 |
Vermonters
for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel News Archives - May 2007 Select News by subject: Conflict • Diplomacy • Government • Human Rights • Economy • People • International |
|
Israeli army invades several villages near Jenin and kidnaps five Palestinians Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/31/2007 Israeli army forces stormed a number of villages near Jenin city, in the northern part of the West Bank, and kidnapped five civilians on Thursday morning. Local sources identified the three as Mustafa Zaied, 22, Adieb Samoudi, 22, and Morad Nawahda. They were all taken from the village of Al Yamoun, west of Jenin. Witnesses said that troops entered Al Yamoun from several directions. During the search, soldiers ransacked homes and forced families into the street. Witnesses added that troops opened fire into the homes of residents causing some damage but no injuries. The operation lasted for five hours. While the Israeli army claimed that they were looking for Palestinian activists on their wanted list, local sources stated that the three kidnapped are civilians. more.. Palestinian resistance fighters escape Israeli air strike Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/31/2007 Palestinian sources reported that a group of Palestinian resistance fighters escaped a deadly Israeli air strike in the northern Gaza strip on Thursday. Medical sources reported that two men were only slightly injured in the attack. Al Nasser Salah Al Deen brigades, the armed wing of the popular resistance committees in Gaza, stated that one of their groups had been targeted. The brigades added that the fighters were trying to fire home made shells at Israeli targets when they were attacked by an Israeli war plane. Israeli army sources confirmed the attack but said that they were only targeting some shells that were ready to be fired. No people were believed to be in the area. Early on Thursday morning a Palestinian home-made shell landed in open space in the Negev without causing any damage or injuries. more.. Shin Bet arrests 3 Hamas militants who tried to attack IDF troops Haaretz Correspondent and Reuters, By Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/31/2007 The Shin Bet recently arrested three Hamas militants from the Hebron area who placed two explosive devices and planned to carry out additional attacks, according to information made public yesterday. The militants are suspected of placing the devices in April to kill IDF troops in Halhul, north of Hebron. Following their arrest, dozens of kilograms of explosives a were found in their possession. Meanwhile, an IAF strike on Qassam rocket launchers in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday injured at least two people, local residents said. An IDF spokeswoman said that an air strike was carried out, but no one was in the area. Two Qassam rockets fired from Gaza in the morning landed in open areas in the western Negev. Two more rockets were fired in the afternoon, but it was not clear where they struck. more.. Hamas: the assassination in Nablus clouds Abbas-Olmert meeting Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/31/2007 A car bomb, allegedly planted by the Israeli military, killed two teenage boys and left scores injured on Wednesday night in the old city of Nablus in the West Bank, said local medical officials. Hamas, the majority party in the Palestinian National Authority, criticized the assassination that came days before a possible meeting between Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, said Hamas in a statement. Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, reported that the Israeli attack failed to assassinate its target Sufian Qandeel, one of the organization’s brigade leaders. A Hamas spokesperson said that Israel continuously carries out military operations – invasions, assassinations, and abductions – in the occupied territories, and lies to the international community about it. more.. Israeli army arrests 8 ’wanted’ West Bankers on Thursday; Israeli forces raid northern villages, impose curfew Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 West Bank - Ma’an - Israel forces arrested eight Palestinian in various areas of the occupied West Bank on Thursday, claiming that they are "wanted". Israeli media sources said that the arrests took place in more than one city in the occupied Palestinian territories and that the campaign included Hamas and Fatah members. Israeli sources also said that the Israeli forces in Jenin were attacked by explosive devices being thrown at them by Palestinian armed operatives but said that no casualties occurred. In the Jenin region of the northern West Bank, the Israeli forces arrested four Palestinians in the villages of Yamun and Kafr Dan, located west of Jenin. The same sources confirmed that another Israeli force invaded Kafr Dan and broke into many houses before arresting Rasim As’ad, 50, and his son Manna’a, 20. more.. Armed factions fire projectiles at Sderot and other targets Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Armed wings representing various Palestinian political factions have issued statements claiming responsibility for firing projectiles at Sderot and other Israeli targets, both military and civilian. The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), have also claimed to have fired at an israeli soldier stationed in the northern Gaza Strip. The brigades have claimed that these actions are the "natural retaliation" for the "Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people". The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for launching one homemade projectile at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Thursday morning. In a statement, the brigades said that the operation was part "of a series of reactions against the Israeli... more.. Two Palestinian men injured after Israeli strike on northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Two young Palestinian men were injured on Thursday morning when Israeli forces fired a missile at a house in the Sikka area of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Medical sources in Beit Hanoun hospital reported that two Gazan citizens were admitted to the hospital suffering from shrapnel in different parts of their bodies. They were said to be in a stable condition. [end] Arsonists attack a military intelligence officer’s car in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Unknown arsonists set fire to a car belonging to a Palestinian military intelligence officer in Shati (Beach) refugee camp in Gaza City soon after midnight on Wednesday, Palestinian security sources have reported. The sources added that the car, which was parked outside the officer’s house, was burned totally. No casualties or injuries were reported. The sources did not disclose the name of the officer but added that the reasons behind the act were not yet known. [end] Israeli tanks withdraw from northern Gaza after ten days of ground invasion Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The tanks of the Israeli military, which invaded the northern Gaza Strip 10 days ago finally withdrew on Thursday evening, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. Our Gaza correspondent reported that Israeli tanks were stationed in the former Israeli settlements of Dugit and Elei Sinai, which were evacuated in 2005. Gazan citizens expressed worries that the Israeli withdrawal was merely one tactic in a wider assault. There seems to be an undeclared and uneasy ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, with the Israeli air forces not conducting any raids or bombings since Wednesday evening. [end] Israeli military claim to have foiled attempt to attack Israeli-only road in occupied West Bank Ma’an News Agency 5/31/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – Israeli media sources have claimed that the Israeli military have thwarted an attempt by Hamas-affiliated militants to detonate explosive devices along Israeli-only roads within the occupied West Bank. Three Palestinians have been arrested, and identified as Hadi Abu Aisha, 23, Ta’ar Abu Aisha and Sa’ad Abu Aisha. The Israeli Shin Bet security service have alleged that the men had planned to place three explosive devices along the road between the Israeli settlements of Kiryat Gat and Kiryat Arba, north of Hebron. [end] Israel, militants exchange limited fire in Gaza Source: Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 5/31/2007 Israel launched air strikes against militants and a rocket launching site in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, injuring two Palestinians, but the number of attacks from both sides appeared to be dropping off. The relative lull prompted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s adviser, Nabil Abu Rdainah, to suggest an "undeclared truce" was taking hold after two weeks of escalating violence. Militants fired two makeshift rockets on Thursday. Israel launched two air strikes. Militants fired five rockets on Wednesday and three on Tuesday, down from 14 rockets on Monday. It is unclear how long the lull will last. Both Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Hamas’s armed wing have publicly rebuffed Abbas’s repeated calls for a ceasefire. Abbas will meet next week with Olmert, most likely in the West Bank city of Jericho. more.. Violence shakes Gaza despite calls for calm ReliefWeb 5/31/2007 by Adel Zaanoun GAZA CITY, May 31, 2007 (AFP) - An Israeli air strike in the Gaza Strip wounded two Palestinians trying to fire a rocket on Thursday as violence continued in the lawless territory despite international appeals for restraint. With no sign of an end to the conflict, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will travel to Washington to meet US President George W. Bush on June 19 to discuss Iran’s controversial nuclear programme and the Middle East conflict. The two leaders last met in November in Washington, and in the meantime Israel’s main ally has