident was killed after the Israeli army, stationed at the northern borders of the Gaza Strip, fired tank shells at Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip; four residents were injured, one seriously. The killed resident was identifed as Hasan Hussein Al Shafi’ey, 55; he was killed while farmming his land. Palestinian security sources in Gaza reported that troops fired dozens of tanks shells at the towns of Beit Lahia, Beit Hanoun, the Bedouin area, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and Al Shujaeyya area, east of Gaza city. more.. 11 Palestinians, including two sisters, arrested in Nablus area Ma'an News 5/8/2006 Nablus-Ma'an- Israeli Forces have arrested eleven Palestinian youths, including two sisters, from Nablus and the villages around it. They also damaged several shops and many vehicles in the raid on the city. Israeli Forces arrested two sisters Ranya Barmaki (24) and Ramya Barmaki (25) after breaking into, and forcibly entering their family home in Bourin, south of Nablus, early on Monday morning. The girls' father, Fouad Barmaki, told Ma'an in a telephone call that Israeli Forces tried to arrest his third daughter as well. He engaged in a long discussion with them, but they still arrested two of this daughters. The father denied that his daughters had any political affiliations. Ranya and Ramya have been working in a sewing workshop in the village of Huwwarah for six months. Their father is a taxi driver. more.. Two women arrested at a military roadblocks east of Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested on Friday at night two Palestinian women from Atteel village north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem while attempting to cross an Israeli military checkpoint installed near Bal’a village, east of Tulkarem. A local source in Tulkarem reported that soldiers stopped a taxi transporting several residents and forced them out for inspection. Later on, troops took all of the passengers and the taxi driver to the Israeli District Coordination Office, west of the city. Soldiers investigated the passengers and the driver, and released them all except the two women. The arrested women were identified as Isra’ Ribhi Abu Khaleel, 21, and her sister Fatima, 28 years old. Army claims that the two sisters, students at the American University in Jenin, are supports of the Islamic Jihad; Isra’ was previously arrested for the same claim. more.. Hebron settlers evicted in early test for Israeli leader The Independent 5/8/2006 Ehud Olmert's new Israeli government has come through its first trial of strength with militant Jewish settlers after the police forcibly evicted three families and 27 young supporters squatting in an Arab-owned house in the West Bank town of Hebron. The operation, ordered last week by the Supreme Court and endorsed by the Prime Minister, took under three hours yesterday. The police deployed 700 men and women, backed by a cordon of 1,000 soldiers to keep out settler reinforcements. Overnight, Jewish extremists burned tyres and pelted the police with stones, bottles and paint. They also hurled two petrol bombs, but neither ignited. more.. Palestinian leaders appeal for calm after three killed in shootout The Independent 5/9/2006 Hamas and Fatah leaders yesterday publicly appealed for calm after a shootout between armed members of the two factions left three Palestinians dead and 11 wounded. The Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas ordered "all necessary measures" to prevent further bloodshed after the violence erupted on the edge of the southern town of Khan Yunis. The mounting tensions between the factions came as a leading British based charity launched a direct appeal to the international "Quartet" meeting in New York today to reverse its decision to cut funding to the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. more.. Israelis warned to keep out of Sinai YNet News 5/9/2006 Counter Terrorism Bureau elevates travel warning to Egyptian peninsula due to what it referred to as an ‘increased threat of kidnapping of Israeli citizens on Sinai coast’ -- The Counter Terrorism Bureau has elevated its Sinai travel warning due to what it referred to as an “increased threat of kidnapping of Israeli citizens on the Sinai coast. ” The warning, which comes two weeks after the Dahab terror attacks, also said “the Bureau sternly suggests that Israelis visiting Sinai leave immediately. " The question remains whether the Israelis will in fact heed the call and leave Egypt, or stay put as they have following similar warnings issued in the past. more.. Army invades Nablus, arrests 9 including a young woman International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 The Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday morning and arrested 9 residents including a young woman. Army vehicles and jeeps stormed the city and the nearby Balata refugee camp and arrested several residents. IMEMC reporter in the city, said troops invaded some houses and turned them into a military post and locked all the family members in one room of the house, and positioned snipers on the roof tops. Also an an eyewitness American peace activist who is working with the International Solidarity Movement, (ISM) in Nablus told IMEMC that the army randomly attacked several stores and houses. She added that this is part of the ongoing invasions into the city which resumed on Thursday. more.. Construction of Apartheid Road in Al Jeeb Village Destroys Palestinian Lands International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 A report Monday from the Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign said since the beginning of May, Israeli occupation forces have begun uprooting farming lands in the southwest of Jeeb village of Jerusalem. The group said in a press release that a new "alternative" road is to be built for Palestinians, to apply an Apartheid travel system in which colonisers will have exclusive use over the traditional road in the area. Over 200 dunums of Palestinian land are to be destroyed. The traditional road links the villages in northwest Jerusalem, from Biddu, to Ramallah for decades. It added that colonisers in Bet Horon, Giv'at Ze'ev and Giv'on Hdsha have used the road for decades as it enables them to connect to other Jewish colonies across Jerusalem. more.. Palestinian Legislative Council building in Ramallah on fire International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 A fire started on Monday afternoon in the Palestinian legislative council (PLC) building in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Firefighters and police rushed to the scene and managed to put out the fire that happened in the four floors that are used for the executive and management employees in the PLC. Initial reports have claimed that a short circuit started the fire, no injuries were reported, although there was damage to the building. [end] more.. Three Palestinians arrested by Israeli forces in At'til village International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2006 Israeli forces arrested three Palestinian young men, including two brothers ,in the town of At'til north of Tulkarem early Sunday. Local Palestinian sources reported that Israeli forces entered the town at dawn and broke into many houses and arrested the two brothers Tha'er and Mohammad Shahir, 20 and 25 years old, and took them to an unknown destination. The reporter added that the same force broke into the house of Salah Fadil Najeeb, 20 years old, and took him to an unknown location. [end] more.. Al-Quds Brigades fire four projectiles into Ashqelon Ma'an News 5/8/2006 Ma'an- The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing affiliated to the Islamic Jihad Movement, have claimed responsibility for launching four homemade projectiles into the Israeli city of Al Majdal (Ashqelon) early on Monday morning. In a statement, the Brigades confirmed that they will continue their resistance against the Israeli aggressions until the end of the Israeli occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state. [end] more.. 'Most of security fence complete in 6 months' YNet News 5/8/2006 Defense community members not concerned by dozens of petitions made against route of West Bank security fence, promise during meeting that fence will be completed within six months -- Members of the defense community promised the newly-appointed Justice Minister Haim Ramon that 95 percent of the West Bank security fence will be complete by the end of 2006. This obligation was given during a meeting held by Ramon on the issue of bringing forward the completion of the security fence, and examining the judicial problems delaying the project. more.. Israeli forces occupying northern Gaza Strip border fire tank shell, killing farmer Palestine News Network 5/7/2006 Palestinian medical sources confirmed eyewitness accounts Sunday morning that Israeli forces shelled the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahiya, killing a farmer. The farmer was not directly hit by a heavy caliber shell fired from Israeli tanks occupying the northeastern Gaza Strip border, but was hit by its shrapnel. According to medical sources at Kamal Adwan Hospital, 55 year old Hassan Hussein Al Shafie was severely injured by shrapnel wounds and died in the hospital. Israeli forces were apparently targeting a car allegedly carrying several members of the armed resistance. All were injured and the car was destroyed. Palestinian security sources and eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli tanks continued shooting heavy artillery shells at the town of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. more.. Troops invade Balata refugee camp, exchange fire with resistance fighters International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2006 Sunday morning, Israeli soldiers invaded Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, and exchanged fire with resistance fighters, Palestinian sources reported. Four residents were arrested in separate invasion in the West Bank. Resistance fighters detonated an explosive charge near military jeeps while invading the camp and exchanged fire with the soldiers, no injuries were reported. The clashes lasted for two hours while the soldiers were breaking into neighborhoods in the camp. Elsewhere in the West Bank, soldiers arrested one resident in Doura village, south of Hebron, after breaking into his house and searching it. The resident was identified as Nasser Mohammad Abu Zneid, 46. more.. Was the PLC fire an accident or deliberate? Ma'an News 5/8/2006 Ramallah- Ma'an- A fire broke out on Monday in the upper floors of the PLC in Ramallah and fire engines and civil defense were seen rushing to the scene. Just a few hours after the news spread about the clashes in Khan Younis in which three Palestinians were killed, Palestinian officials are worried that clashes might be spreading to other parts of the country. In general, Palestinian factions condemned the clashes and called on all parties to stop their fighting and seek solutions and dialogue. PLC members Kais Abdul-Kareem, Mohammad Dahlan, Abdullah Abdullah and other members called for the parties to stop their fighting and urged them to solve their problems through dialogue. more.. Al-Batsh recommends kidnapping Israeli soldiers as means of promoting the prisoners' issue Ma'an News 5/8/2006 Gaza-Ma'an- The Islamic Jihad leader, Khaled Al-Batsh, has stated that kidnapping Israeli soldiers would be a faster solution for forcing the Israeli occupation to release Palestinian prisoners. Batsh's speech came during the weekly sit-in of prisoners' families in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza City. He said, "We have tried all political means and given the prisoners' issue all the support and solidarity but the Israeli occupation has frustrated all plans". He then indicated that kidnapping Israeli soldiers would be the fastest way to arrange for the release of Palestinian prisoners. more.. J'lem ultra-Orthodox wage war on 'internet plague' YNet News 5/8/2006 Ultra-Orthodox rabbis launch war against internet cafes in Jerusalem; self declared 'modesty police' taking violent steps to try and stamp out 'this plague' -- Why are the ultra-Orthodox afraid of internet cafes? On the eve of Memorial Day, a group of a few dozen ultra-Orthodox youth chose not to pay much attention to the ceremony held on Har Herzl. Instead, they set out on a march from the neighborhood of Mea Sharim, and within minutes arrived at a central street in the capital. They stopped outside the Strudel internet café, and began shattering the display window and computers. Jerusalem police were called to the area and arrested five of the rioters. more.. Palestinian taxi driver shot dead AlJazeera 5/4/2006 Israeli troops have shot and killed a Palestinian taxi driver in the West Bank. Witness Ahmad Quran said Zakariya Daraghmeh, 37, went round a barrier of rocks and parked by the roadblock, near the city of Nablus, to wait for passengers, reports AP. Quran said Israeli soldiers approached in a Jeep, and when they unslung their rifles, Daraghmeh left his taxi and started to run away. The soldiers shot him as he ran, Quran said. A doctor at Rafadiya hospital in Nablus said Daraghmeh died from a gunshot wound in his back. more.. Hebron child injured in settler hit and run International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 Abd Allah Al Ja'bari, 3 years old , from the West Bank city of Hebron was seriously injured on Tuesday evening, in a hit and run incident with an Israeli settler. The child suffered fractured legs and arms and severe bruising, medical sources reported. According to the child;s mother, Randa Al Ja'bari, the settler intentionally ran her son over then fled the scene. Israeli soldiers and police arrived and allowed a Palestinian ambulance to take the child to the hospital. No investigation was initiated by the