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Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel News Archives - May 2007 Select News by subject: Conflict • Diplomacy • Government • Human Rights • Economy • People • International |
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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. The Shin Bet, he stressed, recommends, in agreement with the IDF, to continue the ongoing operation "in order to avoid hurting any civilians. more.. Injured officer: Terrorists shouted Allahu Akbar Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Border Guard officer recovering from Saturday’s shooting attack in Jerusalem receives visit from internal security minister, says experience ’was just like watching a movie’ -- Isam Abu-Rish, the Border Guard officer wounded in Saturday’s shooting attack in Jerusalem, knows things could have been much worse. "I was at the checkpoint with a few of the other guards when two ordinary looking guys showed up," he recalled from his hospital bed on Sunday. "There was nothing suspicious about them, and then all of a sudden one of them shot me in the back, from point-blank range. "I pulled away, and I saw he was trying to take another shot, but his gun jammed, and I shot him. The other terrorist started running at me, so I shot him too. "It was like something out of a movie," he added. more.. 4 Qassams hit Negev after IAF strike in Gaza Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Air Force strikes Islamist group position near Dir al-Balakh refugee camp; Palestinians retaliate with four rockets toward Negev, one person suffers from shock in Sderot. "˜Aerial attacks in Strip have an accumulating effect on terror activists," IDF official saysThe Israeli Air Force struck a Hamas base Sunday evening near the Dir al-Balakh refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. It was not yet clear whether there were any casualties in the attack. A short while later a Qassam rocket fired by Palestinians from northern Gaza landed in the greenhouse of a community in the Eshkol Regional Council. No casualties were reported. Two more rockets landed in Sderot, where one person suffered from shock. One of the rockets landed in a yard and made a hole in an apartment’s wall. more.. Right-wing campaign: Returning to Homesh is answer to Qassams Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Homesh First organization launches nation-wide campaign calling for a return to evacuated West Bank settlement, arguing that Qassam attacks prove that disengagement was a mistake The Homesh First organization launched a nation-wide public relations campaign Sunday calling for a "Return to Homesh," one of the four West Bank settlements evacuated during the disengagement nearly two years ago. The right-wing group argues that the deadly Qassam barrages coming from Gaza prove that Israel’s withdrawal from the area was a strategic mistake. Organization member Yossi Dagan told Ynet, "Today the public understands that returning to Homesh is the answer to Qassams." The group’s leaders have organized four pilgrimages to the former settlement in the northern West Bank: Two took place in December during Hanukkah,... more.. Leaving is not the answer, some in Sderot say Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Neighbors of home hit by Qassam Saturday say defense, not vacations, is required answer; meanwhile, bus returns from tent city, several teens choose to stay -- Leaving is not the answer, decided a number of Sderot residents, hours after a Qassam hit their neighbor’s apartment in a Sderot building, Saturday. Ayelet Azulay, mother of six, said she and her husband decided they would not leave the rocket-plagued town, or even take vacation days. She expressed her outrage at sources in Israel attempting to evacuate area residents temporarily, foremost among them the Defense Ministry. According to Azulay, she’s not worried about the Qassams themselves, but rather with the misguided response of the defense establishment. "This is the Defense Minsitry’s answer, to evacuate us? Do we not deserve some actual... more.. Critics flay official response to Jiyyeh spill Dona Challita, Daily Star 5/28/2007 An israeli attack caused the disaster, but environmentalists say Lebanese inaction made it worse. -- BEIRUT: Several forms of pollutants have fouled the sea off Lebanon for decades, including industrial effluents, untreated sewage and runoff from coastal garbage dumps. As though this were not enough, an Israeli attack during the war last summer added another hazardous element to the mix when the destruction of the storage tanks at the jiyyeh power plant south of Beirut released an estimated 15,000 tons of fuel oil into the Mediterranean. Experts immediately warned of an environmental catastrophe threatening biodiversity, public health and the country’s crucial tourism industry. Yet nine months after the spill, environmentalists say Lebanon’s coastal areas are still contaminated by considerable amounts of the oil, even though many of the clean-up operations have been concluded. more.. Emergency panel called for in UN pact has yet to be empowered Dona Challita, Daily Star 5/28/2007 A cooperation plan should have been set up during the war to start immediately after the cease-fire. BEIRUT: Local environmental groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have criticized the government for what they say is the mismanagement of the clean-up effort along the coast following the oil spill that resulted from an Israeli attack during the 2006 war. Habib Maalouf, the head of the National Environmental Party (NEP), expressed frustration regarding the Environment Ministry’s performance, saying, "there was a big mess in dealing with this catastrophe. Several environmentalists and activists interviewed by The Daily Star pointed to the absence of an emergency plan designed to face such disasters and minimize the damages to the coast and marine life. more.. When Qassams fly, lyingon the ground may be safest Nir Hasson, Ha’aretz 5/27/2007 Oshri Oz, who was killed by a Qassam in Sderot yesterday, was the 10th person in Israel to die in a Qassam attack. All 10 people killed were either outside or in a vehicle when the rockets fell, raising questions about the effectiveness of fortifying buildings in Sderot. Officials at Home Front Command say that people will continue to go outside no matter what - and so will continue to be killed. Both Home Front Command and Sderot’s security officer, Yehuda Ben Maman, said most of the deaths could have been prevented if everyone had lain down on the ground when they heard the rocket warning, since those killed were hit by rocket fragments to their upper bodies. In addition, the Qassam can kill only if the victim is within a few meters of the rocket when it lands - unlike the Katyusha rockets fired by Hezbollah, whose fragments disperse across a wide area. more.. Israel renews strikes across Gaza BBC Online 5/26/2007 Israeli hit targets across the Gaza Strip on Saturday. -- Israel has carried out fresh strikes against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, killing four Palestinians. Israeli planes staged strikes in quick succession from Gaza City in the north to the southern town of Khan Younis. About 40 people have now died in 10 days of Israeli bombings in Gaza, which Israel says is aimed at stopping rocket attacks on its territory by militants. The latest strikes came as Israeli troops detained a second Hamas member of the Palestinian cabinet. State Minister Wasfi Kabaha was taken from his home in the West Bank. The arrest follows the detention on Thursday of Education Minister Nasser al-Shaer and about 30 other officials. Defiant message. Gaza strikes in pictures. more.. Army shells Gaza, Jabalia, five residents injured; one resident dies of wounds sustained May 17 Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/27/2007 Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Saturday evening that at least three residents were injured in an Israeli shelling that targeted Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City. Army also shelled Jabalia refugee camp, and one resident died on earlier wounds. Dr. Moawiya Hassanen, head of the Emergency Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported that the three residents were hospitalized as a result of the shelling. On Saturday at night, one resident identified as Imad Shabana, died of wounds sustained on May 17 after the Israeli army fired missile at a Palestinian vehicle in the center of Gaza City. Moreover, the Israeli air force fired missiles at a target in the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, at least two residents were injured. more.. Casualties in Jerusalem shooting BBC Online 5/26/2007 Two Palestinian gunmen have opened fire on an Israeli patrol in east Jerusalem, wounding four Israelis, emergency services there have said. Israeli border police returned fire, killing both of the Palestinians, police said. The incident took place in the Sheik Said neighbourhood of the city. It comes amid heightened tension between Israel and the Palestinians, with rocket attacks and air strikes across the Israel-Gaza border. The BBC’s Aleem Maqbool in Ramallah says there have been threats by militant groups in the Gaza Strip to retaliate after Israeli bombing raids killed at least 40 people in recent days, but it is not known whether this attack was linked. ’Rare’ attack. The shooting is reported to have taken place near the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank. more.. Fatah-affiliated brigades launch projectiles at crossing between Gaza Strip and Israel Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Al Mujahideen Brigades and Al-Awda Brigades of the Fatah movement claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the Sufa Crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip, on Saturday. The two groups said in joint statement that the operation is in retaliation to Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The brigades affirmed that they will continue resisting the Israeli occupation. [end] PFLP’s military wing clashes with Israeli troops in the northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed responsibility on Saturday for shooting an Israeli soldier in Beit Lahiya, in the northern Gaza Strip. Following the shooting the brigades clashed with the Israeli troops. The brigades said in a statement that the operation was part of their continuous blockade of the Israeli aggression and in retaliation for the Israeli atrocities of shelling, targeted killings and incursions. more.. Al Quds Brigades launch two mortars at Israeli military post Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The Al Quds Brigades, affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement have announced responsibility for the launching of two mortars at an Israeli military post near Kissufem late on Friday evening. In a statement received by Ma’an, the brigades revealed that one of its units launched the mortars as "retaliation for the Israeli aggression against Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip and in the West Bank." [end] IAF strikes near Haniyeh’s home Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/26/2007 Israeli Air Force continues missiles strikes targeting Qassam-launching cells and terror infrastructure in north Gaza; warplanes hit guard post opposite Palestinian PM’s home, but army stresses that Haniyeh himself was not target. Palestinian Qassam attacks on Israel continue Saturday morning The Israeli Air Force continued targeting Qassam launchers and terror infrastructure in north Gaza overnight Saturday, after an Israeli air strike in Gaza City killed two Hamas operatives involved in rocket attacks Friday evening. Saturday morning Palestinians in north Gaza fired another Qassam towards Israel, which landed in an open area near Sderot. A number of rockets were fired at Israeli communities throught the day Friday, one of which hit a Sderot home and wounded four people. more.. Al-Qassam Brigades shell towns and military positions in Israel Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, on Saturday evening claimed responsibility for launching several homemade projectiles and mortar shells at Israeli towns and military positions. The brigades said in a statement that they launched three homemade projectiles at the Israeli electricity station in Ashkelon, in addition to hurling four mortar shells at the Erez and Kerem Shalom crossings between Israel and the Gaza Strip. They also launched three projectiles and other shells at Kisufim. [end] Three killed, four wounded in East Jerusalem, and a large Israeli force invade Bethlehem George Rishmawi - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/27/2007 A large Israeli force invaded the West Bank city of Bethlehem and entered the Deheisheh refugees camp Saturday at night, and eyewitnesses said that a drone is also hovering above the area. Eyewitnesses said at least sixteen military vehicles invaded the area and attacked a pool club in Deheisheh. 