stepped up its efforts to revive dormant peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Olmert will also meet moderate Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas next week after a two-month hiatus in an apparent effort to end violence between the two sides. more.. Terror chief received, distributed American assault rifles Aaron Klein, WND, YNetNews 5/30/2007 Arrested militant doubled as officer in Abbas’ US-backed security detail -- A long-wanted terrorist chief captured this week by Israeli forces was trained by the US, served in a senior capacity on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ US-backed security detail, and was a ranking member of a team that received and distributed American arms shipments the past two years, the WND has learned. Khaled Shawish, an officer in Abbas’ Force 17 presidential guards, was arrested Sunday by undercover Israeli police forces following scores of shooting attacks Shawish is suspected of carrying out. Shawish doubled as the Ramallah chief of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terror group. He previously boasted of involvement in a West Bank shooting attack in December 2000 that killed Israeli ultranationalist leader Benjamin Kahane and Kahane’s wife, Talya. more.. Two Palestinians killed in Nablus, several residents injured Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 5/31/2007 Palestinian medical sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank, reported on Wednesday at night that two Palestinians were killed and several others were injured, some seriously, in an assassination attempt carried by the Israeli army. Mahdi Abu Ghazala, one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh, said that the attack targeted Sufian Qandeel, one of the leaders of the brigades, but he survived the attack. One of the residents who were killed in the attack was identified as Mahmoud Fatayer while the second casualty remained unknown until the time of this report since his body was severely mutilated. Several bystanders were injured, some seriously, medical sources in Nablus reported The attack was carried out by detonating a wired jeep which was supposed to be used by Qandeel. more.. Israeli drone kills two Palestinian resistance fighters in northern Gaza strip Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 Two Palestinian resistance fighters from the Hamas linked Qassam brigades were announced dead after an Israeli drone fired several missiles at a group of resistance fighters east of Jabalyia, a town in the northern Gaza strip, early on Wednesday morning. Palestinian medical sources identified the two dead as Mohamed Hamoudah, 23, and Omer Rihan, 25. Doctors said that the two bodies were severely burned and mutilated. Seven civilians were also injured in the attack Sources in Gaza report that Israeli fighter jets and drones have been flying intensively over the Gaza strip, while Palestinian resistance groups continue to fire home made shells at nearby Israeli towns and cities. For the first time in two weeks, the Israeli army carried out an early morning ground attack on the southern end of the Gaza Strip,... more.. West Bank civilians and public officials detained Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 The rampage of the Israeli army continued today in the West Bank where twelve Palestinian activists were abducted, according to reports. Seven of the kidnapped were from the Nablus area in northern West Bank. Israeli troops invaded Beit Iba, west of Nablus city, searched homes, and kidnapped Khaled Ramadan, Mohammad Khayre Sama’ena, Mohammed Kheer Sama’ena, Kasem Qabala, Mohammad Nafek Sama’ena, and Rami Sama’ena, taking them to an unknown location. In the town of Qabalan, south of Nablus, military force kidnapped the mayor, Fawaz Aqra’a, from his residence. Several months ago Israeli troops abducted another local official, who filled the mayor position back then. During an Israeli military operation last Thursday, nine Palestinians of Nablus, including the legislator Jamal Al Terawe of the Balata refugee camp, were detained and taken away to an unknown location. more.. Israeli army invades homes around Bethlehem Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 Private homes in several villages around the city of Bethlehem in southern West Bank were attacked on Wednesday morning. Israeli soldiers fired randomly in the houses they searched, and caused damage but no injuries, according to local sources. Palestinian security sources reported that troops attacked and searched the villages of Obadiyah, Dar Salah, Al Shaowurah, and Taqu’a for several hours. No kidnappings were reported. [end] Israeli army invades several areas in Hebron, kidnapping 5 civilians Nisreen Qumsieh, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 Israeli military forces implemented several operations in Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank on Wednesday morning. Security sources in Anata reported that the army kidnapped Ahmad Shehab, 32, at a flying checkpoint near the entrance to Hebron City. Shehab, an agricultural engineer, was on his way to work in Anata town. In Beit Kahel and Al Thahryia in Hebron, the army kidnapped 4 civilians. In Al Thahryia army ransacked homes and kidnapped 3 civilians. Local security sources identified the kidnapped as Mousa Qaysiya, Ibrahim Qaysiya and Wa’el Qaysiya. While in Beit Kahel the army kidnapped Mou’en Al Zohoor, 25. In Raboud town near Hebron, troops invaded the town, initiating a widespread search including fields, caves and homes. more.. Israeli army arrests 12 Palestinians across the West Bank Wednesday morning, 4 on Tuesday evening Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 West Bank - Ma’an - The Israeli forces apprehended on Wednesday morning 12 Palestinian West Bankers on the pretext that they are ’wanted’ men. In the Nablus region, the army arrested the mayor of Qabalan. Israeli sources reported that the arrest campaign included several West Bank cities and the arrested people were affiliated to Hamas and Fatah. In a different regard, Israeli sources stated that the Israeli forces patrolling in Jenin in the northern West Bank were targeted with an explosive device, yet no casualties were reported. In Ramallah in the central West Bank, a Molotov cocktail was lobbed at an Israeli patrol without any casualties either. The Israeli forces also arrested six other Palestinian young men from the village of Beit Iba, located west of Nablus. more.. Israeli army withdraws from Tulkarem after ransacking numerous houses and arresting bystanders Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces withdrew from Tulkarem refugee camp in the north west of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday evening after conducting a wide scale military incursion. During the incursion, Israeli soldiers broke into several shops and residential houses in addition to cafés in the refugee camp. A Palestinian woman, Samirah Ali, aged 45, was injured by gunshot shrapnel in her shoulder and she was taken to Thabit Thabit governmental hospital. The incursion and search operation concentrated on a café in the centre of the refugee camp, and in the homes of activists affiliated to various Palestinian factions. Among the homes which were broken into were the homes of Mer’i Salama, a Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) activist; Muhammad Qouzah from Islamic Jihad; Ibrahim Anees from Hamas; and Sa’id Al-Mashni from Fatah’s Al-Aqsa Brigades. more.. Israeli forces impose curfew on Huwwara village near Nablus Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Nablus - Ma’an - The Israeli forces imposed a curfew on the northern West Bank village of Huwwara, located south of Nablus, on Wednesday morning. Local Palestinian sources told our correspondent that more than 15 Israeli military vehicles invaded several neighbourhoods in the village and forced the Palestinian residents to close their shops without giving any explanation. An eyewitness, Wael Huwwari, 23, told our Nablus correspondent that there was intense gunfire on the road between Huwwara and ’Einabus villages. [end] Omar Abdul-Halim, assassinated in Ramallah on Tuesday by undercover Israeli forces, buried in his home village Wednesday Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - Large numbers of residents of the West Bank city of Tulkarem participated in the funeral on Wednesday of Omar Abdul-Halim, also known as Omar Abu Daher, who was killed by undercover Israeli forces in Ramallah on Tuesday. Various leaders from the Palestinian security forces also participated in the funeral, especially members of the Palestinian ’Force 17’ presidential guards, of which Abdul-Halim was a member. The funeral procession began at Thabit Thabit governmental hospital in the city centre and proceeded through the streets until they reached his home village of Illar, located north east of the city. Some of the security members who participated in the funeral fired shots in the air and chanted slogans calling for revenge. more.. Abu Ammar Brigades pledge to retaliate for the assassination of their founder Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Jenin - Ma’an - The newly established ’Abu Ammar Brigades’, who are affiliated to the Fatah movement, pledged on Wednesday to retaliate for the assassination of their founder Muhammad Mer’i. Israeli undercover forces assassinated Mer’i on Tuesday in the village of Kufr Dan, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The pledges came during Mer’i’s funeral procession in Jenin in which hundreds of Palestinian civilians and fighters took part. Several speeches calling for revenge were delivered in the Kufr Dan cemetery where Mer’i’s body was laid to rest. [end] Army to deploy surveillance system near Gaza Arieh Egozy, YNetNews 5/30/2007 RAFAEL develops surveillance system capable of identifying, shooting at terrorists approaching border with Israel from Gaza Strip The Israeli army will soon deploy along the border with