Israeli army or police who are responsible for maintaining law and order in Hebron. [end] more.. The village of Araba near Jenin under siege International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 The village of Araba south west of the city of Jenin, is under seige from the Israeli army, Thursday morning. Army vehicles and soldiers have blocked all access roads to the village installing checkpoints and road blocks. Residents under the age of 35 are not allowed into the village and the army are stopping and searching all vehicles and detaining them for hours. Residents, who attempted to enter the village using a farm road, were chased by soldiers firing live rounds and sound bombs, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Army arrest two residents from Atel and Sieda villages north of Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 5/3/2006 On Wednesday morning, Israeli troops arrested one resident from Atel village and one from Sieda both villages are situated north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Yazed Aodah, 28, from Sieda village was arrested at the Bitonia military checkpoint whilst travelling to Rammallah. Wajdi Abu khalil, 25, was arrested when troops stormed Atel village and searched several homes before taking him to an unknown location, local sources reported. Soldiers stationed on the military checkpoint at Tulkarem city exit, did not allow the residents to pass and closing the checkpoint and detaining civilians in their cars for hours, residents reported. [end] more.. Special Forces infiltrate the west Bank city of Tubas International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 An Israeli Special Forces unit entered the West Bank city of Tubas on Tuesday. A security source in the city said that the force using a white van to infiltrate the city for the purposes of conducting arrests and to harasses local residents. No arrests have been reported as yet, for today but due to this infiltration the risk is high, the source added. [end] more.. Army occupies several shops in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 Israeli soldiers took over several Palestinian shops in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday morning. Troops stormed shops that sell construction materials, and setup an ambushes inside forcing the owner and employees out, eyewitnesses reported. In Hebron there has been an increase in ' sudden' checkpoints and an arrest campaign over the past few days, especially in the Old City. [end] more.. Soldiers open fire at residents trying to pass a military checkpoint near Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 Israeli soldiers stationed on Al Bathan checkpoint, at the southern entrance of the West Bank city of Nablus, fired on at residents trying pass Thursday morning. The checkpoint, which is used by hundreds of locals from surrounding towns and villages to enter the city on a daily basis seeking work, health services and education, has been closed for several days and was declared a closed military zone. Residents were forced to use a nearby farm road; soldiers chased them and fired rounds of live ammunition, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Army invades Howwara and arrest seven youths International Middle East Media Center 5/4/2006 The Israeli army invaded the town of Howwara south of the West Bank city of Nablus and arrested seven youths, on Thursday morning. Soldiers continue to impose a curfew on Howwara for the second day running ,and have initiated an arrest campaign which has led to the arrests of: Amier Wafiq, 20, Saleh Awad, 19, Sohil Awad, 17, and Ahmad; Awad, 17, and the other three arrestees who are not named, local sources reported. Troops have forced all shops to close and have installed military checkpoints all over the city along with army snipers positioned on top of some residents' homes, the sources added. [end] more.. Israeli forces foiled in northern West Bank ambush attempt Palestine News Network 5/3/2006 An armed resistance leader survived an ambush in the northern West Bank Wednesday morning. Salah Souafta is the leader in Tubas City of Saraya Al Quds, the armed resistance wing of Islamic Jihad. Israeli forces ambushed him this morning in Al Zababda Village. Local sources report that reinforced Israeli forces broke into the town and besieged the Sami Building in the northern West Bank, claiming there were “wanted” people inside. During the invasion of the building Israeli forces did not arrest anyone. Instead they attempted to ambush Souafta, but he escaped. Residents expect more of the same tonight. In southern Jenin’s town of Kfar Ri, Israeli forces arrested two young Palestinian men at dawn this morning. more.. Fatah-affiliated Brigades launch projectiles at Ashkelon Ma'an News 5/4/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- The Ahmad Abu Ar-Rish Brigades, a military wing affiliated to Fatah, have claimed responsibility for the shelling of the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Thursday morning. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Brigades said they were responsible for the launching of two homemade projectiles into Ashkelon which they described as a reaction to the Israeli crimes and aggressions against the Palestinian people. In related news, the Sami Al-Ghoul Brigades, another military wing affiliated to Fatah, have said that they also launched a projectile at the city of Ashkelon and they confirmed that this is part of the reaction against the Israeli crimes against Palestinian people. [end] more.. Aqsa Brigades claim responsibility for attacks against Israeli forces in Qalqilia area Ma'an News 5/4/2006 Qalqilia- Ma'an- The Al-Aqsa Brigades (Fatah-affiliated wing) have claimed responsibility for the shooting at an Israeli barrier north of Qalqilia on Tuesday evening. In a statement, the Brigades said they attacked the barrier using hand grenades and machine guns. The statement added that another Al-Aqsa cell attacked two Israeli patrols in the area of Noqqar, west of the city also using a hand grenade and machine guns. It was reported that this other group hit the Israeli vehicles and then withdrew from the area. The Brigades reported that it was noticed that Israel military ambulances arrived on the scene shortly after. [end] more.. Men arrested for attacking MoH office released; they blame the Al-Qassam Brigades Ma'an News 5/4/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- The Palestinians arrested on 23 April on charges of being involved in the attack on the Palestinian Minister of Health have denied the accusations of shooting. Instead, they placed the blame on the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing affiliated to Hamas, and some of the employees in the ministry. The six men, who had been arrested at the time of the incident, held a press conference immediately after their release on Thursday. One, Nasser Dalloul, said that the reason for his visit to the ministry was to obtain the minister's signatures on some papers needed to transport a patient for treatment outside Palestine. more.. Two young Palestinians arrested in Ramallah Ma'an News 5/3/2006 Tulkarem- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrested on Wednesday a young Palestinian man named Yazeed Mahmoud Hassan (28 years) from the town of Saida, north of the city of Tulkarem. He was near his home in Beitunya, near Ramallah. The Ma'an correspondent reported Hassan's brother saying that Israeli forces entered the town of Beitunya early on Wednesday and arrested many Palestinians, including his brother Yazeed. In related news, Israeli forces raided the town of Atteel, north of Tulkarem, and arrested Wajdi Salih (25 years) and took him to an unknown destination. [end] more.. IDF: Confiscate settler soldiers' rifles YNet News 5/3/2006 Military Prosecutor's Office asks military court to take away rifles of two settler troops accused of firing at Palestinians, left-wing activists while off duty -- The IDF Northern Command's court is expected to rule on a sensitive question Sunday: Should the army take away the rifles of two IDF soldiers accused of firing at Palestinians and left-wing activists while off duty? The Military Prosecutor's Office asked the court to confiscate the rifles of both soldiers, who are residents of the West Bank settlement of Elon Moreh. The two sergeants, one a fighter at the haredi Nahal unit and the other a combat soldier at the Barak armored division, were indicted before Independence Day. more.. Citizen injured in Bedouin-villager clash in Jericho Ma'an News 5/3/2006 Jericho-Ma'an- Palestinian citizen, Mahmoud Awatlah, was moderately injured by a bullet during an armed clash that took place between a group of Bedouin and citizens from the village of An-Nwi'amah in the north of the city of Jericho on Tuesday evening. [end] more.. Rafah: No different from yesterday's situation Rafah Today 5/2/2006 [with photos] No different from yesterday's situation -- the same as usual. Two people have been killed and four others were injured in a blast at a security forces compound in northern Gaza. It is not yet clear what caused the explosion which destroyed a building and killed two people. Ambulances arrived on the scene to take the injured and the bodies of the dead. A Palestinian interior ministry spokesman said the explosion in a compound in the Jabaliya refugee camp could have been caused by artillery fire from Israel. "We have suspicions that it was an Israeli shell but an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances of the explosion," Khaled Abu Hilal said today. more.. Fatah and DFLP-affiliated Brigades claim joint responsibility for killing of two Israeli soldiers Ma'an News 5/3/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- The Al-Aqsa Brigades (Fatah-affiliated) and National Resistance Brigades (DFLP-affiliated) have claimed responsibility for the killing of two Israeli soldiers east of Al Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement issued on Wednesday, the Brigades said that the shooting of the two Israeli soldiers occurred on Tuesday evening. The Brigades said that the shooting of the soldiers was a natural reaction to the Israeli crimes and aggressions against the Palestinian people. [end] more.. Commended soldier refuses to shake Halutz's hand to protest pullout Ha'aretz 5/4/2006 A soldier commended for excellence refused to shake hands with Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Dan Halutz on Wednesday, in protest over what he called the "expulsion" of the Gaza settlers. Sergeant Hananel Dayan, who serves in the armored corps, was one of 120 soldiers who received commendations at Wednesday's traditional Independence Day ceremony at the President's Residence. Dayan lives in the Psagot settlement in the West Bank and his father, Yossi Dayan, is known for extreme statements against former prime minister Yitzhak Rabin and the left in general. Several relatives of Dayan's lived in Gaza and his grandfather, who lived in Neveh Dekalim, died shortly before the pullout. more.. Rockets give revelers a scare YNet News 5/3/2006 Two Qassams fired from northern Gaza Strip; security chief: Rocket flew above our heads -- Two Qassam rockets were fired at Israel Wednesday afternoon from the northern Gaza Strip, briefly interrupting Independence Day celebrations in the south of the country. A woman who was in the area to visit her family suffered from anxiety after hearing the "Red Dawn" alert system and was treated by a Magen David Adom ambulance team. No other injuries or damages were reported in the strike. The rockets were apparently fired from the Beit Hanoun area. more.. Two die in Gaza Strip explosion BBC 5/2/2006 Two Palestinians have been killed and three injured in a blast at a security forces compound in northern Gaza. It is not yet clear what caused the explosion, which destroyed a building. The Israeli military has said it was not involved. A spokesman said there was no shelling or aircraft activity in the area at the time. On the Palestinian side there is speculation that explosive material may have been detonated accidentally, BBC Gaza correspondent Alan Johnston says. A Palestinian interior ministry spokesman said the explosion, in a compound in the Jabaliya refugee camp, could have been caused by artillery fire from Israel. more.. Haniyeh to gunmen: Don't attack crossings YNet News 5/2/2006 Palestinian prime minister calls on terror groups to refrain from targeting border crossings -- Palestinian Prime Minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh appealed for the first time on Tuesday to gunmen not to launch attacks against border crossings needed to bring vital humanitarian supplies into the Gaza Strip. Haniyeh's call to exclude border crossings from attacks came nearly a week after Palestinian security forces said they seized an explosives-laden car near the Karni commercial crossing on the border with Israel after exchanging fire with its occupants. "I stress the need to protect the vital interests of the Palestinian people, including the crossings that represent the veins and thelungs of the Palestinian people," Haniyeh said at the beginning of a cabinet meeting. more.. Israeli Forces strengthen their measures in east Qalqilia Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Qalqilia- Ma'an- Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian man in the city of Qalqilia early on Tuesday. Eyewitnesses said that an Israeli force entered the city and broke into the house of Ibrahim Awaidah, searched the building and arrested his son, Issam (19 years). In related news, the Israeli forces strengthened their measures at the eastern entrance of the city and erected a new checkpoint, preventing Palestinian citizens from leaving the city. Witnesses added that the Israeli forces at the entrance were preventing cars and pedestrians from passing through the entrance. [end] more.. Army arrests 17 