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. Earlier on Saturday, three Palestinians were killed and four Israelis were wounded in a shoot out in Jerusalem. Two operatives of the Aqsa Brigade, the armed wing of Fatah opened fire at security guards at construction site of the annexation wall in Al-Sheikh Saad neighborhood in East Jerusalem. more.. Israel attacks Hamas facilities Al Jazeera 5/27/2007 At least five Palestinians have been killed and another five wounded in Israeli air strikes on facilities used by Hamas’s Executive Force in Gaza. Late on Saturday, Israeli security forces shot and killed two Palestinian men who allegedly had opened fire at them in Arab East Jerusalem, the Israeli military said. In the West Bank, Israeli troops seized a minister from the Palestinian unity government and raided buildings belonging to religious authorities in Jenin. Wasfi Kabha’s daughter said five soldiers came to their house before dawn, taking her father, his computer and documents. The Israeli air raids included one on the Shati refugee camp, close to the home of Ismail Haniya, the Palestinian prime minister and senior Hamas leader. On Saturday night, Israeli air raids were made on Hamas security posts... more.. Israel trying to weaken Hamas, says organization Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Numerous air strikes on special forces’ compounds shows Israel aimed at more than just responding to rockets, Hamas believes -- Israel is trying to weaken Hamas and not just respond to Qassam attacks, members of the movement said after IDF destroyed at least ten outposts of Hamas’ special forces Satuday. Seven rockets were launched at Israel from northern Gaza during the day, one of them hitting a Sderot house directly. Directly after this rocket attack, the Israel Air Force launched a series of strikes against Hamas’ special forces. The first outpost hit was one in the Sheikh Raduan neighborhood in Gaza. Shortly afterwards, the IAF targeted a Hamas compound in the Jabalia refugee camp. According to the sources, the post attacked is near the home of Hamas Special Forces commander, Abu Obaid al-Jarrah. more.. Israel Police on high alert Saturday night Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/27/2007 Following attack on security forces in East Jerusalem, defense establishment raises alert level in all districts, increase deployment of forces -- Israel Police raised alert levels Saturday night to the highest possible non-emergency level, following a Saturday afternoon shooting attack on security forces by two Palestinian terrorists in East Jerusalem. "In the current situation, the exact number of terror alerts we’ve received is irrelevant. We know that there is a strong desire right now to carry out terror attacks and attempts to carry them out are actively taking place," head of the operations department, Police Commander Yoram Ohayon told Ynet. Police Commander Nisim Ederi, who heads the Jerusalem periphery unit, said that, "we had no concrete warnings about terrorists’ attempts to attack security guards. more.. In pictures: Gaza air strikes BBC Online 5/26/2007 The Israeli military intensified its bombardment of Hamas positions across the Gaza Strip on Saturday, 26 May. The main target was the Executive Force, a Hamas-led security force whose building in Gaza City was destroyed. Dozens were wounded in the latest attacks, which also killed at least four militants. The deaths bring to about 40 the number of Palestinians killed since the start of the campaign. Israel says its aim is to stop rocket attacks on its soil. The rockets have so far killed one Israeli civilians and wounded 16. But Hamas says it will not stop firing rockets until the Israelis first stop their military operations. more.. One Palestinian killed; fifteen injured during in-fighting in Tubas Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/26/2007 At least one Palestinian has been killed and fifteen injured during clashes between the Palestinian security forces and fighters associated with the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fateh movement, in the northern West Bank town of Tubas Saturday evening. According to local sources, the fighting broke out when the gunmen laid siege to the building housing the Palestinian national security forces, firing live ammunition and eventually setting the building on fire. Raed Abd ar Raziq, 30, was killed in the clashes that ensued. Fifteen others were injured, ten of whom are in critical condition at the hospital, according to local medical sources. The exact reasons for the attack are unknown, although tension has been high between the Hamas-led government forces and the Fateh party opposition in recent weeks. more.. Three Palestinians arrested in Hebron, allegedly carrying Molotov cocktail Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Hebron - Ma’an - Israeli sources have stated that three Palestinians were arrested in the north of Hebron city, alleging that they were attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail at an Israeli military patrol. The sources added "the Israeli army arrested three Palestinians in possession of a cocktail bomb, they were transported for questioning." Israeli sources also stated that many Palestinians through stones at Israeli cars south of Qalqilia, but no casualties were reported. [end] Israeli army invades Jericho Ma’an News Agency 5/26/2007 Jericho – Ma’an- Israeli military forces have invaded the Katf Alwad area in Jericho city on Saturday morning, amid intensive shooting in the air. Eyewitnesses stated that the Israeli army besieged the home of a member of the Abu Ashour clan, but no arrests or clashes were reported. The Israeli authorities also released the Fatah prisoner, Ibrahim Az Ghari, from the Bethlehem area, after three years of imprisonment for "resisting the occupation". [end] VIDEO - 5 Palestinians killed in IAF attack Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/26/2007 (Video) Five members of Hamas special security forces killed when Israeli Air Force strikes post in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, Palestinian sources say - VIDEO - Five members of the Hamas special security forces were killed Saturday when the Israeli Air Force struck their post in Gaza City’s Zeitoun neighborhood, Palestinian sources said. Another 18 people were wounded. IDF attack in Gaza (video: Reuters) According to the report the IDF fired at three additional Hamas targets in the strip in Gaza City, Tul-Sultan in Rafiah and Khan Younis. The army confirmed that the air force struck two targets in Gaza City plus an additional target in southern Gaza. All of the targets were posts belonging to Hamas. Sources in Gaza said all five of the casualties were members of the Hamas special security force. more.. This Week In Palestine – Week 21 2007 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 15. 5 MB|| Time 17m0s || This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for May 19 through 25, 2007. Nonviolent resistance continues to grow in Palestine against the wall and settlements while the Israeli army stages deadly air strikes against the Palestinians who continue to call for international observers and protection. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned. Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine in Bethlehem and Ramallah against the wall and settlements. Artas At least two hundred Palestinians, accompanied by a number of Israeli and International peace activists marched to the confiscated land in Artas village, south of Bethlehem, on Friday after the noon prayer. more.. Israeli warplanes pound Gaza Strip By Adel Zaanoun - GAZA CITY, Middle East Online 5/25/2007 Hamas security force’s position in Gaza hit by Israeli air strike - Palestinian militants continue to fire rockets into Israel despite Abbas’s call for truce. -- Warplanes pounded the Gaza Strip for a ninth day on Friday as Palestinians continued to fire rockets into Israel despite a call from Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas for a truce. Israeli aircraft launched seven sorties overnight, striking buildings and posts operated by Islamist movement Hamas, the senior coalition partner in the Palestinian government, whose fighters have fired rockets at Israel. Local medical sources cited five people wounded in strikes that Palestinians said hit a small guardhouse near the home of prime minister Ismail Haniya in the Shati refugee camp, but the military denied his house had been the target. more.. Gaza: 2 killed in IDF airstrike Associated Press, YNetNews 5/25/2007 IAF plane hits car traveling in Gaza city, killing two and wounding five people. Hamas says its members were driving vehicleAn Israeli airstrike hit a car traveling in Gaza City, killing two and wounding at least five, Palestinian security and medical officials said. The IDF confirmed the attack. Army sources said that the car attacked belonged to a cell which has been involved in Qassam attacks in the past, and was apparently on its way to launch rockets at Israel. The sources added that the vehicle contained explosives that were detonated following the strike. The IDF stressed that it would continue attacking terror operatives linked to the Qassam fire. An earlier airstrike had hit a Hamas training center south of Gaza City, destroying the compound and lightly injuring at least three, witnesses said. more.. 4 injured by Qassam in Sderot Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/25/2007 Rocket fired from northern Gaza lands near house in town; four people lightly injured by shrapnel, 10 other residents suffer from shock. Another Qassam falls in town’s industrial area, causing damage Two Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot Friday evening. One of the rockets landed near a house in town. Four people were lightly injured by shrapnel, and 10 other residents suffered from shock. The other Qassam fell in the town’s industrial area and damaged some equipment. At least five Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev on Friday morning. The rockets landed in open areas near the southern town of Sderot and south of Ashkelon. There were no reports of injuries, but one of the rockets started a fire in a wheat field near Sderot. more.. Hamas’ military wing fire 6 projectiles at Israeli targets, Islamic Jihad’s military wing fire 7 mortars Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, have claimed responsibility for firing six homemade projectiles at