the Gaza Strip a new defense system that will allow soldiers to identify and shoot at terrorists approaching the Israeli border from a distance, the army said. Developed by the Armament Development Authority (RAFAEL), the system will lower the risk of casualties among troops monitoring the volatile border, security officials said, as the army will no longer have to deploy troops to thwart terrorist activities. "It sounds like science fiction, but it is here and it is proven and will greatly improve the IDF’s ability to thwart terrorist infiltrations from the Gaza Strip," one official said. more.. Ministers push for stepped-up Gaza campaign Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/30/2007 At security cabinet meeting, ministers say Israel should uphold airstrikes on terror groups, recapture border between Egypt and Gaza Strip to halt arms smuggling The security cabinet voted Wednesday in favor of stepping up Israel’s military pressure on terror groups responsible for the firing of rockets from the Gaza Strip towards Israel. Ministers also backed plans to fortify public facilities and residential buildings in the towns and kibbutzim near the border with the Gaza Strip. The Israeli government is under increased pressure to halt daily rocket attacks at Israeli communities, but the army’s latest assault on terror groups in the Gaza Strip has failed to achieve that goal. Two Israelis were killed by rockets since the Islamic group Hamas broke a year-long ceasefire with the Jewish State along the border with the Gaza Strip two weeks ago. more.. Frontline status approved for Sderot-area communities Zvi Zrahiya, Ha’aretz 5/30/2007 The Knesset Finance Committee on Wednesday passed a motion that will grant frontline status to Sderot and other communities near the Gaza Strip. These southern communities have been bombarded by Qassam rockets, fired into Israel from the Gaza Strip, causing damage to buildings and fields, injuries and deaths. The new status will enable residents to receive special protection packages, certain tax breaks and other benefits. The motion will allow business owners to apply for compensation for damage caused indirectly by Qassam attacks from May 16th when the large-scale rocket fire from Gaza began, up until August 31. The motion’s approval is the first step for Sderot and western Negev communities in receiving compensation for indirect damages caused recently by Qassam attacks. more.. Brigades linked to Fatah and the Popular Resistance Committees fire projectiles at Netiv Ha’asarah and Sderot Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, and the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility on Tuesday night for launching one homemade projectile at the Israeli village of Netiv Ha’asarah, located just north of the Gaza Strip. The Al-Aqsa Brigades also claimed responsibility on Wednesday morning for firing four homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli towns of Sderot and Netiv Ha’asarah. The brigades said in a joint statement that the joint operation on Tuesday night came in retaliation for the assassination of the leader of the Fatah-affiliated Abu Ammar Brigades in Jenin, Muhammad Mer’i, on Tuesday evening, and the killing of two of Hamas’ Al-Qassam Brigades’ activists, Abdul Karim Sha’ath and Muhammad Mu’ammar, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning. more.. Salah Addin Brigades hit Sderot apartment with a homemade projectile, no injuries Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching one homemade projectile at the southern Israeli town of Sderot. In a statement received by Ma’an, the brigades said that the Israeli authorities had admitted that one apartment was damaged and several Israelis were suffering from shock. They affirmed that the operation came in retaliation for Israel’s frequent targeted killing of Palestinians. [end] Islamic Jihad’s military wing fire projectiles at Sderot and other targets Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility on Wednesday for launching 4 homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot and other residential compounds east of the southern Gaza Strip. The brigades said in a statement that the shelling was part of a series of operations to come in retaliation for the Israeli policy of "targeted killings" against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [end] Al Quds Brigades fire three mortar projectiles at an Israeli military post in central Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for launching three mortar projectiles on Wednesday at noon at an Israeli military post located east of Juhor Ad-Dik in the central Gaza Strip. In a statement, the brigades said that "the operation came as part of their retaliation for the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the territories." [end] Brigades launch ten mortars at Kfar Aza Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees, along with the Islamic and national resistance brigades, have declared their responsibility for the launching of ten mortar projectiles at Kfar ’Aza on Wednesday. A joint statement issued declared that the brigades launched the projectiles "as retaliation for the Israeli killing and assassination operations in the territories." [end] Israeli troops arrest man southwest of Jenin Ma’an News Agency 5/30/2007 Jenin - Ma’an – Occupying Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian citizen on Wednesday afternoon from Qabatia. The man was passing through a flying checkpoint erected by Israeli troops at the entrance of Zababida, a town southwest of Jenin. This checkpoint is one of hundreds of roadblocks throughout the West Bank. Eyewitnesses stated that soldiers stopped the car in which Tawfiq Hamad Ikmil, 25, was traveling, and, after inspecting and searching the car, the soldiers took him to an unknown destination. The man is the brother of two Palestinians killed by Israeli forces. One was a leader in the Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades, killed in Tubas in 2003, and the other was also a member of the Brigades, killed two years ago. more.. Palestine Today 053007 Ghassan Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 5/30/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 66 MB|| Time 3m13s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday May 30th, 2007. Israeli drones fire missiles at a group of resistance fighters in Gaza, killing two. While in the West Bank, the Israeli army continues to abduct Palestinian officials. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Gaza strip Two Palestinian resistance fighters from the Hamas linked Qassam brigades were announced dead after an Israeli drone fired several missiles at a group of resistance fighters east of Jabalyia, a town in the northern Gaza strip, early on Wednesday morning. Palestinian medical sources identified the two as Mohamed Hamoudah, 23, and Omer Rihan, 25. more.. Israeli air strike kills 2 Hamas gunmen in Gaza - Palestinians Reuters, YNetNews 5/30/2007 Locals, medics say missile attack by drone near Jabalya refugee camp left two members of Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades Islamic dead, wounded several peopleAn Israeli air strike killed two Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday, medical workers said, as Israel kept up pressure on the Islamist group to end cross-border rocket attacks. An Israeli military spokeswoman had no immediate comment on what ambulance crews and local residents said was a missile attack by a drone on a group of gunmen in the northern part of the territory near Jabalya refugee camp. In addition to the two members of Hamas" Izz el-Din al-Qassam Brigades killed in the strike, several people were wounded and a house was damaged. At a news conference on Tuesday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas proposed a new truce... more.. Israeli army kidnaps 9 Palestinian civilians from Nablus, among them legislator Jamal Al Terawe Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 The Israeli army invaded Balata refugee camp near Nablus on the early hours of Tuesday morning. Sources in the camp reported that troops invaded the camp and ransacked homes, causing massive damage to Mohammad Sharay’ah’s house, who, alongside Rabe’e Abu Leil, Firas Al Rayan, Najeh Abu Shaheen, Ra’ed Rawash, Yousif Al Srooji , was later kidnapped and taken to an unknown location. At the same time, the Israeli army also kidnapped the Fatah legislator Jamal Al Terawe from Balata refugee camp. He was also taken to an unknown location. In a separate operation in Jenin, the army kidnapped Majdi Ashor, 20, assistant to the Minister of Planning, and Ma’moun Ashor, 22. Both were taken to unknown destination. The Israeli army has kidnapped more that 40 Palestinian officials and supporters of Hamas over the past week. more.. Israeli army storms Rafah as Palestinian president calls for truce with Israel Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 For the first time in two weeks, Israeli army carried out early on Tuesday dawn a ground attack on southern Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians, said to be Hamas members, wounded a 32-year-old woman and other two men. Palestinian medical sources identified the killed as Abdel-Karim Shaa’th and Mohammad Muamar, who were killed during a shootout with the incurring Israeli forces. The sources said that the wife of another Palestinian from the area, was moderately wounded with a bullet to the head, as well as four other locals. Witnesses said that tens of Israeli armored vehicles, backed by warplanes, invaded the vicinity of the Sofa commercial crossing in eastern Rafah city, and began shooting heavily at the Palestinian houses. Shortly after a gun battle, soldiers broke into the houses, killing the Abu... more.. Under-cover forces assassinate a fighter in Jenin IMEMC Staff - Translation, edit by Saed Bannoura- IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Under-cover forces of the Israeli army assassinated on Tuesday