residents in Bethlehem in two days International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 Israeli soldiers backed by more than 15 armored vehicles and armored jeeps carried out wide scale arrests and invasions in several locations in Bethlehem area in the West Bank,mainly in thecities of Bethlehem, Biet Jala, Biet Sahour and other nearby villages and neighborhoods. According to Palestinian security and legal sources, troops conducted several practices that were described as violent which includedforcing the residents out of their houses, attacking and beating some of them. During theses invasions , eight residents were arrested early on Tuesday at dawn includingShehada Mohamad Shehada,16, son ofMohamad Shehada, 44, a resistance fighter wanted by the Israeli army since more than five years. more.. Army attacks a medical center in Beit Sahour International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 The Israeli army troops stormed a Medical Center in Beit Sahour near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Tuesday at dawn. Soldiers forced entry to Greek Catholic Medical Center and detained the night guard, then started to smash down doors and search the clinic. D. Rao'of Azar the director of the center stated that the clinic was attacked by the soldiers who destroyed doors and urinated in the surgery room, also the night guard was attacked by the soldiers. The doctor also told IMEMC that soldiers entered an apartment in the building that belonged to a local resident they , destroyed the front door and broke some glass in the apartment. more.. Army arrest four residents among them a blind man International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 The Israeli army invaded Balata refugee camp in the West Bank city of Nablus, and arrested four residents among them a blind man, Tuesday at dawn. Army jeeps and soldiers stormed the residents' homes and used sound bombs and live rounds during the search, and arrested, Dia'e Hinawi, 24, Ahmad Al Asmar, 22, Mohamed Al Asmar, who's a blind man and Hamza Mashaikh, 24, local sources reported. [end] more.. 13 residents arrested overnight International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 Israeli soldiers arrested thirteen residents in the West Bank during arrest invasions carried out in Nablus, Qalqilia, and Bethlehem. An Israeli military source claimed that five members of Fateh movement were arrested in Nablus, onemember was arrested in Qalqilia,one member of Hamas, and a member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine were arrested in Bethlehem and nearby villages. [end] more.. Three residents arrested in Qalqilia International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 In a pre-dawn invasion to the city, Israeli army arrested thee residents from the West Bank city of Qalqilia. Army vehicles and soldiers stormed the city and the nearby village of Azzoun, broke into several homes and searched them before arresting Ibrahim Owada, 19, Shaddad Adwan 19, and his brother Shaher, 30, eyewitnesses reported. [end] more.. Brigades launch 2 projectiles at Kerem Shalom and Sderot Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Gaza-Ma'an-The Dalal Al Mughrabi Brigades, affiliated to the Fatah, claimed responsibility for the launch of two home-made projectiles - one at the Israeli military position at Kerem Shalom and one at the Israeli town of Sderot. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Brigades said that they launched the projectiles as a response to the Israeli crimes and killing of Palestinians. The latest Israeli crime was the killing of two members of the Police Force and the injury of four others in the Jabaliya Refugee Camp. [end] more.. Army arrests three residents in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 Israeli soldiers invaded the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Tuesday at dawn, and arrested three residents. Mohammad Shihada, 18, Riad Zawahra, 30, and Ahmad Masalmah, 20, were arrested when troops invaded the city from several directions and closed it then started a search campaign to the residents' homes, local sources reported. The three then were taken to an unknown destination. [end] more.. Telescopic sights for assault rifles found in Gaza-bound container Ha'aretz 5/2/2006 The Tax Authority announced Tuesday that military equipment on its way to the Gaza Strip was found in Ashdod. Customs inspectors opened a suspicious Gaza-bound shipping container that originated in China. Inside they found a variety of products including hats and watches. The inspectors also found 300 telescopes, some of which were fitted to be mounted on assault rifles. Security sources said that if the scopes had reached Gaza, they could have been fitted onto firearms. This would have allowed the Palestinians to upgrade their military capabilities. [end] more.. Jenin being strangled by closures Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Jenin- Ma'an- Israeli forces erected many temporary barriers in the area of Jenin on Tuesday and stepped up measures at the permanent barriers in the area. The closure and isolation of the western area of the Jenin Governorate continues. The Ma'an correspondent reported that the Israel forces erected barriers at the entrances to Arraba, Anzah, Ijjah, Sailat Addahir, Fandaqumiyah, Sanur, Marakah, Kufr Ra'e and in the eastern area of Jenin. Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers at the barriers were checking the ID's and searching the cars and citizens, in addition to detaining them for a long time at these barriers. The Ma'an reporter said that the Israeli forces closed the road between Jenin and Nablus and also the Tayasir road, preventing Palestinians from travelling to the Jordan valley. [end] more.. Israeli violations last week kill four Palestinians, injures 68 others ReliefWeb/PNA 5/1/2006 GAZA, Palestine, April 25, 2006 (IPC) - A recent report monitoring the Israeli violations against the Palestinian people asserted that Israeli occupation forces have killed four Palestinians and injured 68 others during the last week, in 970 violations. The report, which was prepared by the Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) pointed out that between the period of April 18-24 Israeli forces used its military arsenal against the Palestinian civilian population, in addition to exercising arbitrary measures and collective punishment policies against them, including the constant closures and economic blockade, shelling of civilian population centers and incursions. The report added that Israeli forces opened fire 116 times against citizens and their properties, killing four and injuring 68 others. more.. Arrests and armed clashes in Balata refugee camp in Nablus Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Nablus- Ma'an- A large number of Israeli forces broke into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus early on Tuesday and arrested four Palestinian citizens. Palestinian sources said that the Israeli forces arrested the brothers Mohammad and Ahmad Mahmoud Al-Asmar (22 and 23 years respectively), Dia'a Dari (24 years), and Hamzah Noman (22 years). The sources added that Palestinian resistance men detonated a road side bomb when one of the Israeli patrols passed the entrance of the camp and that strong clashes erupted between the Israeli forces and the Palestinian fighters. No casualties were reported in either side. [end] more.. Deir Ballout barrier, west of Salfit, closed at 6pm Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Salfit – Ma'an- Israeli forces stationed at the military barrier of Deir Ballout, west of the city of Salfit, in the north of the West Bank stepped up their miltary measures on Tuesday evening. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli soldiers at the barrier were searching all the Palestinian citizens wishing to cross the barrier and stopping all Palestinians with Tulkarem ID's from crossing. The eyewitnesses also informed that the soldiers closed the barrier at 6pm Tuesday. [end] more.. Two Palestinian policemen killed in rocket strike on their Gaza base Ha'aretz 5/2/2006 Two Palestinian policemen were killed in a rocket strike Tuesday on a building at the Palestinian national security compound in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said that the rocket hit the base of the Third Brigade of the Palestinian national security forces, east of the Jabaliya refugee camp. The rocket was apparently a locally made Qassam rocket, used by Palestinians to fire on southern Israel. The blast caused the one-story building to collapse. Mosud Salem, a security officer, said he was leaving the compound "when suddenly a big explosion shook the area and a big cloud of white smoke shot up. " more.. Palestinians killed by Gaza shell AlJazeera 5/2/2006 Rescuers say two Palestinians died and a third been hurt by Israeli artillery ordnance in a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. Aljazeera correspondent Hiba Akila said one of those injured, whose identity was not immediately known, was in a serious condition. "The shell has hit a building near the headquarters of the Palestinian national security in Jabalia refugee camp in northern the Gaza Strip," she said. "The casualties were from the Palestinian national security. "The building was used as a collection point for unexploded Israeli shells fired into the northern Gaza Strip. The shells were later sent to another location to be disabled. The Israeli army denied any involvement in the explosion. more.. Two Palestinian security officers killed, seven injured north of Gaza City International Middle East Media Center 5/2/2006 On Tuesday afternoon, two Palestinian security officers were killed and seven were injured in an explosion in that took place at the building of the Palestinian National Security in the north of Gaza City, between Jabalia refugee camp and Beit Lahia town. The two killed officers were identified as Khaled Fanoura and Tamer and Al Mash-harawi, the Palestinian Ministry of Interior reported. According to the ministry and eyewitnesses, the explosion was caused by an Israeli tank shell, while reports indicated that the explosion could have been caused by an Israeli land-mine. Meanwhile, an Israeli military source claimed that the explosion was caused by a homemade shell... more.. Two killed and four injured in Israeli attack on Jabalia refugee camp Ma'an News 5/2/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Two Palestinians from the Palestinian National Security Forces were killed and four others injured when a projectile launched by the Israeli artillery hit Forces' building in the east of Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources named the dead as Khaled Sa'eed (33 years) and Samir Al-Masharawi. One of the four injured is in a critical condition. Eyewitnesses said that the projectile landed in one of the rooms and that caused the collapse of the ceiling on the heads of the people inside it. [end] more.. Jerusalem: Haredis destroy internet café YNet News 5/2/2006 Dozens of ultra-Orthodox break into internet café, claiming place incites haredi community to commit sins -- Religious dispute in Jerusalem: Dozens of riled up ultra-orthodox broke into a Jerusalem internet café Monday, broke the doors and shattered the computers, claiming the place incites the haredi community to commit sins. On Monday night, the ultra-Orthodox crowd arrived at the internet café located in the center of the capital and began harassing other haredi people who were at the place surfing the internet. The rowdy crowd attempted to break into the place, but was unsuccessful after an employee locked the doors. more.. Mother and her 2 daughters victims of unrelenting Israeli violence Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Tulkarem-Ma'an-Palestinian mother Itaf Yousef Zalat (45) was killed after being shot in the head by Israeli forces firing intensively and randomly at her house. Her daughter, Ahlam (22), was injured in her hand and thighs, while her other daughter, Ansam (18), was slightly injured by shrapnel from the bullets. Eyewitnesses told Ma’an that Israeli Special Forces entered Tulkarem and surrounded the two-storey home at about 4:30 am on Monday morning. They demanded, through loudspeakers, that occupants of the house leave the house. They began shooting randomly as soon as they made this demand, killing the mother and injuring her two daughters.... the siege of the house lasted for five hours, during which the Israeli Forces continued shooting at it. They then used a bulldozer to demolish part of the house... more.. IDF troops kill Palestinian woman in West Bank operation Ha'aretz 5/1/2006 Israel Defense Forces troops Monday morning killed a Palestinian woman during a raid on a suspected militant hideout in the West Bank city of Tul Karm, witnesses and medical sources said. Soldiers from the Duvdevan elite unit surrounded a house where Iyad Abdullah, a senior Islamic Jihad militant, was hiding in and called on its occupants to come out. The troops spotted a figure moving inside the house and opened fire. Some of the bullets penetrated the house, fatally wounding Eitef Zalat, in hear early fourties. Abdullah was initially reported by Palestinian Police to be Zalat's son-in-law. Manal Ghanem, 22, Zalat's daughter later said that he was renting a flat from her family and was not a family relative. more.. Olmert alters route of West Bank wall, calls for rapid completion The Daily Star 5/1/2006 'We must go forward as quickly as possible' -- Israel's Cabinet on Sunday voted to modify the route of its contentious West Bank separation barrier to put thousands of Palestinians on the "Palestinian" side of the enclosure, officials said. "We must go forward as quickly as possible," Prime Minister-designate Ehud Olmert said at the start of the weekly meeting of ministers, who unanimously agreed to the changes. "The decisions which we are taking will enable us to complete the security barrier as quickly as possible so that we can best prevent terrorist attacks," he added... following a number of legal challenges, Palestinians living in villages near the large Jewish settlement of Ariel in the northern West Bank and close to east Jerusalem will no longer be encircled by the barrier. more.. Hamas accused of bombing attempt BBC 5/1/2006 The Israeli army has accused Hamas of being behind an attempted bomb attack on a border crossing in the Gaza Strip. The army said that the plot to attack the Karni crossing last week was carried out by the Popular Resistance Committees, under Hamas' direction. Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri flatly denied the allegation. He said that Hamas affirmed the Palestinian people's right to "self-defence" but had nothing to do with the attempted bombing. The Israeli army statement said that the man behind the attempted attack was Mamtaz Dougmoush. The army alleges that he has been working closely with Hamas. more.. Army harasses an old woman and attacks her son in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 5/1/2006 The Israeli soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint in the old city area of the West Bank city of Hebron assaulted an old woman and attacked her son, Monday morning. Troops also beat her son as he tried to prevent the soldiers from beating his mother. So'ad Al-Madani, 65, was moved to the main public hospital in the city after sustaining bruises and cuts in several areas of the body, medical sources reported. Also, the soldiers stoped and delayed the ambulance from arriving to the site to evacuate Al Madani to the hospital for more than 20 minutes. Eyewitnesses added that the soldiers did not allow the reporters to document the attack and attacked some of them. [end] more.. Israeli forces raid Jericho; 5 injured; 4 arrested Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Jericho- Ma'an- Five Palestinian citizens were injured in an extensive military operation launched by the Israeli forces on the city of Jericho on Monday just before noon. The Ma'an area correspondent reported that the Israeli forces raided the city and surrounded many buildings, including a bakery in which there were four Palestinians including Yasser Hamadnah, who is "wanted" by the Israelis. The Israeli soldiers broke into the bakery while shooting intensively, injuring one of the citizens there. Hamadnah and the other three, who are affiliated to Islamic Jihad, were arrested and taken away by the Israeli forces. more.. Shin Bet: Hamas ordered Karni attack Ha'aretz 5/2/2006 A senior figure in Hamas' military wing gave the orders for an attempted terrorist attack at the Karni crossing last Wednesday, the Shin Bet said yesterday. The attack was thwarted by Palestinian Authority security forces. Ahmed Randor gave the orders, although the actual attack was to be carried out by the Popular Resistance Committees, the Shin Bet said. The PRC has given no indication of stopping its violent activities despite the Hamas government's controversial decision to appoint a PLC member to supervise the Palestinian security forces. Despite Hamas' commitment to a cease-fire, militants from the movement have been implicated in assisting the PRC in several terrorist attacks. more.. Halutz: Reoccupation of Gaza won't end rocket fire Ha'aretz 5/2/2006 Chief of Staff Dan Halutz said Monday that he is currently opposed to a ground force operation in the Gaza Strip. In an Independence Day interview for Haaretz, Halutz said he is not pushing for such an operation since it would not necessarily end the firing of Qassam rockets at targets within Israel. "We were in Gaza for 38 years. In all the years of fighting in Gaza, we never managed to cut the number of Qassams to zero. There is one school of thought in the defense establishment that argues that we need to reenter Gaza to curtail the Qassams. I oppose this.... they fail to understand the price that this would entail. ".... That said, Halutz is in favor of declaring the Palestinian Authority an enemy and attacking from a distance targets identified as belonging to Hamas. more.. Harsh and humiliating treatment at the Za'atarah Barrier near Nablus; citizens forced to go cross-country Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Salfit- Ma'an- Israeli forces at the Za'atarah barrier prevented Palestinian citizens with Nablus ID's from passing through. Hundreds of Palestinians were forced to take rugged roads across the mountain in order to reach their destination. Eyewitnesses said that it was mainly the young men, rather than the older people, who the soldiers were preventing from crossing and ordering to return, or holding them for a long time at the barrier and then ordering them to return to Nablus. [end] more.. 36 Palestinians killed and 300 arrested in April, reports Al-Jeel Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Gaza- Ma'an- Thirty-six Palestinian citizens, including three children, have been killed by the Israeli forces during the month of April in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. According to a statistic by Al-Jeel Press Office, more than 300 Palestinians have also been arrested. The report also said that most of the killed Palestinians were killed through targeted assassination operations launched by the Israeli forces against the Palestinian activists. The office added that the Israeli forces have arrested 320 Palestinians in different parts of the West Bank. Most of them are Intifada activists and the largest number of these arrests took place in the city of Hebron. It also said that boys and girls were among the arrested Palestinians. more.. Ten residents arrested from Burken village International Middle East Media Center 5/1/2006 Israeli army arrested Tenresidents from Burken the West Bank city of Jenin, in a pre-dawn invasion to the village. Armored vehicles and jeeps stormed the village and conducted wide scale search campaign, sound bombs and live rounds were fired at the residents homes, eyewitnesses reported. The arrestees were identified as; Yasser Sobeh, Mohamed Khalof, Arafat Amodi, Nidal Jamil, Monther Abu Shadof, Ahmad Hassan, Saleh Sobeh, Al'a Wardani, Nidal Shalmish, and Qais Ghanem. [end] more.. Army arrests five residents in Nablus International Middle East Media Center 5/1/2006 In a morning invasion to the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday the Israeli army arrested five residents including a man and his wife. Troops conducted wide scale search in several neighborhoods of the city and arrested Jamal Abu Salha, 16, Aiman Abu Salha, Tamer Al Menawi, 16, Hitham Istetia, 33 and his Wife Ghada, 31, local sources reported. [end] more.. Army invades Beit Ta'mar village and arrests six residents International Middle East Media Center 5/1/2006 The Israeli miliatry invaded the village of Beit Ta'mar east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem and arrested six residents, Monday at dawn. The arrestees were identified as; Ahmad Al Wahsh,23, Ibrahem Al Wahsh, 21, Mohamed Al Wahsh, 19, Khaled Al Wahsh, 21, and his two brothers Ahmad, 25, and Moussa, 24, all were taken to unknown destination. According to eyewitnesses troops entered the village from several areas, closed all roads leading to and from the village and stormed the residents homes and arresting the six. [end] more.. IDF artillery strikes Gaza Strip after Qassam fired at Israel Ha'aretz 4/30/2006 Israel Defense Forces resumed artillery strikes on the Gaza Strip on Monday morning after Palestinians fired a Qassam rocket at Israel. No injuries were reported from the rocket. Palestinian sources reported that seven people were injured from IDF artillery fire on Saturday, Israel Radio reported. The IDF shelling on Qassam rocket launching sites in the Gaza Strip began Friday night and continued well into Saturday. According to the sources, one of the five casualties, a 49-year-old man, was seriously wounded. The other four, a 50-year-old woman and three children, ages 14, five, and three, were all lightly wounded. more.. Israeli forces impose four checkpoints en route from Bethlehem to Ramallah Palestine News Network 4/29/2006 The Israeli checkpoint, Qalandia, in southern Ramallah may be open for travel inside the West Bank, but getting there from Bethlehem is not as easy as it sounds. North of Anata Checkpoint, which is north of Abu Dis along the route after the Wadi Nar checkpoint leaving Bethlehem to the northeast, Israeli forces imposed four new checkpoints Saturday. PNN received the following phone call from a passenger stuck in a shared-taxi along the way. “Every two kilometers there was another checkpoint. They put hummers in the middle of the road. At each one they stopped us and checked our IDs. It took three hours just to pass through. ”The Israeli government has not given up on its plan to cut the north from the south of the West Bank, with the breaking point being north of Ramallah. more.. Al-Quds Brigades claim they fired 56 projectiles into Israel in April Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Bethlehem-Ma'an- The Al-Quds Brigades, a military wing affiliated to the Islamic Jihad Movement, have claimed responsibility for launching 56 homemade projectiles into Israel during April, of which most fell in Al-Majdal City (Ashqelon). The spokesman for the Brigades, Abu Ahmad, said that their launching operations were in response to the continuous Israeli aggressions against the Palestinian people, confirming that his Brigades will continue their struggle and their resistance against the Israeli occupation until the end of the occupation and the liberation of Palestine. [end] more.. Al-Aqsa ambush Israeli military convoy in Nablus Ma'an News 5/1/2006 Nablus-Ma'an- The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing affiliated to the Fatah Movement, have announced that they ambushed an Israeli convey containing eight Israeli military vehicles while the convoy was passing through Faisal Street in Nablus early on Monday morning. The Brigades confirmed that they hit one vehicle. In a statement, the Brigades confirmed that they will continue their resistance and their "martyrdom operations" until the end of the Israeli occupation. [end] more.. IDF leaflet in Gaza: Quiet will lead to quiet YNet News 5/1/2006 In a direct message to Gaza residents, an IDF leaflet says: 'Following the firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli lands, the IDF is responding in order to defend the citizens of the State of Israel. In recent weeks there has been calm when Qassams were not fired. ' -- The IDF presents the 'quiet formula': Leaflets distributed overnight in Palestinian communities in northern Gaza, following incidents in which Palestinian civilians were injured after being in areas from which Qassam rocket launchers were operating, directly addressed residents, saying: "Remember that quiet leads to quiet. "The IDF's Southern Command Front said that "there were four days of no Qassams and there was no artillery fire. When the rockets start again the cannons will go back into action... " more.. Israel to Speed Building of Barrier Palestine Chronicle 5/1/2006 In 2005, the ICJ in The Hague issued a non-binding ruling that parts of the barrier in the West Bank were illegal and should be demolished. -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - Israel is moving to speed up the building of its controversial West Bank barrier after the government approved amendments to its route. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister-designate, said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday: "We must go forward as quickly as possible. "The decisions which we are taking will enable us to complete the security barrier as quickly as possible so that we can best prevent terrorist attacks. " Tel Aviv was rocked by a suicide bombing two weeks ago. Olmert recently said he wanted the entire barrier finished by the end of the year. more.. Israel to speed building of barrier AlJazeera 4/30/2006 Israel's West Bank wall often juts deep into Palestinian land -- Israel is moving to speed up the building of its controversial West Bank barrier after the government approved amendments to its route. Ehud Olmert, the Israeli prime minister-designate, said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday: "We must go forward as quickly as possible. "The decisions which we are taking will enable us to complete the security barrier as quickly as possible so that we ca n best prevent terrorist attacks. " Tel Aviv was rocked by a suicide bombing two weeks ago. Olmert recently said he wanted the entire barrier finished by the end of the year. more..

Diplomacy..