Israeli communities close to the Gaza Strip on Friday at dawn. In a statement issued Friday, the brigades said that they launched the projectiles at the Israeli kibbutz of Zikim, the southern Israeli town of Sderot and an Israeli military post east of Sufa Crossing, located between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel. The statement added that the operation was part of "their retaliation for the Israeli aggressions and assassinations." Earlier, the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for launching seven mortar projectiles at several Israeli targets to the east and north of the Gaza Strip on Friday at dawn. more.. Israeli jets strike close to PM Haniyeh’s house in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Israeli war planes continued their air raids on the Gaza Strip on Friday at dawn; many targets were hit including the environs of the residence of the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, in Shati’ refugee camp in Gaza City. Six of his guards were reported to be injured. Our Gaza correspondent reported that F-16 planes launched a rocket at one of the barriers where the prime minister’s guards were stationed, injuring six of them. A spokeswomen of the Israeli army said, "It is for sure that the house of Haniyeh was not targeted." She added, "A strike targeted an establishment used by the Hamas movement in the camp." The raid came after the Israeli government threatened that the prime minister would be targeted in addition to other prominent leaders of Hamas and other factions. more.. Three Israeli air strikes wound five people, hit Palestinian PM’s guards Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/26/2007 Five Palestinian residents have been wounded in an Israeli air strike on a metal workshop in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya, medical sources said. Palestinian sources and witnesses confirmed that an Israeli warplane fired a missile on a metal workshop, owned by the Abu Dayer family, wounding five people and destroying the workshop. Meanwhile, two Israeli raids hit the location of Palestinian Prime Minister’s special guards in western Gaza city. No casualties were reported. Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Perets, said last Tuesday that Ismail Haniya of Hamas (Palestinian Prime Minister), maybe a target for future Israeli army actions. A missile landed on yesterday night just few hundred meters away from the house of the Palestinian PM Earlier on Friday evening, two Hamas resistance fighters were... more.. Armed factions fire at two Israeli soldiers in northern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al Mujahideen Brigades, a military wing of Fatah, and the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed joint responsibility for shooting at Israeli soldiers near Al Qaraya Al Badawiya (’The Bedouin Village), located in the very north of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday evening. In a statement issued on Thursday afternoon, the brigades said that their groups fired at two Israeli soldiers in the area from very short distance. The statement affirmed that the operation was part of their "response to the Israeli aggression and crimes committed by the occupation forces". [end] Israeli forces invade West Bank villages and towns, arrest two, assault three; armed clashes in Qabatiya Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 West Bank - Ma’an - The Israeli forces invaded a number of towns and villages in the north of the occupied West Bank on Friday morning. In one village, the Israeli troops assaulted a number of local Palestinian residents. In a town near Jenin, clashes broke out between the invading army and local resistance fighters but no casualties or injuries were reported. Two arrests were reported, including that of an activist with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). In the Qalqilya area, local sources said that several Israeli military vehicles entered Azzun, a village east of Qalqilya, at dawn and launched a search campaign in many houses before arresting Abdul Halim Hussein, 25, and taking him to an unknown destination. In the Tulkarem area, local sources said that a large contingent of Israeli... more.. 5 rockets fired at western Negev Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/25/2007 No injuries reported, but fire breaks out in wheat field near Sderot. On Thursday night, IDF strikes number of buildings used by Hamas across Gaza Strip. Aides to Olmert say Israel will intensify assault against terror groups ahead of G8 summit for fear of pressure by international community At least five Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev on Friday morning. The rockets landed in open areas near the southern town of Sderot and south of Ashkelon. There were no reports of injuries, but one of the rockets started a fire in a wheat field near Sderot. Meanwhile, it appears that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has no intention of halting Israel’s aerial offensive against Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip despite calls by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for a ceasefire. more.. Settlers call for ’Operation Defensive Shield’ in Gaza Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/25/2007 There is no other option but to launch a ground offensive in the northern Strip to reoccupy it, Yesha Council says in leaflet distributed ahead of Shabbat -- Israel must take its fate in its own hands. There is no other option but to launch a ground offensive in the northern Gaza Strip to reoccupy it," said a leaflet distributed by the Yesha Council in synagogues across the country ahead of the weekend. The Council called on the government to "clear the entire area" of the Qassam manufacturing industry, adding that "they should be hit hard with the right maintenance for a long period of time." The leaflet also addressed the "errors" of the disengagement plan in a slightly reconciling tone: "In spite of the pain over the injustice and terrible mistakes, made, the situation is reparable. more.. Palestinian woman dies of her wounds in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - A Palestinian woman from Gaza City, Amaal Dawood, 40, succumbed on Thursday to wounds which she sustained during an Israeli air strike near the Palestinian football ground on 17 May 2007. Director of the ambulance and emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health, Mu’awiya Hassanein, said that the woman died in an Israeli hospital where she was sent for treatment. He added that coordination with the Israeli side is ongoing to bring her body to the Gaza Strip. [end] Hamas’ military wing fire projectiles at Zikim and Kfar Maimon, Israeli towns near Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, have claimed responsibility for launching one homemade projectile at an Israeli military runway in Zikim, an Israeli town north of the Gaza Strip, on Thursday afternoon. In a statement, the brigades said that the operation was "in retaliation for the Israeli bombing operations and assassinations of Palestinians." The statement added that another four projectiles were fired at the Israeli town of Kfar Maimon, located east of the central Gaza Strip. more.. Israeli army invades Nablus again; injures one and arrests ten in Balata refugee camp Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Nablus - Ma’an - One female Palestinian was injured and a further ten were arrested, including two members of the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades during an Israeli military incursion into Balata refugee camp in the south east of Nablus city on Thursday afternoon. Palestinian medical sources revealed that the woman was hit by bullet shrapnel, shot by Israeli soldiers while they besieged the Al Asi coffee shop, at the entrance of the camp. Eyewitnesses stated that the Israeli troops entered the camp in large numbers and arrested ten citizens from the coffee shop, including Salah Jermi, 32, and Wael Dandan, 34, of the Al Aqsa Brigades. The Israeli forces later withdrew from the camp, taking the men to an unknown destination. more.. OPT: Protection of civilians weekly report 16 - 22 May 2007 Source: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, ReliefWeb 5/22/2007 Of note this week - Gaza Strip: Palestinian inter-factional violence continued between 16 and 19 May before a ceasefire came into effect that has largely held. 40 people were killed (including three children and one woman) and 106 injured during internal violence. With the ceasefire rival factions exchanged abducted persons, withdraw fighters from the streets and dismantled roadblocks. Palestinian/Israeli hostilities escalated this week following continuing Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip: - Approximately 190 Qassam rockets and five mortar shells were fired from the Gaza Strip killing one Israeli woman and injuring 15 others in and around Sderot. The rockets have damaged Israeli property including private homes, a synagogue, school and other public buildings. more.. Israeli forces erect flying checkpoint outside Qalqilya Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Qalqiliya - Ma’an - The Israeli forces erected a flying checkpoint at the eastern entrance to Qalqiliya city, in the north west of the occupied West Bank, on Thursday afternoon. Eyewitnesses said that the soldiers at the barrier stopped dozens of Palestinian cars. The troops also prevented Palestinian citizens from entering or leaving the city except after undergoing inspection of vehicles and pedestrians. No arrests were reported. [end] Palestinian citizen arrested south west of Jenin Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Jenin – Ma’an – Israeli forces on Thursday arrested the Palestinian citizen, Nazieh Abu ’oon, 45, from the town of Jaba’, south west of Jenin, during a military incursion into the town. Local Palestinian sources said that the Israeli forces arrested the man after besieging his home, and called on him through loudspeakers mounted on military vehicles to evacuate his home. The troops searched the home before arresting the man. In a separate incident, Israeli military forces invaded Al-Yamun and ’Aqaba towns, conducting house to house searches for "wanted Palestinians". They withdrew after two hours with no arrests. [end] Tulkarem resident sentenced to 32 months’ imprisonment in Israeli jail for being Al-Aqsa activist Ma’an News Agency 5/24/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli military court of Salem sentenced on Thursday a Palestinian detainee, Rabi’ Al-Qadoumi, 28, from the Dhinnaba neighbourhood of east Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, to 32 months in prison and a fine of 2000 NIS (~US $500). The man was arrested from his home on 15 July 2006 on suspicion of being a member of the Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of the Fatah movement. He is currently held in Megiddo prison. more.. Two injured in rival families fight in Gaza Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2007 Two Palestinian men were injured on Thursday midday during rival families fight in the Dier Al Balah town in central Gaza strip. Palestinian medical sources in the town reported that the two were moved to a hospital in the town were one lies with critical wounds. [end] Former Israeli intelligence chief warns Israel not to invade Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Former head of the Israeli domestic intelligence services Yaacov Peri warned a convention in Herzliya, near Tel Aviv in Israel, on Thursday that Israel must not depend on Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas because he needs "artificial respiration". Peri was speaking during a convention in Herzliya on the "relation between drugs and terror" held in coordination with the anti-drugs authority in Israel. The former intelligence chief added that if Israel carries out a ground operation into the Gaza Strip, that would mean the collapse of the truce and Hamas would then employ all of its capabilities to launch projectiles at Israeli towns. [end] Israel’s assassination policy has forced Hamas leaders underground, Israeli security sources tell Maariv Ma’an News Agency 5/25/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli security sources believe that Hamas leaders have started to feel that they are on the run, the Israeli newspaper Maariv said on Thursday. However, the sources also stressed the need to start political steps. The paper added that some security bodies have expressed their satisfaction with the results of the re-launch of an assassination campaign against Palestinians. "We have forced Hamas leaders to hide, to go underground, and to change their lifestyle in order to make their assassination more difficult," security sources were quoted as saying. The Israeli army has drawn up a step-by-step plan to put more pressure on Hamas. Maariv said that it believes that the arrest of numerous Hamas leaders on Thursday was part of this plan. more.. Two Hamas resistance fighters killed in an Israeli air strike in eastern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/25/2007 Two Hamas resistance fighters of the Alqassam brigades, have been reportedly killed and nine others, mainly bystanders, wounded in a new Israeli strike on eastern Gaza, medical sources said. Witnesses said that an Israeli warplane fired a missile on a Volkswagens car, while traveling in eastern Gaza. Earlier in the day, another Israeli air strike pounded an outpost belonging to the interior ministry’s executive force to the south of Gaza city, wounding three Palestinians ate least, witnesses and medics said. The Israeli aerial offensive on Gaza has started last week, targeting positions of the executive force, in what Israel says ‘a response to homemade shells’, Palestinian resistance groups have fired over the past week. Other targets such as shops and stores have been hit during these attacks, the latest were food stores and money exchange shops. more.. Factbox - Developments in Israel and Palestinian territories, 24 May 2007 Source: Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 5/24/2007 May 24 (Reuters) - Latest political and security developments in the Palestinian territories and Israel on Thursday: Asterisk denotes new or updated entry. *KHAN YOUNIS, Gaza Strip - Israeli helicopter fired missiles at Hamas Executive Force position in Khan Younis in southern Gaza Strip, wounding two members of the force and three civilians, local residents said. *GAZA - Israeli aircraft attacked Hamas position in Gaza City. No casualties reported. *RAFAH, Gaza Strip - Israeli air strike destroyed metal workshop. Israeli military said facility was an Islamic Jihad weapons factory. WASHINGTON - U.S. State Department expressed misgivings about Israel’s arrest of Palestinian Education Minister Naser al-Shaer of Hamas and 32 other officials in the occupied West Bank, but said Israel had a right to defend itself. more.. Israelis swoop on Hamas politicians Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 5/25/2007 Israeli soldiers and security forces detained 33 Hamas politicians, including the education minister, in overnight raids across the occupied West Bank and launched several air strikes at Hamas targets in Gaza in a new round of conflict with the Islamist Palestinian group. Among those held was Nasser al-Shaer, the minister of education, who is regarded as more moderate than others in Hamas. He was taken from his home in Nablus. Several other Hamas MPs were detained, as well as the mayors of four West Bank towns, including Nablus and Qalqilya. Late last night an Israeli missile exploded close to the home of the Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, in the Shati refugee camp next to Gaza City, Palestinian security officials said. They said the missile hit a tin shack where Mr Haniyeh’s guards sleep, but it was... more.. Israeli army kills a Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2007 Israeli army killed Thursday morning a Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza, confirmed medics. Officials at the Kamal Edwan hospital in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahiya, said that a gunshot has been fired at a Palestinian farmer by Israeli army boats, just 400 meters away from the security fence that separates Gaza from Israel. Today’s incident is a part of ongoing Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, in which the Israeli army has killed 36 Palestinians including seven children, wounded more than 120 others and caused great damage to many properties. On yesterday night, the Israeli warplanes struck a money exchange shop, a storehouse and a car. The air strike on the car injured three bystanders, while the car’s passengers managed to escape. more.. At least 10 rockets, mortars hit Negev; Israel rounds up 33 Hamas leaders Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/25/2007 Palestinians fired at least 10 rockets and mortar shells at Israel yesterday, as the Israel Defense Forces continued attacking Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and also arrested 33 Hamas politicians in the West Bank. Most of the rockets landed in open areas of the Negev, and caused no casualties. One Palestinian was killed by IDF tank fire in northern Gaza yesterday, and Palestinian sources said that a second was killed by fire from the Israel Navy. They identified the latter victim as a 28-year-old fisherman, Said al-Attar. The navy said it is investigating the claim. In addition, Amal Daoud, 40, died in an Israeli hospital yesterday of wounds incurred from IDF gunfire last week. Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said yesterday that he is trying to persuade the armed organizations in Gaza to halt the rocket fire "so that we can reach a cease-fire with Israel. more.. Israel assault on Hamas to continue - PM aides Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/25/2007 Aides to prime minister say Israel will intensify assault against terror groups in Gaza and West Bank ahead of G8 summit for fear of pressure by international community -- Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has no intention of halting Israel’s aerial offensive against Palestinian terror groups in the Gaza Strip despite calls by President Mahmoud Abbas for a ceasefire, Olmert aides said Thursday. "Israel will continue to operate against Hamas’ terror. They will not control the situation, we will control the situation. We still haven’t exhausted most of the targets that have been approved by the security cabinet," one aide added. Israel will step up attacks against Hamas over the next ten days for fear that world powers meeting at the G8 summit in Berlin next week will press it to end its latest assault on the Islamic group. more.. Army injures one civilian and kidnaps seven residents among them three Mayors in Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2007 The Israeli army invaded several areas in Hebron region searched and ransacked homes injuring one civilian and kidnapping seven others among them three Mayors, on Thursday morning. Israeli troops taking prisoner Lawmaker Hamed Al-Beitawi from his house in Nablus (Photo: Amin Abu Wardeh) Ahmad Al Najar, 17 was moderately injured during clashes that erupted when Israeli troops invaded the village of Yatta near Hebron and searched homes there; another civilian was kidnapped by Israeli troops at a military checkpoint located outside Yatta. In the meantime forces invaded the villages of Al Samou’a, Beit Kahil and Tafouha, near Hebron and searched homes in those villages and in the city of Hebron, during the attack soldiers kidnapped six civilians among them three Mayors. more.. Israeli air strikes on Gaza wound six bystanders Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2007 Israeli jet fighters fired missiles on Thursday on two Hamas outposts in the Gaza Strip, wounding six bystanders and completely destroying the two compounds. Medical sources said that six bystanders were wounded moderately and slightly , when they were hit by a missile’s sharpnle today afternoon. Witnesses said that a missile landed on an executive force’s compound in Gaza city, destroyed the building, caused severe damages to six taxi cars and smashed windows of nearby houses. Coincidently, a second missile hit another executive force building in the Deir Elbalah city in central Gaza Strip. The building has been reportedly devastated copmpletely as well, with no casualities reported. The hit compounds have been evacuated recently under instructions by the Palestinian government, in light of frequent... more.. 4 Qassams fired at Israel; no injuries Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/24/2007 Palestinian gunmen fired a Qassam rocket into Israel Thursday afternoon. The rocket landed in an open field, not far from Mayor Eli Moyal’s house. Moyal was at the municipality building at the time. Emergency teams arrived at the site and sappers examined the rocket’s remnants. Earlier Thursday, three rockets were fired at Sderot from the northern Gaza Strip. Two of the rockets landed in open fields near Sderot, and one fell near kibbutz Nir Am. No injuries or damage were reported. Four rockets were fired at Israel Wednesday evening. Two of the Qassams landed near Sderot and a woman resident suffered from shock. The other two landed south of Ashkelon. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, claimed responsibility for the firing of one of the rockets. more.. Palestinians say civilian killed by IDF fire Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/24/2007 IDF kills Palestinian, arrests 33 Hamas activists, Palestinians report; PA President Mahmoud Abbas to meet EU’s Javier Solana Palestinian sources have reported that IDF forces killed a 28-year-old man in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya Thursday morning. Saeed el-Atar was shot by IDF forces who had taken control of an area in the northern Gaza Strip. The IDF has not yet commented on the incident. The Palestinians said that el-Atar was taken to hospital with gun-shot wounds all over his body, but he died on arrival at the hospital. This incident occurred after an overnight attack that injured several Palestinians, and just hours before a scheduled meeting between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and European Union Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana. more.. Rockets destroy Negev kibbutzim’s crops Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/24/2007 Southern kibbutzim lose dozens of acres of wheat in fires caused by Qassams; seek to expedite harvest in order to avoid further damage The recent Shavuot holiday will not be soon forgotten across kibbutzim in the western Negev, where dozens of acres of wheat went up in flames in the past week, just when it was time to begin the harvest. The Qassam rockets that have been raining on the area and setting the fields on fire caused substantial damage to the farmers, and the kibbutzim are now making efforts to salvage the remaining crops. Kibbutz Nir Am has lost some 65 acres in the last week alone, and the local farmers are trying to reap what was left in the fields before the next Qassam lands. Kibbutz Be’eri has also lost about eight acres of wheat, and according to estimates, other kibbutzim and rural... more.. Israeli strike hits Hamas post in Gaza Ali Waked and Reuters, YNetNews 5/24/2007 Air Force destroys position used by Islamist group"s security force in Gaza City; at least five people slightly