evening a resistance fighter, member of a newly formed armed wing of Fateh movement, in Kafer Dan village, west of the northern West Bank city of Jenin. Mohammad Hisham Mer’ey, is the leader of the Abu Ammar Brigades, one of the armed wings of Fateh. The Brigades was only formed two days ago, the formation announcement came in a press release that was issued by the brigades in Al Yamoun village, near Jenin. Local sources reported that dozens of gunman of the Al Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fateh, fighters of Abu Ammar Brigades, and the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad marched in the streets and vowed retaliation. Abu Ammar is the name that was used to refer to the late president, Yasser Arafat. more.. Security officer killed and seven injured by Israeli under-cover forces in Ramallah Rashid Hilal - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Under-cover of the Israeli army assassinated on Tuesday evening lieutenant Omar Mohammad Abul-Halim, 24, after infiltrating into a local restaurant in Ramallah, in the northern part of the West Bank. Eyewitnesses reported that Abdul-Halim, nicknamed as the Tiger, was in Al Nasera (Nazareth) restaurant in the center of Ramallah when the under-cover forces broke into it and opened fire at him killing him and injuring seven other residents. Palestinian security sources reported that the forces kidnapped several residents and took them to unknown destinations. The injured residents were identified as Moayyad Ahmad Suleiman, Kheir Jamal Ziad, Ahmad Jamal Jouda, Usama Khalil Mash-hour, Khalid Abu Hilwa, Mowaffaq Hamdan, and Mohannad Ayish; all of them suffered moderate wounds. more.. Soldiers fire at the vehicle of Palestinian Information Minster Saed Bannoura - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Palestinian sources in Ramallah, in the northern part of the west Bank, opened fire at the vehicle of Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, the Palestinian Minister of information, during an invasion to the city on Tuesday. The attack took place as Israeli strops were invading Rokkib Street, in Ramallah. Commenting on the attack, Dr. Barghouthi stated that this attack proves that Israel is ongoing with its attacks against all Palestinians on daily basis. Also on Tuesday, under-cover forces of the Israeli army assassinated a Palestinian security officer in Ramallah. The officer was identified as Mohammad Abul-Halim, 24, at least seven residents were injured. In Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, the under-cover forces assassinated the leader of the newly formed Abu Ammar brigades, one of the armed wings of Fateh movement. more.. Israeli army invades Qalqilya and Qabatiya, arrests 1 Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Qalqilya - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested one Palestinian man in the Qalqilya region of the north west of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday morning after searching thoroughly a number of houses. The army also stormed Qabatiya town, south of Jenin, and clashed with armed men in the town but no arrests or casualties were reported. Palestinian sources told our Qalqilya correspondent that the Israeli army broke into Qalqilya city at 2. 30 am and stormed into many houses. After searching a number of houses in an invasive fashion, the soldiers arrested Muhammad Sharif Nofal, 23, in the Ghayadha neighbourhood of north Qalqilya, and took him to an unknown destination. The sources added that the Israeli forces also entered Ras Atiya, a village south of Qalqilya city. more.. Hamas’ armed wing fire mortar projectiles at Israeli post near Erez Crossing, shoot at Israeli soldier in Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, have claimed responsibility for launching two mortar projectiles at an Israeli military post near the Erez crossing, between the northern Gaza Strip and Israel, and the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday morning. The brigades also said that they fired at an Israeli soldier east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Tuesday and at an Israeli patrol on Monday evening. In several statements, the brigades assured that they would continue their "resistance" and warned Israel of the consequences of "the crimes they are committing against the Palestinian people." They also confirmed that the brigades would retaliate for the Israeli attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. more.. Al Aqsa Brigades threaten "painful" retaliation for arrest of two Al Aqsa leaders on Monday Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Following the Israeli army’s arrest of two Al Aqsa Brigades’ leaders on Monday, the brigades, who are the armed wing of Fatah, have threatened a "painful" retaliation. The spokesman for the Al Aqsa Brigades, Abu Qusay, warned in a statement that "the retaliation for the killing of Palestinian civilians and the arrest of the leaders of the brigades [which included] the arrest of Khalid Ash-Shawish [in Ramallah], the leader of the brigades in Jericho and the Jordan Valley [Na’el Sarouki], and the arrest of the brother of Zakaria Az-Zubeidi [in Jenin] will be through an escalation of jihad operations." Abu Qusay added that a state of high alert was announced in which the group was ordered to "retaliate for the Israeli occupation’s crimes. more.. Armed Al Aqsa men close streets of Nablus in protest against Fatah PLC member’s arrest Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Nablus - Ma’an - Angry members of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, closed several streets in the centre of Nablus on Tuesday and burned tires, protesting against the arrest of a Fatah legislator earlier on Tuesday. Our Nablus correspondent reported that the protestors blame the Palestinian Authority for the arrest, accusing it of not providing Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) members with the suitable protection. Fatah member of the PLC, Jamal Tirawi, was arrested by Israeli forces on Tuesday morning in Balata refugee camp in Nablus city, in the north of the occupied West Bank. Four other Fatah activists, including one of the most "wanted" Palestinians, Rabi’a Abu Leil, were arrested at the same time. Tirawi is considered to be a member of the Al Aqsa Brigades and has been "wanted" by Israel for many years. more.. DFLP and Fatah brigades join forces to fire projectiles at Sufa Crossing Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Khan Younis - Ma’an - A joint group of the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed of Fatah, claimed responsibility on Tuesday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Sufa crossing, located east of Rafah between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel. The brigades said in a joint statement that the shelling came in retaliation for the Israeli escalation against the Palestinian people. [end] Fatah and Hamas brigades fire projectiles at Sderot Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, launched three homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday. Both brigades said in two separate statements received by Ma’an that the shelling came in retaliation for Israel’s "targeted killings of resistance fighters." [end] Hamas and Fatah factions clash in Gaza Source: Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 5/28/2007 GAZA, May 28 (Reuters) - Hamas gunmen and members of a Fatah-dominated national security force fought a gun battle on Monday in a Gaza refugee camp in the first outbreak of factional fighting in more than a week, local residents said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. Hamas and President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction agreed to a ceasefire on May 19 in a bid to end internal bloodshed in which more than 50 Palestinians died earlier in the month. Hamas and other militant groups have turned their attention instead to rocket attacks against southern Israel, drawing Israeli forces into an air campaign in Gaza that has killed more than 40 Palestinians, mostly fighters. With the exception of public UN sources, reproduction or redistribution of the above text, in whole, part or in any form, requires the prior consent of the original source. more.. Palestinian collaborator: Terrorists only understand force Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/30/2007 Suliman Qadia lived in Khan Younis until nine years ago, when after several years as a Shin Bet collaborator he moved to Sderot. Despite his fears for family members left behind in Gaza, he says only harsh IDF action will end rocket attacks: ’Force is the only language they understand, I know what I’m talking about’Among the thousands of Israeli residents suffering from incessant rocket attacks from Gaza are several former Palestinian collaborators who aided Shin Bet operations in the Gaza Strip many years ago. Many of them say they wish Israel would use much harsher methods against terrorism from Gaza. "There is only one solution to this situation "“ a ground incursion into Gaza which will wipe out the cells launching the rockets, stay there and not leave until it’s over," says Suliman Qadia angrily. more.. Ministers to demand wider operation in Gaza Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/30/2007 National security cabinet to convene Wednesday morning to discuss further steps against Hamas, Islamic Jihad. Prime minister believes airstrikes in northern Strip are working, but most ministers to demand IDF enter with additional units, take over key routes and increase pressure on Palestinian organizations The pressure on the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terror organizations in Gaza must be increased, but we cannot launch another Operation Defensive Shield, Transportation Minister and former IDF Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz is expected to tell the national security cabinet on Wednesday. "Gaza is not the West Bank and it will be