Largest labor union in Ontario unanimously votes to boycott Israel Ha'aretz 6/1/2006 The largest labor union in the Canadian province of Ontario has voted unanimously to boycott Israel "until it recognizes the Palestinians' right of self-determination" and accepts all UN resolutions relating to Palestinians, including the right of return. The Anti-Defamation League has harshly condemned the decision, calling it "deplorable and offensive. "The decision was made by the Ontario division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which has 450,000 members. The union's decision says that it is joining an international campaign to boycott Israel and to impose sanctions on it, until it fulfills all UN resolutions including Resolution 194, which recognizes the right of return of Palestinian refugees from 1948. more.. Bush alerted Olmert on U.S. decision to talk with Iran Ha'aretz 6/1/2006 WASHINGTON - U.S. President George Bush spoke Wednesday morning with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to give him an advance heads-up on the American decision to conditionally agree to take part in talks with Iran on the nuclear issue. In a policy shift toward a long-time foe, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said on Wednesday the United States would open talks with Iran if Tehran verifiably suspended its nuclear enrichment and reprocessing activities. Rice announced the United States was prepared to join European Union powers Germany, France and Britain to meet Iran if it abandoned this part of its nuclear program. Sources in Washington told Haaretz that the Olmert-Bush conversation was preceded by a discussion on the same matter between Rice and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. more.. Bush briefs Olmert on Iran YNet News 5/31/2006 (VIDEO) Following US declaration on its willingness to hold direct negotiations with Tehran under certain conditions, American president calls prime minister to update him on developments; earlier, Bush states it is important to solve Iranian issue diplomatically -- VIDEO - US President George W. Bush called Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday evening to discuss the recent developments in the Iranian issue. The two officials agreed to stay in touch in light of the American declaration that the United States is prepared to hold direct negotiations with Iran under certain conditions. Last week, during Olmert's visit to the White House, the two officials broadly discussed the Iranian issue.... President Bush, it turns out, briefed Olmert on his country's future moves on the issue. more.. Rice updates Livni before Iran statement YNet News 5/31/2006 Following Washington's declaration that it would agree to hold direct negotiations with Tehran if latter freezes uranium enrichment, foreign minister says Israel, US in complete agreement over matter -- Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Wednesday evening that "Israel and the United States are in complete agreement and broad understanding over the Iranian threat. Livni spoke following US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's declaration that Washington is prepared to join other countries and hold direct negotiations with Iran if it should completely freeze it nuclear activities. The secretary of state called the foreign minister and updated her before making the declaration. more.. Iran dismisses US offer of talks AlJazeera 6/1/2006 Iran has described the American offer of talks if Tehran verifiably suspends its nuclear enrichment and reprocessingactivities, as "a propaganda move". "It's evident that the Islamic Republic of Iran only accepts proposals and conditions that meet the interests of the nation and the country. "Halting enrichment definitely doesn't meet such interests," the official Islamic Republic News Agency (Irna) said on Wednesday. Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, said on Wednesday that the United States was prepared to join Germany, France and Britain - known as the EU3 - to meet Iran if it abandoned the enrichment and reprocessing part of its nuclear programme. more.. Low expectations from PM-Abbas summit YNet News 5/31/2006 PM Olmert's associates say no breakthrough expected in meeting with PA Chairman Abbas, set to take place within month -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said it is unlikely that his upcoming meeting with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas will result in a major breakthrough. "No great expectations should be developed regarding my meeting with Abbas – the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment could be," Olmert said. Sources close to the prime minister said: "We are not expecting any breakthroughs. We'll try and see whether Abbas can ensure that the PA government meet the Quartet's demands (recognition of Israel, renouncing terror, and accepting previous agreements between PA and Israel. more.. Passage of Abbas Plan Unlikely to Ease Sanctions: UN Palestine Chronicle 5/31/2006 The U. N. special envoy for the Middle East peace process said President Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas Islamists were not on the brink of civil war. -- JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Passage of a Palestinian statehood proposal that implicitly recognizes Israel would not clear the way for lifting sanctions on the Hamas government but could be a positive step, a top U. N. diplomat said on Wednesday. Alvaro de Soto, the U. N. special envoy for the Middle East peace process, also told Reuters in an interview he believed President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah movement and Hamas Islamists were not on the brink of civil war despite clashes that have killed 10 people in Gaza this month.... De Soto called Abbas's move "dramatic", saying it could be a step toward meeting international demands... more.. King Abdullah II of Jordan will meet Ehud Olmert in mid-June in attempt to kick-start peace process Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Amman-Ma'an-In a press statement, the Jordanian Royal Council has declared that King Abdullah II of Jordan will meet the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Aqaba, Jordan in the middle of June in order to discuss the revival of peace negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians. The statement added that: "King Abdullah hopes that negotiations will be held directly between the two parties which will lead to movement of the peace process". It was also noted that the monarch had received positive signals from the Palestinian and Israeli sides. The statement confirmed that the king believes in the establishment of two countries, one for the Israelis and one for the Palestinians, as laid out in the road map. more.. Haniyeh: US is enemy of Islam and Muslims YNet News 5/31/2006 Palestinian PM says 'Washington influenced by Zionists, Jewish lobby and is doing everything to bring down Hamas' -- Palestinian Prime minister Ismail Haniyeh called the United States an "enemy of Islam and Muslims" in an interview for Iranian news agency IRNA. Haniyeh said that "the United States is doing everything to bring about the downfall of the Hamas government. " He also said that "Washington is influenced by the Zionists and the Jewish lobby. " On Tuesday, Haniyeh gave an interview to IRNA and said that "the Palestinian nation is an enemy of the American people but Muslims can't accept the American humiliation. " Haniyeh was asked about clashes between Hamas and Fatah, and said: "A civil war between Palestinians is a red line... " more.. Report: Landmark Resolutions on ‘Middle East Refugees’ Introduced in US Senate, House of Representatives Palestine Media Center 5/31/2006 Washington, D. C. (PRWEB) May 30, 2006 -- In an important, unprecedented initiative, four Senators and four Congressmen, representing both political parties, have introduced landmark Resolutions on Middle East refugees in the United States Senate and in the House of Representatives. These far-reaching Resolutions urge the President to ensure that in all international forums, when the issue of ‘Middle East refugees is discussed, representatives of the United States should ensure: “That any explicit reference to Palestinian refugees is matched by a similar explicit reference to Jewish and other refugees, as a matter of law and equity. ”The Resolutions will be the strongest declarations adopted by the U.S. Congress, acknowledging the rights of Jewish and others refugees that were forced to flee Arab countries more.. Faruq Qaddumi to Asharq Alawsat: What’s the Use of Contacts with Israel If It Doesn’t Recognize Us as Partner? By Razzuq al Ghawi, Palestine Media Center/Asharq Al-Awsat 5/31/2006 Interview with the PLO's Faruq Qaddumi -- (Asharq Al-Awsat) What are your thoughts on the Prisoners' Initiative to resolve the problem between Fatah and Hamas? (Qaddumi) It is good. It is a clear proof that the Palestinian people yearn for unity. This is an appeal to all to unite because unity is the road to liberation. (Asharq Al-Awsat) The Fatah movement is accused of putting pressure on the Hamas-led government. What is your opinion? (Qaddumi) I am the secretary of the Fatah Central Committee and the overwhelming majority in the movement cooperates with Hamas. If they make a mistake, we tell them in a friendly manner and a national spirit that they made a mistake. If they follow the right path, we support them... more.. All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat: Unilateral Demarcation of Israel-Palestine Border Violates International Law Palestine Media Center 5/31/2006 New Delhi, 26 May, 2006 -- Shri Syed Shahabuddin, President of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), has issued the following Statement: "The All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM) is not surprised by the USA’s support to the plan of Israel which has been an open secret to unilaterally to determine the international border between Israel and the West Bank which would violate the UN Plan of 1949 as well as the 1967 cease-fire line. This exercise will violate the Resolution of the Security Council. The AIMMM is of the view that the exercise amounts to annexation of Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem and establishment of permanent Jewish settlement in the West Bank. This illegal annexation will be protected by the Sharon Wall, constructed within the Palestinian territory. more.. Norwegian delegation visits Hebron Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Hebron-Ma'an-A Norwegian diplomatic delegation visited the headquarters of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH ) on Wednesday afternoon, to ascertain the conditions being faced by internationals and Palestinians currently living in Hebron and the Old City. In a phone call to Ma'an Agency, the spokesman for TIPH, Eli Simt, said that the Norwegian delegation of 13 people visited the TIPH headquarters. TIPH chief Arnistin Oufrikal briefed the delegation about current conditions in Hebron and of the aid that TIPH is providing to Palestinians. [end] more.. Former US presidential advisor calls for end of "myth" of extreme Zionist influence on US politics Ma'an News 5/31/2006 Ma'an-A former US presidential advisor has denied that the influence of the Zionist lobby in the United States steers American external politics. Addressing the Arab community in the USA, the advisor called for such thoughts to be abolished and to stop referring to the decisions taken by US politicians as being directed by such a lobby, calling it a "myth". In a meeting with the Union of Arab Journalists in Washington, the Middle East programme director at the International Crisis Group (ICG) and former US president Bill Clinton's special assistant for Arab-Israeli and North Africa affairs, Robert Malley, said that the Zionist lobby does not place any more pressure on the United States than any other group. more.. Foreign Ministry D-G visits New Zealand, ending 2-year freeze Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 The head of the Foreign Ministry, Ron Prosor, had talks in Wellington on Wednesday with New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and other officials, marking the end of a diplomatic freeze over a spy scandal. Peters said Prosor, who was accompanied by Naftali Tamir, the Israeli ambassador to New Zealand who resides in Canberra, Australia, was the most senior Israeli official to visit New Zealand since 1984. Last year, the two countries restored diplomatic ties which were frozen in 2004 after two Mossad agents were convicted of trying to fraudulently obtain New Zealand passports. The two agents, Elisha Kara and Uriel Kelman, were arrested in New Zealand in March 2004. more.. Amr Moussa to Israel: Reconsider Arab Peace Plan Palestine Media Center/The Jerusalem Post 5/27/2006 May. 25, 2006 -- According to Arab League Secretary-General Amr Moussa, the Israelis got the Arab peace initiative of 2002 all wrong. He should know. "I drafted it," he said. In an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post, which took place here the day after the closing of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, Moussa spelled out the conditions for that initiative, conditions which he said would allow the Israeli government to engage in a substantive peace process. Notably, he spoke of the possibility for territorial adjustments along the Green Line. Moussa, in a rare interview with an Israeli publication, said he had a burning message for the Israeli people. more.. Abbas meets Tunisian counterpart on official visit to Tunis Ha'aretz 5/31/2006 TUNIS - Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas discussed his referendum plan with his Tunisian counterpart in talks Tuesday at the start of a three-day visit. The meeting with Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali was one of several that Abbas is expected to have while in Tunisia. Abbas said he briefed Ben Ali about talks taking place between Palestinian factions on a proposal that would implicitly recognize Israel's right to exist. Abbas has said he will call a referendum on the proposal if no agreement is reached by the time the talks end June 6. In their series of meetings, Abbas and Ben Ali are also expected to discuss the cutoff of Western aid and Israeli tax transfers to the Palestinians... more.. Malaysia: Hamas-Fatah row eroding support for Palestinians Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Calling the Hamas-Fatah rivalry "a pity," Malaysia's foreign minister urged the Palestinians on Tuesday to unite if they want the respect of supporters worldwide. Host Malaysia dispensed the advice a day after Mahmoud al-Zahar, the foreign minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, boycotted a ministerial conference of the Nonaligned Movement to protest the participation of his Fatah rival, Farouk Kaddoumi. "It will be a pity if... all of us continue to support the struggle of the Palestinian people but the Palestinian people seem to be not in unity. That is not good," Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar told reporters. more.. Zahhar refuses to take part in same international meeting as PLO's Al-Qaddoumi Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Malaysia-Ramallah-Jerusalem-Reuters-Ma'an-The disagreements between the Palestinian government and the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO)'s political bureau have returned. During a meeting on Monday in Malaysia, the non-aligned countries made a joint call for unity between the Palestinians, but the members of the Palestinian delegation were not apparently listening. One of the aims of the meeting of the non-aligned countries, which numbers 114 countries, was to give a moral push to the Palestinian issue after the blockade was imposed on the new Palestinian government.... Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud Zahhar left the meeting... Farouq Al-Qaddoumi.... told journalists that Zahhar was "just a member of local government... he has no right in diplomacy and this is the problem. " more.. Palestinians detained in Jordan in April receive their charges: conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Ma'an-The Palestinians who were detained in Jordan in April on suspicion of smuggling weapons into Jordan for the purpose of attacking Jordanian institutions and personalities, have been charged by the Attorney-General of the Jordanian Court for State Security in Amman. The official charges are conspiracy with the aim of carrying out terrorist acts, and possession of unlicensed firearms and explosives with the purpose of using them in an illegitimate way. The men, who are affiliated to the Hamas Movement, are now being prepared for their transfer to court. Jordan declared on 25 April 2006 that they had arrested the Hamas members, saying that they had received instructions from military officials in the Hamas Movement in Syria to target Jordanian officials and facilities; Hamas denied these charges. more.. Israeli forces arrest Cabinet member, deliberately terrorise his children Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Ma'an-Bethlehem-Israeli Forces have arrested Deputy Secretary-General of the Palestinian Cabinet, Aziz Kayid. Kayid's wife told Ma'an that Israeli troops surrounded their home with an army carrier vehicle and a number of other military vehicles. 11 Israeli Force soldiers and two Israeli Intelligences officers forcibly entered their home and searched it. They then arrested her husband and led him to an unidentified location. Kayid's wife said that Israeli Forces behaved brutally towards the family, including the children. She said that the Israeli Forces broke into her children's room despite her warning to them that her children were in the room and would be afraid if the soldiers behaved violently and aggressively towards them. more.. Abbas ready to meet Olmert with no conditions Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Amman-Ma'an-Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has confirmed that he is prepared to meet Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert without conditions. During a press conference in Amman after Abbas met with the Jordanian Prime Minister Ma'arouf Al Bakhit on Monday night, Abbas said "There are no Palestinian conditions for holding a meeting with the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert". He added that no preparations have been taken so far for holding this meeting but there are discussions taking place on the subject. Abbas confirmed that "this meeting is necessary because we are partners in the peace process and we should meet always and forever and consequently, when the time is suitable to them and for us, then we will meet. " more.. China urges Hamas to recognize Israel on eve of Palestinian FM visit Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 China on Tuesday called on the Hamas-led Palestinian government to recognize Israel's right to exist on the eve of the Palestinian foreign minister's visit to Beijing. "We urge Hamas to earnestly abandon violence, recognize Israel and accept the agreements already reached," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao. Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud a-Zahar was due to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday for a meeting of officials from China and Arab governments. Zahar was also scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing. [end] more.. Wiesenthal Center: UK boycott redolent of Nazi campaign YNet News 5/30/2006 Jewish human rights organization sends letter to British Education Department saying boycotting of Israeli universities ‘a propaganda instrument of the PNGO - a network of Palestinian NGOs that includes groups associated with the European Union blacklisted terrorist organization Hamas, and those which glorify suicide terrorism’ -- Addressing British Secretary of State for Education, Alan Johnson, and Universities UK President Drummond Bone, the Simon Wiesenthal Centers Director for International Relations, Dr. Shimon Samuels, called for their action against the British academic boycott of Israeli universities. “The ongoing campaign... is redolent of the Nazi 1930's 'Kaufen Nicht Bei Juden' boycott of Jewish professionals and enterprises,” Samuels said in a letter to the British officials. more.. Peretz: Hizbullah seeking legitimacy in Lebanon YNet News 5/30/2006 During weekly security briefing, defense minister says Sunday's attacks on northern border aimed at 'maintaining Hizbullah's deterrence balance against Israel' -- The heavy exchanges of fire between Hizbullah and the IDF at the beginning of the week were at the center of the cabinet meeting's security review Tuesday. "Hizbullah's attack reflected their desire to maintain a deterrence balance against Israel and strengthen their legitimacy in the Lebanese arena as a resistance organization," said Defense Minister Amir Peretz. On Sunday afternoon, the IDF halted fire at the northern border following a request by the Lebanese government. "Hizbullah members sought to prevent escalation following the heavy blows incurred on them by the IDF, and requested a ceasefire," Perez said during the cabinet meeting. -- See also: Report: Israel threatened to bomb Beirut more.. Israel, Egypt dump Sudanese exiles on each other's door Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Israel has tried on more than one occasion to return Sudanese refugees to Egypt who have crossed the border, but the Egyptians pushed them back into Israel. The "hot return" policy ostensibly permits the forcible return of a trespasser if less than 24 hours have passed since the border was crossed and the infiltrator is 50 kilometers or less from the border. The statements were made by Interior Minister Roni Bar-On in answer to a question in the Knesset plenum asked by MK Haim Oron (Meretz) about the incarceration of more than 150 Sudanese refugees, some of them survivors of the Darfur genocide, who have illegally crossed the border from Egypt into Israel. "The problem is that there's no cooperation with the Egyptians," Bar-On said. more.. Lecturers back boycott of Israeli academics The Guardian 5/30/2006 Critics of state policies exempt from sanction · Narrow vote welcomed by Palestinian groups -- Britain's largest lecturers' union yesterday voted in favour of a boycott of Israeli lecturers and academic institutions who do not publicly dissociate themselves from Israel's "apartheid policies". Delegates at the annual conference of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (Natfhe) in Blackpool narrowly backed the proposal, despite mounting international pressure from those opposed to a boycott, including a petition from more than 5,000 academics and a plea from the Israeli government. The decision was greeted with disappointment and anger by anti-boycott campaigners last night, but Palestinian groups issued declarations of support. more.. French Consul-General meets Palestinian officials in Ramallah Ma'an News 5/30/2006 Ramallah-Ma'an-The French Consul-General in Jerusalem, Alain Rémy, met on Monday with Palestinian officials in the city of Ramallah; they discussed the political situation in the Palestinian territories, particularly following the international blockade imposed on the Palestinian people and their government. In a statement, the French Consul confirmed the support of France and the European Union for the Israeli and Palestinian parties in the conflict to return to the negotiation table. He also expressed France's wish to continue to offer political and economic support to the Palestinian people. [end] more.. Daughter of Hamas PM detained for trying to visit prison with fake ID Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 The 17-year-old daughter of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh was detained on Monday in southern Israel after trying to visit a prison with a fake identity card. Kawla Haniyeh was stopped as she tried to enter Eshel prison to visit a prisoner in the complex, said Prisons Service spokeswoman Orit Steltzer. She had entered Israel from the Gaza Strip as part of regular visits Israel allows for family members of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel. Haniyeh, a leader of the militant Islamic Hamas, took office in March as the Palestinian prime minister after Hamas won a January parliamentary election. The father of 13 has not commented on his daughter's detention. more.. Iranian Foreign Minister: 'There is no such country' as Israel Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, declaring that the United States was too tied down in Iraq and Afghanistan to be able to mount an attack on Iran, said Tuesday that "there is no such country" as Israel. The comments were made at a ministerial meeting of the Nonaligned Movement held in the city of Putrajaya. The group appears set to support Tehran's right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Asked to comment on Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni's call for imposing economic sanctions on Iran, Mottaki replied sarcastically: "What country is that? There is no such country. " Iran refuses to recognize Israel. The Iranian foreign minister also accused Washington of following "a double standard policy" over the nuclear issue, and engaging in "a unilateral approach that is not acceptable. " more.. Hamas minister leaves NAM meeting AlJazeera 5/30/2006 The Palestinian foreign minister has walked out of a meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement after a Fatah member was also asked to the talks in Malaysia. Mahmoud al-Zahar, foreign minister of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority government, left in protest at the attendance of his rival from the Fatah faction. "I can't stand side by side with a man who is not representing the Palestinian government. He is playing a dirty game. ".... The walkout created an embarrassing diplomatic flap for host Malaysia over its decision to include both al-Zahar and Farouk Kaddoumi, from the former ruling Fatah faction, at the meeting of foreign ministers and officials of 114 Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) countries. more.. Palestinians to hold talks on crisis over recognizing Israel Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas and Palestinian faction leaders have agreed to 10 days of intensive talks aimed at resolving critical differences and avoiding a national referendum on recognizing Israel's right to exist. The Palestinian government has been internationally isolated and suffering a crippling economic boycott since Hamas won January 25 parliamentary elections. The United States and European Union demand the Islamic militant grouprerenounce violence and recognize Israel if it wants aid restored. Hamas has refused. To force Hamas to soften its position, Abbas urged the group to accept aproposal drafted by militants in Israeli prisons that implicitly acceptsIsrael's right to exist. more.. Canadian teachers union boycotts Israel YNet News 5/29/2006 Ontario public employees' union vote to boycott Israel until it recognizes Palestinians' right for self-determination -- On Monday the Ontario division of Canada's largest union voted to support an international campaign to boycott Israel over its treatment of Palestinians, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reported on its website this weekend. The decision to join the campaign, until Israel recognizes the Palestinians' right to self-determination, was supported by an overwhelming majority of the delegates to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) at the Ontario convention in Ottawa this Saturday. The Ontario body represents more than 200,000 workers. The global anti-Israel campaign, which started last July, has received support from many North American churches and some 20 Quebec organizations, the CBC reported. -- See also, from Stop The Wall: CUPE Ontario votes in Support of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions Against Israeli Apartheid more.. MK Ayalon meets with Abbas on Palestinian 'prisoner proposal' Ha'aretz 5/27/2006 MK Ami Ayalon (Labor) met with Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah on Saturday and discussed the possibility of future negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Ayalon plans on briefing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on the content of the meeting. Following the meeting, Ayalon said that in about two months time, Israel could possibly be facing a Palestinian unity government willing to conduct negotiations based on the plan put forth by jailed Palestinian leaders, which Abbas wishes to put to a popular vote. The plan would implicitly recognize Israel and includes an agreement for a Palestinian state based on 1967 borders with Jerusalem as its capital, the right of return for Palestinian refugees, recognition of previous agreements signed with Israel and willingness to negotiate with Israel. more.. Report: Israel