wounded, several nearby buildings damaged in attack. Executive Force position in central Strip demolished several minutes later -- An Israeli air strike destroyed a position used by a Hamas security force in Gaza City on Thursday, local residents said. Hamas’ Executive Force said it had evacuated the facility before the attack. Medical officials said at least five people were slightly wounded. An Israeli military spokesman in Tel Aviv confirmed the air force had hit a Hamas position. Local residents said the facility was destroyed and several nearby buildings were damaged. "It was a huge explosion, I have almost gone deaf," said Amer Mushtaha, owner of a video store near the targeted Hamas post. more.. 9 Qassams hit Negev region Thursday evening Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/24/2007 No injuries reported, although one rocket causes fire. Some Qassams explode without warning due to malfunction in "˜Color Red" alert system; "˜tragedy prevented because rockets happened to land in open areas," security officer says -- Nine Qassam rockets fired by Palestinians in Gaza Thursday evening landed in Israel"s western Negev region. Two rockets landed near kibbutzim in the Eshkol region, while the rest landed near Sderot and the Sha"ar Hanegev region. A fire broke out near one of the kibbutzim. Palestinian President Abbas urges Hamas to end Qassam fire / News agencies PA president calls on Hamas and other factions to put a stop to ’pointless and needless’ rocket attacks against Israel. Visiting EU foreign policy chief Solana meets with Abbas, calls for Israelis, Palestinians to stop... more.. 49 settlers arrested during Mt. Hebron march Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/25/2007 Security forces arrested 49 settlers during clashes that broke on a road connecting Neguhot and Adorayim in south Mt. Hebron Thursday evening. The fighting erupted when some 100 settlers marched along the road, which passes through Palestinian territory, and demanded that it be opened for Israeli vehicles. According to IDF and police officials, the settlers were told in advance that they were not permitted to hold a demonstration in Palestinian-controlled territory, and forces began arresting the protesters when they did not heed calls to disperse. The settlers said three demonstrators were injured in the clashes, but police rejected the claim, adding that the protesters jeopardized the safety of soldiers and officers at the scene. more.. Hizbullah’s construction arm to start rebuilding Dahiyeh in June Lysandra Ohrstrom, Daily Star 5/25/2007 Organization aims to preserve neighborhood’s identity. -- BEIRUT: The branch of Hizbullah’s construction arm created to oversee the rebuilding of the capital’s battered southern suburbs said Thursday it would begin in June to restore the neighborhood to its state prior the Israeli bombardment last summer. A majority of residents in the four municipalities of the Dahiyeh have given the Waad (Promise) project, a subsidiary of Jihad al-Binaa, power of attorney over their properties, allowing the group to collect indemnity payments from the government on their behalf, design an urban planning scheme for the congested district and determine which architects and engineers to award building contracts to. Waad general manager Hassan Jichi said the LL80 million ($53,000) of government compensation promised to owners of... more.. Palestine Today 052407 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/24/2007 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 Thursday May 24th, 2007. The Israeli army has killed a Palestinian farmer in northern Gaza strip. While in the West Bank, Israeli forces invaded several cities and kidnapped a Palestinian Minister along with thirty officials. These stories and more coming up stay tuned. The Gaza strip Two fresh Israeli air strikes completely destroyed a building previously occupied by the Hamas-formed executive force in Gaza. Initial medical reports stated that four people were injured. A second strike hit another Hamas post in the town of Deir Elbalah in the central Gaza Strip. more.. Israel hits Gaza with more strikes, seven wounded Source: Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 5/23/2007 By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, May 23 (Reuters) - Israel launched more air strikes on suspected Gaza militants on Wednesday which wounded seven people, hospital officials and residents of the northern part of the coastal strip said. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed an aircraft had fired missiles into a building used to store munitions and that secondary explosions were observed. Israel said on Tuesday it could target Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas and a Gaza ground offensive was possible unless world pressure was brought on the Islamist group to halt rocket fire aimed at the Jewish state. The threat caused the postponement of a meeting between Haniyeh and President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, who arrived in Gaza to discuss the restoration of law and order and perhaps resuming a Gaza truce with Israel, an Abbas aide said. more.. IDF: Hamas behind drop in Qassam attacks Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/24/2007 Less rocket attacks from Gaza? IDF officers aren’t quick to declare victory, say Hamas making tactical decisions when to launch 20 or 2 Qassams. Meanwhile air strikes continue on Wednesday as Israel goes after terror money trailThe drop in Qassam attacks against Israel in recent days isn’t due to the IDF but rather internal tactical decisions within Hamas "“ said military sources on Wednesday. Gaza Operations Israeli troops detain 7 in brief foray into Gaza, Palestinians say / Ali Waked and AP Large IDF force enters Khan Younis area in southern Strip; troops search several homes, arrest seven men who are later released. Operation aimed at gathering intelligence on terror activity Full Story Over the course of the past two days there has been a notable drop in the amount of rockets fired... more.. Palestinian resistance shells Israel military vehicles in Jenin; army storms the area Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2007 The Black Panther resistance group, linked to the Fatah movement, announced on Monday morning that they attacked Israeli military vehicles in the West Bank City of Jenin with two home-made shells. The spokesperson for the group stated that they had shelled the military vehicles while they passing by Jenin, where Israeli forces had closed the area and launched a wide-scale search operation. Also on Monday, an Israeli military force, stormed the building of the Nafha Society in Jenin. The Head of the Society said that a massive Israeli military force stormed the building and ransacked it, confiscating equipment and computers. During the invasion troops kiddnaped Khalil Ragheb,38, and moved him to unknown area. The military also attacked the Reform and Change office in the West Bank city of Tubas, causing damage and confiscating documents and equipment. more.. Israel army attacks school in Hebron and confiscates equipment Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2007 Palestinian sources have reported that Israel forces attacked a school in Hebron the early hours of Wednesday morning, confiscating much equipment contained within. The sources reported that a massive Israeli force surrounded an elementary school for girls in Hebron city center and then stormed the building. Troops searched and ransacked the school, taking computers and documents from the administration offices. [end] Army kidnaps one civilian from Bethlehem at military checkpoints nearby Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2007 Mussa Al Zughari, 25, was kidnapped by the Israeli forces that stationed at military checkpoints to the east of Bethlehem city on Wednesday. [end] Israeli military kidnaps 7 Palestinian civilians in Khan Younis after mistaking them for resistance Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2007 The Israeli military today, under the cover air strikes, implemented an operation in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Israeli forces stormed the area, surrounded a house and kidnapped 7 civilians from the Kdeh family, claimed to be members of Palestinian resistance groups. Eyewitnesses said that special Israeli army unit imposed a comprehensive siege on the area for more than three hours, terrifying and harassing local residents. Local media stated that a special Israeli force sneaked into Khaza’a town, on the eastern side of Khan Younis, and kidnapped the civilians. After the operation, the Israeli army realized that the kidnapped civilians were not part of any resistance group and released them. In other news, Israel has continued its days-old bombardment of the Gaza Strip and there are no signs that this policy is nearing an end. more.. Allied brigades launch projectiles at Israeli kibbutz Ma’an News Agency 5/23/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP), and the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades announced responsibility for launching of two homemade projectiles at the Israeli kibbutz of Nir Yitzhak near the Sufa Crossing, between Israel and the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday afternoon. In a joint statement the brigades said that the operation is "retaliation for the Israeli aggression against Palestinian people and territories, and the Israeli threats to invade the strip." [end] Armed wings of Hamas, Fatah and DFLP fire barrage of projectiles at Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/23/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Palestinian armed factions fired on Wednesday many projectiles at Israeli towns and villages in southern Israel from the Gaza Strip. In a number of separate statements, the Palestinian factions said that the firing of projectiles came as "retaliation for the Israeli massacres and attacks against Palestinians." The factions confirmed in their statements that these attacks were "a preliminary response for what the Israelis are committing against the Palestinians." In this regard, the Al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, issued a number of statements saying that they managed to launch three projectiles at Kfar Sa’ad and Kfar Azza, Israeli villages east of the northern Gaza Strip. Another projectile was launched at the Israeli village of Zikim, north of the Strip. more.. Al Quds Brigades shell Israeli military post to affirm ’resistance will continue’ Ma’an News Agency 5/23/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al Quds Brigades announced responsibility for launching three mortars at an Israeli military post, east of the Gaza Strip town of Juhor ad Dik, on Wednesday morning. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the brigades said that the operation came as "part of the retaliation to the Israeli operations, in which they target the leaders of the factions. This is to confirm that resistance will continue." [end] Mysterious blast in Gaza City injures two Palestinians Ma’an News Agency 5/23/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Two Palestinians were injured in a mysterious domestic explosion in the Ibad Ar-Rahman neighborhood of northern Gaza City on Wednesday afternoon. Palestinian medical sources described the injuries as moderate. The injured men were transferred to Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Meanwhile, police and fire fighters have hurried to the scene. Abu Walid, the spokesman of Fatah’s armed wing, the Al-Aqsa Brigades, said that the explosion resulted from an Israeli drone attack on an Al-Aqsa Brigades’ cell. [end] Three Palestinian brigades launch seven homemade projectiles at Sderot Ma’an News Agency 5/23/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Three Palestinian military brigades on Wednesday night launched seven home made projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas claimed responsibility for launching two projectiles, while the An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades of the Popular Resistance Committees claimed responsibility for three projectiles. The Al-Quds Brigades of the Islamic Jihad movement also said that they launched had launched a further two homemade projectiles; all 7 targeted Sderot. The bombardment coincides with the ongoing meeting in Gaza between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and representatives of five Palestinian factions to discuss the latest Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, and the inter-factional ceasefire. [end] Israel hits Gaza targets; Abbas and Haniyeh meet Source: Reuters Foundation, ReliefWeb 5/23/2007 By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, May 23 (Reuters) - Israel launched air strikes and a ground operation on Wednesday against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh met to try to calm tensions. Palestinian cabinet spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Abbas of Fatah and Haniyeh of Hamas met at an undisclosed location in the narrow coastal strip for security reasons. An earlier meeting was cancelled after Israel said on Tuesday it could target Haniyeh if the ruling Islamist group refused to halt rocket fire on southern Israeli towns. The meeting was the first since a surge in factional violence this month pushed Palestinians to the brink of civil war. Despite the latest ceasefire, tensions between Hamas and secular Fatah, which formed a Palestinian unity government two months ago, remained high. more.. Palestine Today 052307 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/23/2007 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 Wednesday May 23ed, 2007. The Israeli Army has continued to shell the Gaza strip and attack civilians in the West Bank. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned. The Gaza strip The Israeli military today, under the cover of air strikes, implemented an operation in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Israeli forces stormed the area, surrounded a house and kidnapped 7 civilians from the Kdeh family, who they claimed were members of Palestinian resistance groups. Eyewitnesses stated that the Israeli Army imposed a comprehensive siege on the area for more than three hours, terrifying and harassing local residents. more.. 7 Palestinians wounded in IAF strikes Reuters, YNetNews 5/23/2007 Israeli air stirkes on Hamas weapon sheds in Gaza Strip leave 7 Palestinians wounded -- Israel launched two more air strikes on suspected Gaza gunmen on Wednesday which wounded seven people, including a pregnant woman and a child, hospital officials and residents of the northern part of the coastal strip said. The attacks took place in Gaza City, and the Gaza neighborhood of Jabaliya. An Israeli army spokeswoman confirmed an aircraft had fired missiles into a building used to store munitions in Jabaliya, and that secondary explosions were observed. The IDF said that this proved the building was full of explosives. The air strikes came after Palestinians continued to launch Qassam rockets into Israel on Tuesday, and a total of seven rockets landed in the western Negev, causing no injuries. more.. Army closes PLC office in Hebron and kidnaps two, among them a PA official Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 The Israeli Military today enacted a military decision to close the Palestinian legislative office belonging to the reformation and change movement, linked to Hamas, in the West Bank city of Hebron for two years. Also on Tuesday, Israeli military forces kidnapped two civilians from Hebron after storming and searching their homes, with the previous head of the intelligence service being among those kidnapped. The two captives, Netham Al Ja’bari 40 and Roshdi Salaymeh, 26, were taken to an unknown location. PLC office sources reported that Israeli forces stormed the building, damaged the main door, ransacked the office, and confiscated electrical and other equipment, including documents belonging to civilians. The PLC office condemned the decision, stating that Israeli authorities are aiming to disrupt Palestinian... more.. Army invades several areas in Bethlehem city and kidnaps 10 Palestinians Staff - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 The Israeli army invaded the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and nearby villages and towns in the early hours of Tuesday morning, searching homes and kidnapping 10 people. The attacks took place in downtown Bethlehem city, in the nearby Aida and Deisha refugee camp, in Beit Sahour to the east of the city and in Obadiah town. Witnesses reported that soldiers searched and ransacked homes after forcing families out. Local sources told IMEMC that among those kidnapped were Hassan Shukah, Nidal Suman, Hussam Abdullah, Firass Hassan and Issam AL Sha’er. [end] Army shells Beit Hanoun, elderly man injured Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 Palestinian medical sources in Beit Hanoun, located in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, reported on Monday night that an elderly man was wounded after the Israeli army fired shells at houses and workshops.. The sources stated that resident Ziad Abu Harbeed, 53, was injured when one of the shells hit his home in the Al Na’aima area, in Beit Hanoun. Abu Harbeed received moderate wounds to his right shoulder, and was hospitalized after the attack. Also on Monday night, the Israeli military shelled a carpentry workshop in the Al Boreij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip. Local sources reported that soldiers fired at least one missile at the workshop causing excessive damage. No injuries were reported. In a separate attack, soldiers also shelled a blacksmith’s workshop in Gaza City. more.. Israeli Army invades Qalqilia Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 The Israeli army invaded the West Bank City of Qalqilia in the early hours of Tuesday morning, searching homes, kidnapping civilians, and confiscating the property of local residents and organizations. The Israeli Military placed a blockade on the eastern entrance to Qalqilia while the attack was carried out. Israeli sources reported that a Palestinian civilian in possession of an explosive belt was kidnapped near the southern tunnel of Qalqilia City. The belt was destroyed in a controlled explosion. [end] One Palestinian civilian kidnapped as army invades village near Nablus Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 Israeli forces invaded the village of Beit Iba west of Nablus city in the northern part of the West bank and kidnapped one civilian on Tuesday morning. Abdullah Abu Sama’tah, 25, was kidnapped from his home when Israeli troops searched it and some other houses in the village, witnesses reported that troops intentionally destroyed some of the families’ belongings. [end] Army kidnaps Palestinian civilian near Jenin and invades Tulkarem Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 Adel Saleem, 27, was on his way to Jenin city after coming from Ilar village near Tulkarem city on Tuesday morning when Israeli soldiers stopped him at a flying military checkpoint near Jenin. Witnesses reported that soldiers forced the man into a military jeep and took him to an undisclosed location, citing no reason. Also on Tuesday morning, an Israeli force invaded Tulkarem city, searched and ransacked homes in the city center and left. No kidnappings were reported. [end] Senior leader of Al Qassam brigades dies from wounds sustained during last week’s infighting Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 Palestinian sources reported that a senior leader of the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, was announced dead on Tuesday after succumbing to wounds sustained during last week’s Hamas-Fatah infighting. Mohamed Abu Al Khier was injured when Fatah-allied security forces opened fire at a funeral in Gaza city. He was admitted to Gaza hospital with critical wounds, but died today. Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and prime minister Isma’el Haniyeh of Hamas agreed on a ceasefire late last week after five days of intense clashes between the two groups in the Gaza Strip. The clashes left at least 40 killed, among them women and children, and at least 100 injured. more.. Israeli army seizes at least eight ’wanted’ Palestinians across the West Bank Tuesday Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested eight Palestinians in many areas of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. Israeli sources said that the Israeli army arrested four so-called "wanted" Palestinians in Hebron city, in the south of the West Bank, and seized three rifles. The sources also said that three Palestinians were arrested in Ramallah and one in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. In Hebron, the Israeli forces arrested the former intelligence head Abdullah Al-Jaafari, 39, from his home in the Nimra area of the city. Palestinian security sources said that an Israeli force, accompanied with Israeli intelligence officers, arrived at Al-Jaafari’s house and searched it before taking him to an unknown destination. The Israeli forces also raided the West Bank city of Tulkarem at dawn on Tuesday, storming many houses and carrying out extensive searches. more.. Israeli army closes Hamas office in Hebron Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Hebron - Ma’an - Israeli forces closed the office of the Hamas members of the Palestinian Legislative Council in the city of Hebron in the south of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday until further notice. The office employees informed Ma’an via telephone that the Israeli soldiers stormed the office in the Ein Sara area and seized computers and others equipment in addition to citizens’ files, before then closing the office. In a statement, the PLC members condemned the closure of the office and the confiscation of its contents. They said they considered the act as an attempt to "distort the Palestinian life and democracy." more.. 50 Israeli military vehicles invade Bethlehem in search of Islamic Jihad activists Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces launched an arrest campaign in Bethlehem area in search of Islamic Jihad members in the early hours of Tuesday morning. 