very difficult to boost the forces if they remain there for a long time," Mofaz is set to say during a meeting which will deal with the further steps Israel should take in order to... more.. Hamas: Two gunmen critically wounded by IDF fire in Gaza Haaretz Staff and Reuters, Ha’aretz 5/29/2007 Israel Defense Forces soldiers shot and critically wounded two Hamas gunmen early Monday, in a fresh round of violence triggered by the firing of mortars at Israel from the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials and medics said. The confrontation followed Israel Air Force strikes overnight against three Hamas targets, which came after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged unlimited military action aimed at halting rocket fire from Gaza that has killed two Israelis in the past week. Hamas said soldiers aimed artillery fire at gunmen who had shot mortars toward Israel, in southern Gaza, before dawn. Medics said both were taken to hospital where they were listed in critical condition. An IDF spokesman confirmed Palestinians had fired mortars from Gaza but not that soldiers had opened fire in return. more.. 17 Qassam rockets strike Negev; IDF suspends air strikes in Gaza Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/29/2007 Seventeen Qassam rockets struck the western Negev yesterday, but the Israel Defense Forces conducted no aerial strikes on the Gaza Strip for the first time in more than a week. Three of the rockets hit Sderot, with one landing as Defense Minister Amir Peretz turned out in his hometown to vote in the Labor Party primary. Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of Oshri Oz in Petah Tikva yesterday. Oz, 36, of Hod Hasharon, was killed in a Qassam attack on Sderot on Sunday. The rockets that hit Sderot fell in open areas, lightly injuring one resident and causing five others to suffer from shock. Another rocket sparked a fire when it hit a wheat field near Kibbutz Miflasim. Seven other rockets landed in open fields near communities in the western Negev. more.. Israeli forces raid Bethlehem’s city center Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 An Israeli army force invaded the city of Bethlehem Tuesday morning. Troops searched and ransacked a local book store, according to local sources. The Israeli soldiers invaded and trashed the shop located in Bethlehem’s city center, witnesses said. Troops also searched a nearby private house for about two hours; no kidnappings were reported. [end] Two more kidnapped in Hebron; clashes in Sa’er Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Israeli military forces took away two civilians from Yatta, Hebron in southern West Bank on Tuesday morning, raising the number of kidnapped locals to four. According to local sources, troops raided and ransacked homes, and detained Ali Al Shawahen,44, and Mahmmoud Amour, 40. Earlier today Israeli forces kidnapped two other civilians identified by reports as Taleb Al Najar, 40, and Mohammad Al Herene. Meanwhile, Israeli military forces stormed in several other Hebron neighborhoods -- Al Salam street and the area around Hebron University in particular. Several houses, including the dwellings of Samer Kateeb and the Palestinian intelligence officer Saed Kamel, were reportedly searched. In the village of Saer, nearby Hebron, young Palestinians clashed with the Israeli army over house raids and checkpoints in the area. more.. Army kidnaps two residents form Al Thahryia and Beit Omer towns near Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 The Israeli army invaded the towns of Al Al Thahryia and Beit Omer located near Hebron city in the southern part of the West Bank, searching homes and kidnapping two civilians. With these kidnappings, the number of civilians kidnapped by the Israeli army in Hebron city today has reached six. Local sources identified the two as Ahmad Al Showiki, 47, from Beit Omer and Lou’ai Qissiah from Al Thahryia. Both were taken to unknown locations. Israeli military forces took away two civilians from Yatta, Hebron in southern West Bank on Tuesday morning, raising the number of kidnapped locals to four. According to local sources, troops raided and ransacked homes, detaining Ali Al Shawahen, 44, and Mahmmoud Amour, 40. Earlier today Israeli forces kidnapped two other civilians identified by reports as Taleb Al Najar, 40, and Mohammad Al Herene. more.. Palestine Today 052907 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 66 MB|| Time 4m10s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Tuesday May 29th, 2007. Israeli warplanes continue to target the Gaza Strip, killing two today, while in the West Bank Israeli troops kidnap more Palestinian lawmakers; these stories and more coming up, stay tuned. The Gaza strip For the first time in two weeks, early on Tuesday at dawn the Israeli army carried out a ground attack on the southern Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians, said to be Hamas members, wounded a 32-year-old woman and another two men. Palestinian medical sources identified the dead as Abdel-Karim Shaa’th and Mohammad Muamar, who were killed during a shootout with the invading Israeli forces. more.. Three Palestinians killed in a mysterious explosion in central Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Three Palestinians have been killed and two others injured in an explosion that rocked a house in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that a large blast was audible in the camp, as ambulances and firefighters arrived at the scene. The explosion took place while three members of the Islamic Jihad group were preparing an explosive device, said police sources. The sources added that a technical problem occurred to the device, causing the blast. The Islamic Jihad’s military wing of Al-Quds Brigades has been involved in a series of homemade shells fire into nearby Israeli tows in the cycle of violence between Israelis and Palestinians over the past five years. more.. Palestinian Information Centre: Israel committed 1,634 violations against the Palestinian people over the past week Ma’an News Agency 5/29/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Palestinian National Information Centre has issued a report in which it states that Israel has committed 1,634 violations against the Palestinian people over the past week, 22 to 28 May 2007. According to the report, 18 Palestinians were killed and 80 were injured during the last week. The total number of Israeli violations in 2007 has now reached 27,241 cases according to the centre. According to the report, Israeli forces opened fire 90 times on Palestinian people or their property. The Israeli forces conducted 40 arrest campaigns during which they apprehended 126 people. They carried out 76 incursion campaigns which included 223 break-ins. The report added that the Israeli forces erected 109 flying checkpoints over the last week. more.. Israel-OPT: Low attendance as schools reopen in shell-shocked Sderot Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ReliefWeb 5/29/2007 JERUSALEM, 29 May 2007 (IRIN) - Schools reopened on Monday in the Israeli border town of Sderot, which has been hard hit by rockets fired by suspected Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, but fewer than a third of schoolchildren attended. In some schools less than 10 percent of students showed up, Israeli media reported. Some students preferred to stay away from the city and take advantage of government and charity programmes offering residents of Sderot the chance to spend time in hotels in other parts of the country, beyond the rockets’ range. As matriculation examinations are set to begin soon, other students are attending marathon sessions in nearby schools, hoping to be able to finish the school year. Some teenagers, however, have given up. more.. VIDEO - IDF kills 2 Hamas gunmen in Gaza Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/29/2007 (VIDEO) Soldiers pursue, kill two wanted gunmen, arrest several others; Hamas confirms report - VIDEO - A special IDF force entered the Gaza Strip Tuesday morning and killed two Hamas members in the Sufa crossing area. During the operation, the force chased several wanted gunmen, and fired at them as they attempted to escape. Several Palestinians were arrested during the raid, and transferred for investigation in Israel. Video: Reuters Hamas confirmed that two of its operatives were killed in fire exchange with IDF soldiers. Military officials stated that Tuesday’s raid was part of the overall operations against terror in Gaza. Some 60 Palestinians were killed since the army began operating in Gaza, including 46 Hamas members, four Islamic Jihad operatives and about 10 civilians. more.. IAF strikes Hamas training facility in north Gaza Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/29/2007 Palestinians say building hit in Beit Lahiya a community center, adding that Israeli aircraft attacked another building in Beit Hanoun -- IDF aircraft attacked on Monday night struck a Hamas training facility in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. No injuries were reported. Palestinian sources said the building that was hit was a community center. Earlier three Qassam rockets were fired toward the western Negev region. Two rockets landed in a wheat field near a kibbutz. A fire broke out as a result, and firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Another rocket landed near Sderot just after 8 pm. No injuries were reported in either incident. Nine more Qassams hit Israel on Monday. An Israeli was lightly injured when one of the rockets landed in an open field in the Shaar Hanegev Regional Council area. more.. Israeli cabinet decides to push Israeli forces deeper into the Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli media sources reported that the Israeli army decided to push armoured enforcement and infantry troops further inside the Gaza Strip, especially after the Israeli cabinet decided to continue military operations in Gaza. Military sources, described