threatened to bomb Beirut YNet News 5/29/2006 Arab press reports on process leading to ceasefire in north -- How was a ceasefire established in the north? According to reports, Lebanese Prime Minister Fuad Siniora, and his political patron Saad Hariri, were involved in contacts which resulted in the IDF holdings its fire. -- The ceasefire followed unequivocal threats by Israel and determined diplomatic action by the United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. London-based Arabic newspaper al-Hayat said that in an attempt to prevent the crisis, Siniora turned to the United Nations' representative in Lebanon, Gier Pederson, and the American and French ambassadors, as well as to Hizbullah leadership. Siniora pushed the three foreign representatives to become quickly involved out of a fear that a wide-scale escalation could ensue, and go out of control. more.. Ministers, professors slam U.K. boycott of Israeli academe Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Israeli leaders and academics Monday slammed a vote by the largest university and college lecturers' union in Britain in favor of a motion recommending that its members boycott Israeli academics and institutions that do not publicly declare their opposition to Israeli policy in the territories. The motion passed with 106 in favor and 71 against. There were 21 abstentions. The 69,000-member National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) debated the proposal for the boycott at its annual conference in the northern English city of Blackpool. Two parts of the motion passed with a show of hands while a third went to a vote. Under the boycott, union members also will not submit articles to Israeli research journals. more.. UK educators shun Israeli academics YNet News 5/29/2006 One of Britain’s biggest teachers’ unions votes to shun Israeli academic institutions that don't renounce 'apartheid policies' -- LONDON - Britain's National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) Monday approved an academic boycott on Israeli higher education institutions that do not condemn Israel’s “apartheid policy. ” NAFTHE, which with a membership of 67,000 educators is one of the UK’s largest teachers' unions, voted 106 to 71, with 21 abstentions, in favor of the boycott during a Blackpool convention. The move to boycott Israeli academics reopened a front which formerly involved a different British teachers’ association, the Association of University Teachers (AUT), which advanced a motion in April of last year to shun Haifa and Bar Ilan Universities. more.. Jumblatt: Syria, Iran behind rocket attacks YNet News 5/29/2006 Lebanese leader Jumblatt says 'Damascus agents' responsible for Katyusha attacks on Israel Sunday, working to destabilize his country -- The rocket attacks that targeted the Jewish state Sunday, prompting cross border clashes and Israeli Air Force retaliation, were carried out by "agents" working on behalf of Syria and Iran, Lebanon's Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said in an interview. "Agents working for the axis of Tehran and Damascus arranged the rocket volley (against Israel) to create instability in Lebanon and bring conflict to our borders," Jumblatt told WorldNetDaily. Jumblatt is the head of Lebanon's Progressive Socialist Party and is largely considered the most prominent anti-Syrian Lebanese politician. more.. Amir Peretz: No intention of causing escalation on border Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Defense Minister Amir Peretz said Sunday evening that Israel has "no intention" of causing an escalation in tensions on the Israel-Lebanon border, after a day of clashes in which two Israel Defense Forces soldiers were wounded, and two militants killed in cross-border clashes. "Israel has no intention of causing an escalation in the situation in the north, or expanding the conflict, but rather [wishes] to make every effort to bring about calm. "Lebanese Foreign Minister Fawzi Sallukh on Sunday accused Israel of "warlike aggression" against Lebanon following a string of Israel Air Force raids against militant positions on Lebanese soil, which were preceded by the firing of missiles into Israel from southern Lebanon. "We consider the Israeli acts as a warlike aggression," the minister said. more.. Livni arrives in Turkey for first talks since Hamas leader's visit Ha'aretz 5/28/2006 Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni began a visit to Turkey on Sunday with a tour of an Istanbul synagogue attacked in 2003 by al-Qaida linked suicide bombers who killed more than 60 people. Livni arrived in Turkey on Sunday for a two-day visit that is expected to include discussions on bilateral ties, the Hamas-led Palestinian government and Iran's nuclear program. The visit is the first time that Turkish and Israeli ministers will meet since a brief rift between Israel and Turkey sparked by Ankara's hosting of Khaled Meshaal, the exiled political leader of Hamas. Hamas won the last Palestianian elections but is responsible for killing hundreds of Israelis in suicide bombings and other attacks. more.. Turkey reassures Israel it opposes Iran acquiring nuclear weapons Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 ANKARA - Turkey reassured its ally Israel on Monday that it opposed Iran acquiring nuclear weapons and said it wanted to see the whole Middle East region freed of the atomic threat. "Turkey is completely against the proliferation of nuclear weapons," Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul told a joint news conference with his visiting Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, replying to a question about Iran. Livni met Monday with Gul to discuss bilateral ties, the Hamas-led Palestinian government and Iran's nuclear program. "We encourage cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and believe that especially countries signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) have a responsibility to act with full transparency," Gul said. more.. Israel tightens NATO ties amid Iran nuke jitters YNet News 5/29/2006 State announces it would fully participate in NATO naval exercise for first time, bolstering defense ties with Western military alliance in face of Iran's nuclear program -- Israel announced on Monday it would fully participate in a NATO naval exercise for the first time, bolstering defense ties with the Western military alliance in the face of arch-foe Iran's nuclear program. Israeli military officials said the exercise, dubbed Cooperation Mako, would take place next month in the Black Sea and involve simulated combat between missile boat fleets as well as search-and-rescue drills. "This marks the first time a unit of the Israel Navy will fully participate in an operational NATO exercise," said an Israeli military statement. Israel had previously held only observer status in such maneuvers. more.. Haniyeh's daughter detained in Israel YNet News 5/29/2006 Palestinian prime minister's daughter attempts to enter Eshel Prison in southern city of Be'er Sheva in order to meet with fiancé -- The daughter of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh attempted to enter the Eshel Prison in the south using the identity card of another woman in a bid to meet her fiancé who is a prisoner there. Haola Haniyeh was arrested and taken into interrogation, and it is believed a criminal file will be opened against her due to the use of a false identity. She was later released and transferred to the Erez Crossing, from where she was to be taken to the Palestinian Authority. In the afternoon hours, Ismail Haniyeh's 18-year-old daughter arrived on a bus carrying family members of prisoners to the jail in Be'er Sheva. more.. US ending years of Gaza civic work ReliefWeb/Christian Science Monitor 5/30/2006 GAZA CITY, GAZA -- Hamas's Ahmed Yousef wears a Statue of Liberty pin on his suit lapel. He began putting it on after 9/11, when he lived in the US, as a reminder of American values - and as a critique of the subsequent anti-Arab backlash he experienced. But the symbol of freedom worn by Mr. Yousef, Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh's political adviser, is about the extent of the US presence found in the Gaza Strip these days. No US official has been on a visit here in more than six months. Following the January electoral victory of Hamas, designated by the US as a terrorist organization, American officials in the region have been in the midst of a comprehensive reduction of all contacts with the Palestinian Authority (PA), from political ties to development aid. more.. Jordan declares its support for the Arab-Israeli summit to be held in Sharm Al Sheikh on Sunday Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Amman-Ma'an-In spite of the fact that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has not confirmed his participation in the Sharm Al Sheikh summit on Sunday, Jordan has declared its support for the expected summit between Abbas, Egyptian President Husni Mubarak and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Jordanian government, Nasser Joudah, said during a press conference held in the Cabinet headquarters in Amman that Jordan supports efforts to return the parties to direct negotiations table and a commitment to the road map. more.. Israel to Hamas officials in J'lem: Quit group or leave the city Ha'aretz 5/30/2006 Interior Minister Roni Bar-On on Monday informed four Hamas legislators from East Jerusalem that they must renounce their membership in the militant Islamic group if they were to continue to have residency rights in Jerusalem. "You will either resign or you won't be with us," Bar-On said in a Channel 2 TV interview. Bar-On issued his ultimatum to four senior Hamas officials - Minister for Jerusalem Affairs Khaled Abu Arafa and three members of the Palestinian parliament Mohammed Abu Tir, Ahmed Abu Atoun and Mahmoud Totah. Another Hamas parliament member from the "Jerusalem district," Wa'al El-Husseini who lives in the village of Bir Nabaleh in northern Jerusalem, has a Palestinian Authority-issued identity card and was thus included in Bar-On's announcement. more.. Hashemite Jordanian Charitable Organization launches donation campaign for Palestinians Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Exclusive-Amman-Ma'an-At the direction of the Jordanian monarch King Abdullah II, the Hashemite Jordanian Charitable organization has urged all Jordanians to offer humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people in terms of cash or material donations. The organization has announced that it is ready to accept cash donations to its accounts in three banks: the Arab Bank, the Islamic Bank and the Housing Bank. Hashemite Jordanian Charitable organization manager, Dr. Abdul Salam Al Abbadi has denied that his organization has received any donations from the syndicate or factional committees that were formed to collect donations for the Palestinian people at the start of the blockade at the end of January. He added that his organization welcomes any donations for the support of the Palestinian people. more.. Hamas FM confirms boycott of international meet over Fatah presence Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 A meeting of the world's non-aligned states called for Palestinian unity Monday - but the Palestinian delegates didn't appear to be listening. This week's meeting of the 114-member Nonaligned Movement, which began Monday, was meant to be a morale-booster for the Palestinian cause in the wake of a Western-led embargo on the new government, but it didn't count on a row between its two Palestinian guests. Palestinian Foreign Minister Mahmoud al-Zahar, of Hamas, quit the meeting in Malaysia within 24 hours of his arrival, after the other delegate, Farouk Kaddoumi, from the Fatah faction of the umbrella Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), questioned his credentials. more.. Ahmadinejad: 'Network of Zionists' trying to stop me attending World Cup Ha'aretz 5/29/2006 Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said an "active worldwide network of Zionists" was trying to prevent his possible trip to Germany for the World Cup and expressed new doubts over whether the Holocaust happened. In an interview with Der Spiegel magazine, Ahmadinejad also said he doubted Germans were allowed to write "the truth" about the Holocaust and said if Nazi murder of European Jews really happened, Jews should be moved from Israel back to Europe. "We say if the Holocaust happened, then the Europeans must accept the consequences and the price should not be paid by Palestine," he said in a rare interview with Western media that was published on Sunday. "If it did not happen, then the Jews must return to where they came from. " more.. Malaysia gives US $16 million in aid to Palestinians Ma'an News 5/29/2006 Ma'an-Secretary-General of the Arab League Amir Moussa met with Malaysian Foreign Minister Hamid Al Bar on Sunday in the Malaysian Capital Kuala Lampur. They discussed the political developments in Palestine, the blockade imposed on the Palestinian people, the efforts of the Arab League to deliver aid to the Palestinian people and the outcome of the meeting in Brussels. The Brussels meeting was held to discuss ways to create a new mechanism to transfer aids and followed the recent suggestion by the Quartet that such a mechanism was necessary. Hamid Al Bar said that Malaysia would give US $16 million in aid to the Palestinian people with for the development of infrastructure in Palestine and to support special projects that are of benefit to the Palestinian people. [end] more.. Morocco sends Palestinians 210 tonnes of food aid ReliefWeb 5/28/2006 RABAT, May 28, 2006 (AFP) - A Moroccan ship carrying 210 tonnes of humanitarian aid left Casablanca for the Palestinian territories on Sunday, Morocco's official MAP news agency said. The gift to the Palestinian people was ordered by King Mohammed VI and consists of five tonnes of milk, 50 tonnes of oil, 95 tonnes of sugar, 45 tonnes of rice and 15 tonnes of canned fish, the agency said. The Moroccan sovereign has also decided to send 460,000 dollars worth of medicine and hospital materials to the occupied territories as part of "the concrete and permanent support that Morocco continues to give the Palestinian cause," the agency said. more.. Hamas leaders in Syria reject Abbas referendum Ha'aretz 5/27/2006 Hamas' leadership in Damascus has rejected Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' threat to call a referendum on a plan that would implicitly recognize Israel. "Hamas will not submit to blackmail and will not compromise its principles," Mohammad Nazzal, a member of the movement's exiled leadership said Friday. Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh on Friday vowed the Hamas-led government would make no concessions despite Abbas' threat. "We will not make political concessions," Haniyeh told worshippers at a Gaza mosque in response to Abbas's surprise ultimatum for the militant group to back the proposal for Palestinian statehood or face a referendum on the issue. more.. Jakarta pledges aid to Palestinians AlJazeera 5/26/2006 Al-Zahar is visiting Asia to raise money -- Indonesia will give medicine and food aid to the Palestinian government to help ease shortages caused by United States and European sanctions, the country's foreign minister has said. Hassan Wirajuda made the comments after Mahmoud al-Zahar, the Palestinian foreigm minister, met Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the Indonesian president. Al-Zahar is in Indonesia as part of a tour of Asia aimed at raising money for the cash-strapped Palestinian Authority. "The president made a promise as part of our continuous support to the struggle of the Palestinian nation to provide aid to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the form of food and drugs," Wirajuda said. more.. Kissinger sought 'small friendly' Israel YNet News 5/27/2006 Kissinger-era foreign policy papers reveal details of US politician's talks with then Iraqi FM -- The United States reached out to hostile Arabs three decades ago with an offer to work toward making Israel a ``small friendly country'' of no threat to its neighbors and with an assurance to Iraq that the U.S. had stopped backing Kurdish rebels in the north. ``We can't negotiate about the existence of Israel,'' then Secretary of State Henry Kissinger told his Iraqi counterpart in a rare high-level meeting, ``but we can reduce its size to historical proportions. '' A December 1975 memo detailing Kissinger's probing conversation with Foreign Affairs Minister Saadoun Hammadi... is included in some 28,000 pages of Kissinger-era foreign policy papers published in an online collection Friday. more.. MK Ayalon: Abbas ultimatum could foster talks YNet News 5/27/2006 MK Ayalon: Abbas' ultimatum for Hamas to accept peace talks could force Israel to abandon unilateral realignment plan -- Labor MK Ami Ayalon said Saturday that should the Palestinians endorse a proposal for establishing a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders in a referendum, Israel would have to consider holding negotiations with President Mahmoud Abbas rather than demarcating its borders unilaterally. "If in two months we have a situation where Abu Mazen has a mandate from the Palestinian public to hold peace negotiations based on the prisoners' plan, and maybe have a Hamas-Fatah national unity government, I believe … this will be the end of the age of unilateral policies," Ayalon told Ynet after talks with President Mahmoud Abbas and senior Fatah officials in Ramallah. more.. Former Mossad chief calls for long-term deal with Hamas Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 Israel should try to negotiate a long-term truce with Hamas, Mossad chief Ephraim Halevy said Friday, breaking away from a broad consensus in Israel that the Islamic militants must be shunned. Halevy was the first senior Israeli security official to propose reaching a deal with the Islamic militants who have killed more than 250 Israelis in scores of attacks. Israel and Hamas could reach an understanding based on their mutual desire for a long-term truce, he said.... "I think that now is not the right time for a permanent status agreement since it's not possible because of the great hatred between the sides," Halevy said. "But if Hamas wants... a long-term armistice, there is a meeting between the (desire of) the two sides. " more.. Israeli, Jewish groups make final efforts to prevent U.K. academic boycott Ha'aretz 5/27/2006 As Britain's largest university lecturers' organization considers implementing an academic boycott against Israel, Israeli and Jewish organizations are stepping up efforts to prevent the measure. The headquarters of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NAFTHE) in London has received thousands of requests in recent weeks to overturn the ruling or postpone its implementation. The boycott proposal will be reviewed Monday at the organization's annual conference in Blackpool, England. The proposal does not encourage a comprehensive measure against Israel, but would only affect those who do not publicly renounce the alleged policies of "apartheid and discrimination in education. " more.. US Visit Boosts Olmert's Unilateral Plan: Experts Palestine Chronicle 5/26/2006 The United States had consistently opposed any Israeli go-it-alone steps on final status negotiations with the Palestinians. -- OCCUPIED JERUSALEM - US President George Bush and Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert's talk about giving diplomacy a chance before unilateral measures to fix Israel's final borders was seen in Israel as neither particularly unexpected nor meaningful. "Nobody takes this seriously, neither Americans nor Israelis," political analyst Gerald Steinberg told Reuters. "It's a charade. They're going to go through the motions of talking to (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas and certainly Olmert knows that is not going to produce anything. ""The president removed the only obstacle remaining in Olmert's path. " more.. US Foreign Ministry refrains from saying that Palestinian National Dialogue is a positive development Ma'an News 5/26/2006 Ma'an- US Foreign Ministry spokesman Sean McCormack has said that he cannot comment on the Palestinian national dialogue, adding that "so far there is nothing that shows this is a positive development". The spokesman said "if Hamas complies with the conditions which the international community called for, then, at that time, it will be possible to say that the Palestinian national dialogue is a positive development. " [end] more.. Report: Israel warns of World Cup terror YNet News 5/26/2006 Saudi newspaper says Israel warned US, European intelligence service of possible attempts by Hizbullah cells to carry out attacks during upcoming soccer tournament in Germany in bid to prove to international community that Tehran is capable of retaliation if attacked -- Israel has warned European and American intelligence bodies of possible attempts by Hizbullah cells, led by Imad Mugniyah, to carry out terror attacks during the upcoming World Cup tournament in Germany, the Saudi Al-Watan newspaper reported on Friday. According to the report, the terror plot is aimed at proving to the international community that Tehran is capable of retaliation if attacked. Sources in Washington said a joint US-European operations room has been set up to deal with such a scenario... more.. Israel agrees on arms transfer to Abbas' presidential guard Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz accepted recommendations from defense officials to allow for the transfer a limited amount of weapons and ammunition to the Palestinian Authority's presidential guard in light of growing threats to Chairman Mahmoud Abbas' life. Olmert and Peretz reached the decision prior to the prime minister's departure for the United States earlier this week, Channel 2 reported Thursday. Senior defense sources said Thursday that the arms will be delivered to the guard by way of a third-party state (all indications are either Egypt or Jordan) solely for the purposes of protecting Abbas. The move is seen as a response to the continued strengthening of Islamic organizations, which have managed to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip. more.. U.K. Foreign Office condemns IDF's incursion into Ramallah Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 The British Foreign Office released a statement Thursday condemning the Israel Defense Forces operation in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday. Four Palestinians were killed and 36 others were wounded in fierce gunbattles between IDF soldiers and Palestinians. The clashes erupted when troops entered the West Bank city to arrest militants, Palestinian security officials said. "We continue to urge the Israeli government to exercise restraint, avoid escalation of the situation, and ensure that any actions taken in the occupied territories are proportionate and in accordance with international law," the foreign office said. more.. Palestinian negotiator slams Israeli decision to allow Jews to enter al-Aqsa mosque International Middle East Media Center 5/26/2006 Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat Thursday denounced a decision of Israeli police to allow extremist Jews to enter the al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem, the third-holiest site in Islam, and a mosque that some extremist Jews hope to destroy in order to replace it with a synagogue. Guards of the Temple Mount, a Jewish group, has recently got permission from Israeli police to enter the al-Aqsa mosque in East Jerusalem. "This dangerous development comes in the context of Israeli aggression and assassinations which aim to inflame the region and worsen the situation," Erekat told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah. He said that the Palestinian National Authority will hold contacts with the international quartet to stop the Israeli escalation. more.. Bush Signals Policy Shift on Israel's Unilateral Borders Palestine Chronicle 5/25/2006 The United States had consistently opposed any Israeli unilateral moves on final status negotiations with the Palestinians. -- WASHINGTON - US President George Bush has signaled a policy shift on Israeli Premier Ehud Olmert's plan to unilaterally set final borders without consultations with the Palestinians. "These ideas could lead to a two-state solution if a pathway to progress on the road map is not opened in the period ahead," Bush told a joint press conference with his Israeli guest Tuesday, May 23, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported. He described as "bold" Olmert's plan to annex large Jewish settlement blocks in the occupied West Bank, dividing Palestinian areas and making it almost impossible to create a contiguous and viable Palestinian state. more.. Haniyeh: US, Israel conspiring against us YNet News 5/25/2006 Haniyeh says 'unfortunately the Americans are on Israel's side,' in address to Palestinian parliament; Palestinian PM speaks of 'international network' conspiring with Israel 'to suffocate and starve us' -- Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said Thursday afternoon that US President George W. Bush gave the green light for a conspiracy against the Palestinians during talks with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Washington on Wednesday. Addressing the Palestinian parliament in Gaza and Ramallah, where rival factions met to discuss ways to avert an internal crisis, Haniyeh condemned Israel's unilateral plan to withdraw from the West Bank. Haniyeh said Olmert's plan to withdraw settlers from isolated settlements and draw final borders with or without negotiations endangers the whole region. more.. Israeli group calls for boycott over Hebrew U. Shin Bet degree program Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 An Israeli group is is planning to brief the British teachers' association on a new Hebrew University program, approved last week, to grant undergraduate degrees to Shin Bet security services personnel. The Israeli initiative favors imposing sanctions on Israeli organizations that cooperate with the occupation. The British National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) is to discuss a proposal Monday for an academic boycott of Israel. The program, which will award a B. A. in Middle Eastern studies, was modified after it was first reported in Haaretz, and was lengthened from 16 to 24 months. Sixty percent is to be conducted on campus. The humanities faculty council last week approved the program by a large majority, but must still be vetted by the Council for Higher Education. more.. Israeli group to brief Brits on pro-occupation university activity Ha'aretz 5/26/2006 An Israeli group is is planning to brief the British teachers' association on a new Hebrew University program, approved last week, to grant undergraduate degrees to Shin Bet security services personnel. The Israeli initiative favors imposing sanctions on Israeli organizations that cooperate with the occupation. The British National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) is to discuss a proposal Monday for an academic boycott of Israel. The program, which will award a B. A. in Middle Eastern studies, was modified after it was first reported in Haaretz, and was lengthened from 16 to 24 months. Sixty percent is to be conducted on campus. The humanities faculty council last week approved the program by a large majority, but must still be vetted by the Council for Higher Education. more.. Olmert: Jerusalem Jewish, inclusive, and united YNet News 5/25/2006 Hours after landing back in Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert attends ceremony at Jerusalem's Ammunition Hill to celebrate 39 years to