17 activists were arrested. Palestinian security sources said that more than fifty Israeli military vehicles raided Bethlehem, shooting in the air and firing flares. The sources added that the campaign is the largest in the city since the incursion in 2002 and the siege of the Nativity Church. The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society of Bethlehem condemned the arrests. A statement issued by the society said that the raid caused damage to the contents of the houses that the soldiers had invaded and ransacked. more.. Al Qassam Brigades warn Israeli residents of Ashkelon and Sderot to leave as the shelling continues Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Nablus - Ma’an – The Hamas-affiliated Al-Qassam Brigades announced on Monday that it launched homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot. In a statement issued on Tuesday the brigades said that the projectile caused the death of an Israeli woman and the injury of twenty more. The statement also said that Israel admitted the death of the Israeli woman and the injury of more than twenty others. The brigades responded to the announcement from the Israeli government regarding the death and injuries and said "this it is just the beginning and the Israelis will suffer more and more losses." The statement urged the citizens of Sderot to vacate the area and the citizens of the Israeli town of Ashkelon to do the same. The brigades stressed that the shelling of Sderot is "a preliminary retaliation for the..." more.. "There is no immediate solution to Qassams," Israeli PM Olmert tells Negev residents Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - "There is no immediate solution to Qassams," Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told residents of Israeli villages close to the Gaza Strip on Monday. On a tour to Sderot and other towns and villages that have been the target of Palestinian homemade projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip, Olmert said: "I know you’ve been through tough times, and you won’t leave this time either. We are helping and will continue to help residents try to leave for a few days break to get some air and rest." Just hours before the prime minister’s visit, 32-year-old Shirel Feldman from Sderot succumbed to wounds she had sustained in a Qassam projectile attack on the town. Residents of the town greeted Olmert’s visit angrily. "There is plenty of talk and visits, but the Qassams keep falling and taking a toll of blood. The bottom line is that the prime minister doesn’t have answers for us," Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said. Qassams are crudely-made projectiles, with no guidance capabilities, fired by armed Palestinian factions into Israel. more.. Sderot residents attack minister during funeral Amnon Meramda, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Interior Minister receives hostile welcome in rocket-plagued town; Deputy Defense Minister also visits, explains about ongoing military actions against Qassams -- Interior Minister Ronnie Bar-On was forced to leave the funeral of Shirel Feldman, who was killed by a Qassam Monday, after residents crowded around him, cursing and slamming the government. Shortly after the funeral, Bar-On told Ynet, "A handful of angry residents will not interrupt the government’s activities for Sderot and its concern for the residents of town." "People tried using this funeral for political purposes, and I regret that," he added. Deputy Defense Minister Ephraim Sneh also visited Sderot Tuesday, and spoke with the residents about their hard feelings following Friedman’s death. more.. Qassams hit Sderot Tuesday evening Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Several barrages hit Sderot and neighboring areas on eve of Shavuot holiday; Palestinian groups say attacks will continue -- Five Qassam rockets were fired at Sderot and neighboring towns Tuesday night, the eve of the Shavuot holiday. No casualties resulted from any of the attacks, although one woman was hospitalized for shock. In the first barrage, one rocket landed within Sderot city limits, causing damage to several homes and vehicles. Another rocket landed in an open area directly next to a western Negev kibbutz. A third rocket, which landed in an open area outside Sderot, caused a fire. The military wings of Hamas and Fatah - the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades and the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, respectively "“ claimed responsibility for these attacks. more.. Israeli warplanes strike two strategic positions in Gaza causing vast damage and injury Ma’an News Agency 5/22/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Israeli warplanes launched two air strikes on two Palestinian positions in the northern and western areas of the Gaza Strip, on Tuesday afternoon. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that the Israeli warplanes launched an air strike over the headquarters of the Palestinian intelligence, in the northern refugee camp of Ash Shati’, west of Gaza City. The strike resulted in the injuring of seven intelligence men and vast destruction to the headquarters. The public relations officer of the Palestinian intelligence, Mamdouh Al Bornu, confirmed that at least one rocket hit the building of the intelligence and injured seven employees in the building. The injured were transferred to Ash Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. Medical sources reported that the conditions of the injured men are stable. more.. Gaza buries eight residents, including seven family members killed in Israeli strikes Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/22/2007 Hundreds of Palestinian residents, including the Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyya, and Ahmad Bahar, head of the Legislative Council, participated on Monday in the funeral and burial ceremonies of eight Palestinians, including seven members of one family, killed in Israeli shelling of a residential area east of Gaza City on Sunday evening.. The residents chanted slogans demanding revenge for this crime and other Israeli military crimes carried out against the Palestinian people, calling on the resistance to retaliate without delay. Several ministers also attended the funeral and burial ceremonies. The residents marched from Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to the Al Omari Mosque were they prayed on the bodies before burying them. more.. Gaydamak to build tent city for Sderot refugees Ynet reporters, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Billionaire businessman Arcady Gaydamak aims to build refugee compound in Tel Aviv, after municipality nixed plan for tent city in central Jerusalem -- One of the enduring symbols of the Second Lebanon War for many Israelis is the so-called ’tent city’ built by businessman Arcady Gaydamak as a refugee camp for residents of the country’s battered north. Now Gaydamak is seeking to build a similar compound for Sderot families as Gaza terror groups increase their attacks on the city, killing a 32-year-old woman on Monday. After the local municipality refused to authorize the set-up of a tent city in Jerusalem for Sderot evacuees, the billionaire decided to move his efforts north. He intends to create his 3,000-person tent city in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park. more.. Police on high alert ahead of holiday Efrat Weiss, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Closure imposed on West Bank and Gaza due to terror alerts; policemen to deploy in crowded areas, including markets and parks -- The security forces have imposed general closure on the West Bank and Gaza Tuesday, in light of about 10 specific terror warnings ahead of the Shavuot holiday. The warnings refer to suicide bombings, rocket fire from Gaza, and the placing of explosive devices in northern Samaria by Hamas and the Islamic Jihad. The closure will go into force on Tuesday and defense officials will decide whether to lift it when the holiday ends Wednesday evening, in accordance with security intelligence. The police went into a state of high alert across the country Tuesday morning, and forces deployed in crowded places, including markets, and hitchhiking posts. more.. Woman killed in Sderot rocket attack Roi Mandel, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Qassam hits car near southern town’s commercial center, killing Shirel Feldman, 32, and moderately wounding another man. Residents clash with police in response to attack. About 17 rockets fired from Gaza Strip since Monday morning. Shirel Feldman, 32, was killed and another man was moderately injured Monday evening as a Qassam rocket hit a car at a commercial center in the southern town of Sderot, near a bakery. Five rockets were fired at the southern town at around 8 pm. Two landed south of Ashkelon, one landed in Sderot and two in the western Negev. An hour and a half later, three additional rockets were fired from Gaza, landing near one of the kibbutzim in the western Negev. Two more rockets were fired at around 10:30 pm. There were no reports of injuries. more.. Israeli air strike on northern Gaza kills four Palestinians Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 An Israeli air strike on northern Gaza has hit a car, killing four Palestinians believed to be members of the Islamic Jihad. A Gaza woman inspecting debris of her shelled house in recent Israeli strikes. Medical sources in Gaza identified the dead as Majed Albatsh, Aziz Alhelou, Mohammad Abu Ne’ma, and Mahmoud Awad. Footage screened on TV stations showed shattered bodies on the street, a scene that has become common in Gaza of late. Of today’s attack, witnesses stated that a white-colored Subaru car was driving on the Salah Eldin road in the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Lahya, when an Israeli warplane fired missiles on it. The attack forms part of Israel’s non-stop barrage against targets in the Gaza Strip, a policy informed by the administration’s decision to resume targeted killings against members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. more.. Israel threatens to hit Hamas leaders Sakher Abu El Oun - GAZA CITY, Middle East Online 5/21/2007 Four Palestinian militants killed in new Israeli air raid in impoverished territory of Gaza Strip. -- Israel threatened on Monday to hit Hamas political leaders unless rocket fire from lawless Gaza subsides, as four militants were killed in a new air raid in the impoverished territory. In the latest Israeli strike, four gunmen from the radical Islamic Jihad group were killed in a car in the northern town of Jabaliya, medics and the army said. Israel will kill exiled Hamas political supremo Khaled Meshaal "at the first opportunity" and could also target prime minister Ismail Haniya, warned Public Security Minister Avi Dichter, a member of the powerful security cabinet. Meshaal, who is now based in Syria, survived a Mossad assassination attempt in Jordan in 1997. more.. IDF suggests ’security zone’ in north Gaza Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/22/2007 Army preparing for possibility that political echelons will give order to boost offensive against terror cells in Gaza. One option being considered is entering north Gaza to create security zone, distance Qassam cells from borderThe security establishment is prepared to expand it offensive against terror cells in the Gaza Strip in case the political echelons should decide to give the order to boost operations. The government is considering the possibility of deploying troops into the northern Gaza Strip to create a security zone and distance Qassam cells from the border. At the moment the army is not changing the scale of its assault, but military sources have admitted that a long operation is necessary to significantly damage the Palestinian terror organizations. Just Monday a lethal more.. Qassam fire, IDF air strikes continue as gov’t moves on assisting Sderot Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/21/2007 Israel intensified its efforts to target the leadership of militant Palestinian organizations yesterday, carrying out a series of air raids in the Gaza Strip. Also yesterday, the government and the Knesset approved a series of measures meant to assist residents of Sderot and other communities subject to Palestinian rocket attacks in reinforcing their homes. Yesterday, 15 Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev, most landing near Sderot and its environs. The air force carried out two strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip yesterday. Early yesterday morning, a number of workshops used for the manufacture and storage of Qassam rockets were targeted in Beit Lahiya. A Hamas militant was reported killed in the bombing raid. At approximately 1 P. more.. Army invades southern cities in the West Bank and kidnaps four civilians Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 The Israeli army invaded the southern West Bank cities of Bethlehem and Hebron, searching