as well-informed, said that the Israelis believe that Palestinians will protest against Hamas when they see the Israeli troops. Israeli army radio reported that Olmert said in his weekly cabinet session "Israel will continue striking Hamas, whether they cease their fire or not." The radio station added that Olmert said "we are not carrying out our operations according to what Hamas do or if Hamas fire at us or not, firstly we have to be ready for a long-term confrontation. more.. Israeli forces invade Nablus, attack women’s center Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/28/2007 A battalion of Israeli military jeeps, armored vehicles and soldiers invaded the old city of Nablus on Sunday morning, ransacking the offices of the Juthoor Women’s Center. The soldiers stole eight computers from the Center, as well as the personal files of hundreds of Palestinian women who receive aid from the organization, according to Arwa Sabha, the Center’s Director. The Israeli military claims that the Center is affiliated with Hamas, a claim vigorously denied by the staff there. Women’s centers throughout Palestine are known for being among the only organizations to work across party lines, and to include members of all parties. The Juthoor center was founded in 1997 as an employment center for women in the Nablus area. The assault on the Juthoor Center is just the latest in a number of Israeli attacks on charitable institutions in the West Bank this week. more.. Army invades a village near Bethlehem and kidnaps three civilians Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/28/2007 Israeli forces invaded the village of Beit Fajar, south of Bethlehem city, in the southern part of the West Bank on Monday morning and kidnapped three civilians. Sources in the village reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the village, searched scores of homes, and then took Ahmad Takatka, 30, and Ahmad Nawaora, 26, to unknown detention camps. At the same time, another force surrounded the house of Abd Al Haleem Salhab, 26, the Office Director of Palestinian legislative council member, Khaled Tafish. Troops searched and ransacked the house and took Salhab to an unknown location. The Israeli army has kidnapped more that 40 Palestinian officials and supporters of Hamas over the past week. The army claims that this kidnapping campaign is aimed at forcing Hamas resistance fighters in Gaza to stop firing home made Qassam rockets at nearby Israeli towns and cities. more.. 10 so-called ’wanted’ Palestinians arrested in the West Bank Monday morning Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli occupation army said that ten Palestinians were arrested in several areas of the West Bank on Monday and claimed they were ’wanted’. The Israeli sources said that eight Palestinians from the Hamas and Fatah movements were arrested in Bethlehem, Hebron, Jenin and Nablus, which the Israeli forces invaded on Monday morning. The army alleged that one of its patrols was shot at during a raid on one of the camps in the Nablus area, but said there were no casualties. The Israeli forces arrested three Palestinians from Bethlehem and Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem. Palestinian security sources reported that many Israeli vehicles broke into Bethlehem city at dawn and besieged a house in the Karkafa area, before arresting director of the Palestinian Legislative Council office, Malik Salhab, aged 26. more.. Undercover Israeli forces abduct West Bank head of Al-Aqsa Brigades; extremist Israeli group Kach calls for his body Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Ramallah - Ma’an - An undercover Israeli force disguised in civil dress abducted on Monday the West Bank leader of the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades, Khalid Shawish, in the ’Ein Misbah area of Ramallah in the central West Bank. The Israeli forces have been pursuing Shawish, who is a member of the presidential guards, known as ’Force 17’, since the beginning of the second intifada (2000). He is originally from the village of ’Aqqaba near Jenin in the northern West Bank. In 2002, he was shot in the feet during the Israeli army’s ’Operation Defensive Shield’ in the West Bank and his feet were paralyzed as a result. Israeli security has accused Shawish of being responsible for several military operations against Israelis, killing and injuring dozens of them. more.. Masked gunmen and roadblocks reappear in the Gaza street Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Tension reappeared in the Gaza Strip on Monday as unidentified masked gunmen opened fire at a jeep belonging to Force 17, the Palestinian presidential guards, in Izzeddin Al-Qassam Street, west Gaza City. Following the incident, roadblocks appeared anew in the streets and gunmen began inspecting cars. Furthermore, gunmen stationed themselves again on the roofs of high residential buildings. Meanwhile, the Follow-Up Committee hurried to convene in an attempt to return tranquillity to the city which has witnessed bloody internal confrontations over the past two weeks. Israeli intelligence chief predicted upsurge of Fatah-Hamas violenceOn Sunday during the Israeli cabinet’s weekly session, the head of Israel’s Shin Bet domestic intelligence service, Yuval Diskin, whispered in Israeli Prime Minister... more.. Two Palestinians injured in an Israeli air strike on Beit Lahiya Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Two Gazans were injured in an Israeli air strike on Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, Palestinian medical sources have reported. The injured were taken to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya where their injuries were described as "moderate." The rocket which caused the injuries was launched by an Israeli drone at an open area near Qleibo hill, north of Beit Lahiya. [end] 11 Qassams fired at Negev since Monday morning Ynet reporters, YNetNews 5/28/2007 Tzalach a-Din brigades, military wing of Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine claim responsibility for rockets fired on Sderot. One man lightly injured, several others suffer shock Eleven Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev since early morning Monday. One man was lightly injured and several others suffered from shock. Additionally, a group of female soldiers suffered shock after one of the rockets landed near them. Magen David Adom paramedics treated the soldiers at the scene and evacuated them. All IDF troops stationed in Sderot are required to wear helmets at all times. Tzalach a-Din brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) and the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed joint responsibility for the rockets fired at Sderot. more.. Al Aqsa brigades claims responsibility for launching homemade shell near Nablus Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/28/2007 The Al Aqsa brigades have claimed responsibility for launching a homemade shell near the road between Nablus and Surra village, to the West of Nablus. It was reported that the operation occurred on the anniversary of the martyrdom of the brigade’s leader, Daoud Katoni. The resistance forces shelled Israeli jeeps while they passed through the area to Nablus city, with large clashes taking place after the arrival of Israeli reinforcements. No injuries were reported. The brigades reported that such operations will continue, and that the breach in the truce comes as a response to Israeli attacks against the Palestinians. In a separate operation, the Abu Ali Mustafa brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), shelled an Israeli border crossing on Sunday morning. more.. Settler fires rounds of live ammunition at Arabic houses in the Negev Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/29/2007 Palestinian sources reported on Monday evening that an Israeli settler fired several rounds of live ammunition at several Arab houses in an “unrecognized” village in the Negev. The settler fired at houses belonging to the Al Qee’an family in Atteer village in the Negev. While a number of houses were damaged, no injuries were reported. The sources added that an Arab youth managed to overcome the armed settler, tackling him to the ground and apprehending his weapon. The youth later handed over the gun to the Israeli police. The settler was taken for questioning. He claimed that he had not opened fire. In separate incidents, several Palestinian resistance groups fired homemade shells at the Israeli Negev town of Sderot and several nearby areas. more.. Terror mastermind arrested after 7 years Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/28/2007 Fatah leader Khaled Shawish behind dozens of attacks on Israeli civilians, including murder of Rabbi Meir Kahane’s son. After years of eluding Israeli hands, joint IDF, Shin Bet operation leads to his arrest -- For seven years 36-year-old Khaled Shawish has evaded arrest by Israeli security forces, making the prominent al-Aqsa Martyr’s Brigades commander one of the most wanted figures in the West Bank. But on Monday afternoon a joint IDF, Police Counter-Terrorism and Shin Bet operation led a Special Forces team to arrest him in his private vehicle in Ramallah. Originally from Jenin, Shawish has spent the past several years hiding in the Muqata compound in central Ramallah and was one of the many who barricaded themselves inside the compound during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002. more.. Killer of Arab cab driver indicted Avi Cohen, YNetNews 5/28/2007 Indictment served Monday against Julien Soufir, who murdered Taisir Karaki, reveals horrifying picture: Soufir stabbed his victim 24 times in the neck, told investigators, ’I felt nothing, it was like slaughtering an animal’ Julien Soufir was indicted at the Tel Aviv District Court Monday for the murder of Taisir Karaki, a cab driver from east Jerusalem two weeks ago. The murder was defined as a hate crime. According to the indictment, on the day of the murder Soufir stopped a cab in Jerusalem, and after ascertaining that the driver, Karaki, was Arab, he asked to be taken to Netanya. When they arrived in Netanya, Soufir went up to his brother’s apartment, took a knife, returned to the car, and ordered Karaki to continue to Tel Aviv. Upon their arrival in Tel Aviv, Soufir invited the driver to come up to his apartment and use the bathroom. more.. Al-Buraq Army shoot at settlers near Nablus Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Nablus – Ma’an – The Al-Buraq Army, which is affiliated to the Al-Aqsa Brigades of Fatah, on Monday morning claimed responsibility for shooting at an Israeli settler car near Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The spokesperson of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, Abu Fuad, told Ma’an via telephone that a group of activists from the Buraq Army opened fire at a settler car near the Israeli settlement of Shave Shomeron. The Al-Buraq Army announced in a statement that their fighters hit the car occupants directly. They also stated that the operation is "a natural retaliation to Israeli atrocities." more.. Israeli sources: vast quantities of weapons and munitions were smuggled into Gaza in 2006 Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli sources stated that 1,400 rifles, 5 million bullets, 40 rocket-launchers, 150 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, 20 anti-tank rockets and 15 ground-to-air missiles were smuggled into Gaza. The Israelis claim that this quantity of weapons and munitions were smuggled through tunnels in 2006 only, in addition to a quantity of explosives. The Israeli sources also said that in 2004 the Palestinian factions succeeded in smuggling a tonne of explosives, in 2005 they smuggled six tonnes and in 2006, 28 tonnes of modified explosives were smuggled through the tunnels. Israeli daily newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth said that the ’battle’ between the Israeli military and Hamas and other Palestinian factions in the Gaza Strip may last for weeks. more.. Al Aqsa Brigades attack Israeli troops with a roadside bomb to mark the death of their leader Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Nablus - Ma’an – The Al Aqsa Brigades, the main military wing of the Fatah movement, announced responsibility for a roadside bomb attack on an Israeli military jeep on the road between Nablus and Sarra village, in the northern occupied Palestinian West Bank, on Monday morning. The brigades said in a statement that the operation marks the annual commemoration of the death of a brigades’ leader, Daoud Katoni. Katoni was killed by the Israeli army in Nablus last year. The statement said that clashes erupted between Palestinian fighters and Israeli soldiers, adding that many soldiers were injured, but the brigades’ activists remained unharmed. more.. PRC urges the Palestinian resistance to be alert in response to Israeli intentions to airdrop and abduct fighters Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Gaza – Ma’an - The Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) warned of Israeli airdrops in several areas of the Gaza Strip in order to abduct Palestinian resistance men. In a statement issued on Sunday the PRC said "we have credible information about the Israeli intention to launch a wide-scale operation against resistance fighters and cadres, in which it will attempt to abduct field leaders not only in the strip, but also in the West Bank." The statement added that the PRC has obtained information following the Israeli cabinet meeting on Sunday that the Israeli government decided to launch a huge operation in the territories. The PRC called on Palestinian fighters to be alert in order to frustrate the Israeli plans. more.. Palestine Today 052807 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/28/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 3. 66 MB|| Time 4m0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday May 29th, 2007. The Israeli army injures and kidnaps two Palestinians in the West Bank city of Jericho while in the Gaza strip, the army continues to attack Palestinian targets. These stories and more coming up stay tuned. The West Bank Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Jericho on Monday, injuring and kidnapping two Palestinian security officers from the local hospital. Palestinian medical sources reported that Omer Abu Dayiah, 24, and Sami Al Alam, 25, were injured when troops invaded the centre of Jericho city and clashed with local youths. more.. Palestinian collaborators resort to forging money after fleeing to Israel, Israeli media says Ma’an News Agency 5/28/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - It seems that some Palestinian collaborators who sought refuge in Israel have found their own way to compensate themselves for the services they made to the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet. Two of them established a laboratory for forging bank notes of 50 and 100 NIS. Israeli press sources mentioned that the two collaborators, originally from east Jerusalem, fled to Tel Aviv where they lived in the Bakaraa’i neighbourhood. They were uncovered after a police patrol watched them dragging a motorcycle with false plates. The police suspected that the motorcycle was stolen, and the men failed to explain how they got it. There were also the remains of blood on the motorcycle. One of the Palestinians admitted that his friend had stabbed him and imprisoned him in their apartment. more.. Commanders should be located behind Plasma screens, says Ya’alon Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/28/2007 Former IDF chief of staff supports commanders for running Second Lebanon War far from combat zone; that is where he can make best decisions, he says -- IDF commanders who were slammed during the Second Lebanon War for sitting behind their Plasma screens, distanced from their soldiers in the battlefield, received unexpected support Monday evening from former IDF Chief of Staffs, Lieutenant General (res) Moshe Ya’alon. At a Tel Aviv University conference, Ya’alon explained that the advanced technology available today has created new circumstances. "The best place for a commander to be is seated behind a screen. We have always taught that the commander’s place is wherever he can make the best decisions. If that means that by watching a screen, he can receive real-time information about the enemy’s... more.. Man killed in rocket attack on Sderot Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 5/27/2007 At least three Qassams land in southern town on Sunday morning. Oshri Oz, 36, seriously injured as rocket lands near his car, dies of his wounds at hospital; another person lightly hurt and several people suffer from shock. Earlier, Qassam causes damage to community centerA man was killed Sunday morning in the southern town of Sderot after a rocket landed near the car he was sitting in. The man, 36-year-old Oshri Oz of Hod Hasharon, crashed into the wall with his car after it was hit. He managed to get out of the vehicle and take a number of steps before collapsing. He was evacuated to the Barzilay Medical Center in Ashkelon, where he died of his wounds. Oz was a computer technician who used to visit Sderot often as part of his work. more.. Israeli warplanes open fire at residential houses in southern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/27/2007 Israeli warplanes opened heavy fire early on Sunday morning at residential houses in the southern Gaza Strip town of Kheza’a, scene of a wrecked house during current attacks. No causalities were reported. Residents expressed fears of broader Israeli attacks in light of ongoing air strikes on different parts of the coastal region over the past 10 days. Israeli air strikes on Saturday killed 7 Palestinians including an 11-year-old boy and injured at least 25 others, bringing the death toll to 48, and the number of injured to almost 180. Meanwhile, Palestinian resistance factions continued overnight and early on Sunday morning homemade shells fire into southern Israeli areas, with no causalities reported. more.. PM: We may continue operating in Gaza even if Qassams stop Barak Ravid Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/28/2007 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told ministers Sunday that Israel would act independently of Hamas activity in the Gaza Strip, regardless of whether the militant group continued to fire Qassam rockets at southern Israel or called for a cease-fire. "I will not commit to coordinating our behavior with Hamas actions, either it [the group] opens fire or halts its fire," Olmert told the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, shortly after a Qassam rocket attack killed an Israeli man in the western Negev town of Sderot. "Even if there were an internal cease-fire in Gaza, and if such an agreement held, it would apply to the [Palestinian] factions only," Olmert said. "We need to prepare for a long confrontation that does not depend on agreements between themselves, and act in accordance with the circumstances and knowledge that we have, which is of a long-term confrontation. more.. Olmert hints at attacks against senior Hamas officials Daily Star 5/28/2007 Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Sunday pledged unlimited military action against Palestinian militant groups, saying "no one involved in terror" would be immune after a Hamas rocket attack from Gaza killed a man inside the Jewish state. The warning came as rival Palestinian factions began meeting Egyptian mediators in Cairo to try to cement a truce that halted internecine bloodshed and to discuss the possibility of restoring a cease-fire with Israel. Olmert told his Cabinet Israel should "be prepared for a long confrontation" and that he would not necessarily agree to halt fire if Hamas agreed to a truce deal under negotiation with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement. Hamas on Sunday launched a rocket into the southern town of Sderot, where it exploded on a street, spraying shrapnel into a car and causing its 36-year-old driver to slam into a wall. more.. Men killed in shootout were East Jerusalem residents Jonathan Lis, Ha’aretz 5/27/2007 Two gunmen killed during a Saturday night shooting attack near the separation fence in the Jerusalem area were discovered yesterday to be residents of Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem who hold Israeli identity cards. The bodies of the gunmen, identified as Mamduh Shkirat and Mohammed Halasa, underwent autopsies yesterday at the Institute of Forensic Medicine at Abu Kabir. The gunmen shot and injured two Israelis - a Border Policeman and a security guard standing at a roadblock near the Jerusalem periphery highway, close to the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Saad. The gunmen, who were armed with pistols and fired at close range, opened fire on two other security officers while trying to escape. The security officers returned fire and killed them. more.. Army invades Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem, clashes reported IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/27/2007 A large Israeli force invaded the West Bank city of Bethlehem and the Deheishe refugee camp Saturday night, and eyewitnesses said that a drone plane was deployed above the area. Eyewitnesses said at least sixteen military vehicles invaded the area and attacked a pool club in Deheishe. The invasion came after two Palestinians attacked Israeli security guards and police at a construction site of the wall in East Jerusalem. Israeli military sources said the two are believed to be from Bethlehem. [end] Shortly after Olmert orders further attacks on Gaza, a warplane hits Deir Elbalah Rami Al-Meghari - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/27/2007 Just few hours after Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, ordered further attacks on the Gaza Strip, an Israeli warplane, hit today the Deir Elbalah town in central Gaza Strip. Palestinian sources said that at least one missile landed on an outpost, believed to be a training camp for the Hamas’s military wing, Ezzilidin aL-Qassam No causalities have been reported. Meanwhile, Israeli gunboats opened fie at fishermen’s boats on Khan Younis shore in the to the south of Gaza Strip. According to the Israeli Daily, Haaretz, Olmert said during a weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday that his army’s actions in Gaza would continue even if a ceasefire is called for. “Our actions are not subject to Hamas’s actions on the ground; whether it opens or halts fire, our actions will continue irrespectively”, Olmert was quoted. more.. Two Israeli soldiers injured in clashes with fighters near Efrat settlement Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, on Sunday claimed responsibility for attacking an Israeli military post near the Israeli settlement of Efrat, south of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank. In a statement received by Ma’an, the brigades said that they clashed with the Israeli troops and machine guns were used. The statement added that two Israeli soldiers were injured and eyewitnesses confirmed that Israeli ambulances rushed to the scene of the clashes to evacuate the injured. [end] Hamas says IDF wounds two members of rocket crew in Gaza Avi Isaacharoff, Haaretz correspondent and agencies, Ha’aretz 5/28/2007 Israeli soldiers shot and critically wounded two Hamas gunmen on Monday Hamas officials and medics said. Hamas said soldiers aimed artillery fire at gunmen who had shot mortars toward Israel, in southern Gaza, before dawn. Medics said both were taken to hospital where they were listed in critical condition. The Israeli army had no immediate comment. The confrontation followed a series of Israeli air strikes overnight against Hamas targets after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged unlimited military action aimed at halting rocket fire from Gaza that has killed two Israelis in the past week. Hamas says will agree to a ceasefire if Israel stops attacks in Gaza, West Bank Palestinian officials said on Sunday that Hamas has informed Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that it is willing to accept... more.. Palestinian resistance attacks Israeli military post near Efrat settlement Saed Bannoura, International Middle East Media Center 5/28/2007 The Israeli military post next to the illegal Israeli settlement of Efrat, south of Bethlehem in the West Bank, was attacked by Palestinian resistance fighters on Sunday. The Nasser Salah ed-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, claimed responsibility for the attack. The Brigades announced in a press release that resistance fighters had fired at the Israeli soldiers in the military camp, and had injured two. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli ambulances were deployed to the scene. [end] Qassams continue striking Sderot after fatal day Mijal Grinberg and Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 5/27/2007 Two more Qassams struck Sderot yesterday evening, damaging a house in the city. This was the third salvo of the day, and came after a Hod Hasharon man was killed by a rocket while driving. State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss and Knesset State Control Committee members visited the city yesterday, where they slammed the poor planning and construction of protected spaces in schools. Members of the Israel Manufacturers Association (IMA) were also in town yesterday, touring industrial facilities in the wake of reports that many employees have not been showing up for work, in many cases due to a lack of proper protection. Sderot’s students attended classes at various schools in the southern district. Only a quarter of the town’s 500 pupils showed up. more.. PM to continue policy of "pinpoint" strikes on Hamas Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 5/28/2007 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert adopted on Sunday the advice of the Shin Bet and IDF to continue, for the time being, pinpoint attacks against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip. He also vowed that Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip would not be conditional on the behavior of militant Palestinian organizations. Also on Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces received further authorization from the political leadership to broaden ground operations in the Gaza Strip, but no approval was granted to enter built-up areas, and most attacks against Qassam rocket crews will continue to be carried out from the air. Meanwhile, Qassam attacks against Sderot continued, claiming the life of a 35-year-old computer specialist visiting a client there on Sunday. Oshri Oz was killed in the morning, hit by one of the approximately dozen rockets to strike Sderot yesterday. more.. Al Qassam leader dies from injuries inflicted by Israeli rockets in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Al-Qassam Brigades’ activist and leader, Imad Shabana, on Saturday evening succumbed to wounds he sustained a week ago, when an Israeli fighter jet targeted him while he was walking at the Al-Jala’ street in Gaza City. The Al-Qassam Brigades are the armed wing of the Hamas movement. [end] Israeli undercover unit invades Duheisha refugee camp and arrests three youths Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The Israeli forces on Sunday morning arrested three Palestinians from Duheisha refugee camp, southern Bethlehem, in the West Bank. Local sources stated that an Israeli undercover unit, disguised in a civilian truck, besieged a billiard club at the main entrance to the refugee camp before arresting Fadi Ma’ali, aged 22, Sameer Al-Akhras, 35, and Muhammad Masalmah, 19. The sources added that confrontations erupted between the Palestinian youths and the Israeli forces, which came to back-up the undercover unit. No casualties were reported. One of Fadi’s brothers is serving 21 life sentences and another brother of his is ’wanted’ by the Israelis. Sameer Al-Akhras is the brother of Ayat Al-Akhras, a girl who committed a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in March 2002. more.. Al Quds Brigades deny reports that the Israeli forces arrested members that were planning a bombing operation in Israel Ma’an News Agency 5/27/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – The spokesperson of Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, Abu Ahmad, denied the Israeli news reports which claimed that a unit of the brigades, which planned to undertake bombing operations in Jerusalem, was arrested in Bethlehem in the southern West bank. Abu Ahmad said in a press release that the detainees, who were arrested last week in Bethlehem, were ex-prisoners that had recently been freed. He explained that most of them work in charitable organizations in Bethlehem. Abu Ahmad concluded his press release by affirming that the Israeli apprehensions in the occupied West Bank and the targeted killing of resistance fighters in the Gaza Strip will not achieve the Israeli goal of deterring resistance. more.. ’Hamas will be ready for us’ Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Explosive tunnels, snipers, road bombs, all will be waiting should IDF decide to enter Gaza, says Shin Bet chief Yuval Diskin. Palestinians may have lost faith in leadership, he estimates, but Hamas is far from giving up -- The escalating situation in Gaza and persistent Qassam salvo on the western Negev were at the heart of Shin Bet Chief Yuval Diskin’s summary at Sunday’s Cabinet meeting. "They will be more than ready for us," said Diskin when faced with ministers calling for a ground incursion in Gaza, or at least a more forceful reaction on part of the IDF. "They’ll be waiting for us with explosive tunnels, snipers, road bombs and anything else they can think of, just in case we decide to go in," said Diskin. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