homes and kidnapping four civilians on Monday at dawn. Witnesses reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the downtown area of Bethlehem city and ransacked a number of homes there, kidnapping Murad Salhab, 33, and Issa Jawarish, 32. The two captives were taken an undisclosed location. At the same time, a further Israeli force stormed the town of Doha, located in the western side of Bethlehem city. Troops and searched the homes of many residents, kidnapping Ameen Da’amssah, 26, amd Ra’ed Da’amssah, 32. Again, these captives were taken to an unknown location. [end] Israeli army attack Palestinian media outlets in Nablus Ameed Abu Wardeh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 The Israeli army stormed several buildings hosting the headquarters of local Palestinian TV and radio stations, confiscating most of the contents and interrupting transmission on Monday at dawn. Na’el Al Shukhi – Palestinian Reuters cameraman attacked by the army in Bethlehem – File 2005. Palestinian sources stated that a large Israeli force stormed the city of Nablus and attacked the buildings, confiscating archive tapes, informational materials, documents and broadcast transmitters. Several media outlets were forced to go off the air in the attack. Abeer Al Kilani, director of the Jama TV, stated that troops attacked the headquarters of her TV station, confiscating computers, audio& video editing devices and archive tapes which date 13 years. more.. Army invades Jenin and clashes with local resistance Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 The Israeli army invaded Jenin refugee camp and the nearby Kufer Dan village located in the northern part of the West Bank on Monday at dawn, clashing with members of the local resistance. Israeli forces invaded Kufer Dan village and searched and ransacked homes. During the attack, local resistance fighters clashed with the invading forces. No injures were reported on either side. The Israeli army stated that the soldiers were looking for what so-called "Wanted Palestinians". more.. Armed wings of Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the PFLP claim responsibility for latest round of projectiles Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Palestinian armed wings in Gaza have continued firing projectiles at Israeli communities around the Gaza Strip on Monday. Armed factions linked to Fatah, Islamic Jihad and the PFLP have claimed responsibility for eight projectiles fired on Monday. The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the main armed wing of Fatah, claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli community of Netiv Ha’asara on Monday morning. In a statement issued Monday, the brigades said that one of its groups managed to launch two projectiles in retaliation for the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip and in particular for the deadly attack on the Al-Hayyah house. The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed responsibility for launching... more.. Israeli forces order Gaza citizens to evacuate their homes for a military strike Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – Local sources from Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, reported that the Israeli forces ordered two Palestinian families to evacuate their homes for an Israel strike. One of the owners of the homes, Khadr Obeid, said that an Israeli spokesman ordered him to evacuate his house as it is going to be bombed. Hundreds of Palestinian citizens gathered in the area of the two homes, in an attempt to prevent the Israelis from striking. The Israeli army said that one of the citizens of one of the houses is an operative with the Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades. more.. Rockets interrupt matriculation exam in Sderot Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/21/2007 Palestinians fired three Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip at Israel on Monday afternoon. There were no reports of injuries. One of the rockets landed near a gas station in the area, one hit a hothouse in a local community, starting a fire, and the third rocket landed in a kibbutz south of Sderot. The Color Red alert system was activated in Sderot as students were taking their matriculation exam in English. Terrified parents called the schools in fear that a rocket may have hit an education institution. On Monday afternoon, an Israeli airstrike targeted the car of a rocket cell in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya on Monday, killing four senior members of the Islamic Jihad terror group. The army said helicopters fired missiles at a car carrying terrorists, adding that between 40 to 50 terrorists have been killed in the recent operations. more.. Israeli undercover unit abducts 2 Palestinian activists in Nablus at gunpoint Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007 Nablus – Ma’an – An Israeli undercover force on Monday afternoon abducted two Al-Aqsa Brigades activists while they were traveling in a car on Al-Quds street in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that an Israeli unit disguised in a civilian car obstructed the car in which Wael Shteiwi, aged 32, and Abdullah Najim were traveling and abducted them at gunpoint. [end] Airstrike targets Qassam cell Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/21/2007 Four senior Islamic Jihad members killed in IAF strike on car traveling in northern Gaza Strip. Organization official says in response, ’Zionist leaders will pay a price. ’ Meanwhile, Hamas instructs its members not to use their cell phones as preventive measures. An Israeli airstrike targeted the car of a rocket cell in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya on Monday, killing four senior members of the Islamic Jihad terror group, Palestinian paramedics said. Meanwhile Hamas instructed its activists not to use their cell phones as a preventive measure against assassinations. The army said helicopters fired missiles at a car carrying terrorists, adding that between 40 to 50 terrorists have been killed in the recent operations. more.. Hamas leaders go into hiding, urged to take precautions Jerusalem Post 5/21/2007 Many Hamas leaders and activists in the Gaza Strip have gone underground for fear of being targeted by Israel, sources close to Hamas said Monday. Meanwhile, a Fatah legislator has called for the assassination of Israeli leaders. Ashraf Juma’a, a legislator from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, urged all Palestinian armed groups to form a joint cell whose members would be entrusted with killing Israeli leaders inside Israel and all over the world. Hamas urged its members to take precautionary measures following reports that Israel was planning to assassinate senior political and military officials of the Islamic movement. The measures include a ban on the use of cellphones and cars, as well as gathering in public places. Hamas spokesman Ayman Taha said the measures were taken because of the Israeli government’s decision to resume targeted killings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad members. more.. Two Palestinians died of wounds sustained during internal clashes IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Monday that two Palestinians died of earlier wounds sustained during internal clashes between Fateh and Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip. Resident Sami Abed-Rabbo Abu Holy, died on Sunday of wounds sustained during armed clashes between Fateh and Hamas gunmen near the Ministries Compound in the Gaza. Abed-Rabbo, a resident of the Central Gaza Strip, was wounded on May 17, 2007. Dr. Muawiya Hassanen, head of the Emergency Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, stated on Monday that Abed Rabbu was seriously injured and transferred to an Israeli hospital where he died of his wound. Dr. Hassanen added that that coordination is being conducted with the Israeli authorities in order to transfer the body of Abed Rabbo to the Gaza Strip. more.. Hamas calls its fighters to arms in retaliation to Israeli attacks on its leaders Ma’an News Agency 5/21/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an – The Hamas movement has urged its military wing to retaliate to the Israeli attacks by all means possible. In a statement issued on Monday, Hamas said "the Israeli targeting of the leaders of the movement opens the doors for a confrontation." The statement did not mention the names of the leaders that it refers to, but it has been assumed that the statement is alluding to the attack on the Al-Hayyah home on Sunday and the killing of seven members of the family. Khalil Al-Hayyah is a Hamas leader whose home in Gaza City was attacked by the Israeli forces on Sunday night. The statement added that "the leaders of Hamas are in the first in the line of fire, before its fighters or other Palestinians, in the confrontation with the Israelis. more.. Dichter: Peace possible without war Avriam Zino, YNetNews 5/21/2007 Internal security minister"s testimony at Winograd Commission published, said Israel should not have bombed Beirut -- Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter"s testimony at the Winograd Commission was published Sunday afternoon. The minister said that he would not have decided to go to war had he known what its outcome would be. He also said that it was possible to achieve peace without war, just as Israel did with Jordan. "œThat shows there is more than one option for peace in the Middle East," Dichter said. The internal security minister admitted in his testimony that he wasn"t sure the military had a clear picture of the war when it first began. "œWe have to remember that the first week didn"t provide any hints as to how this operation was expected to develop," he said. more.. Palestine Today 052107 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 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 21st, 2007. An Israeli air strike on northern Gaza today hit a car, killing four Palestinians. While in the West Bank Israeli guards shot at an IMEMC correspondent in Bethlehem and attacked local media in Nablus. Gaza strip An Israeli air strike on northern Gaza today hit a car, killing four Palestinians believed to be members of Islamic Jihad. Medical sources in Gaza identified the dead as Majed Albatsh, Aziz Alhelou, Mohammad Abu Ne’ma, and Mahmoud Awad. ’ Footage screened on TV stations showed shattered bodies on the street, a scene that has become common in Gaza of late. more.. 9 dead as IAF strikes Gaza home of Hamas lawmaker Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/21/2007 The Israel Air Forces last night bombed the house of Hamas parliamentarian Halil al-Haya in Gaza. He was slightly injured in the attack, but nine others including seven members of his family were killed, and 13 people were wounded. In total, 12 Palestinians were killed in Gaza yesterday by the Israel Defense Forces, and more than 15 rockets were launched from Gaza at Sderot and the western Negev. The security cabinet yesterday authorized the IDF to intensify air attacks on the Gaza Strip and targeted assassinations of senior Hamas activists. Government sources in Jerusalem said the cabinet decision called for assassinations of leaders of the military wing of Hamas, not the political wing. The sources said al-Haya’s name had not been mentioned in the meeting. more.. Cabinet okays attacking Hamas, Jihad chiefs Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/20/2007 (VIDEO) Security Cabinet convenes to agree on ways to battle ongoing rocket attacks from Gaza, authorizes army to carry out assassinations of top Islamic Jihad, Hamas commanders responsible for escalation - VIDEO - The members of the Security Cabinet authorized the IDF Sunday afternoon to carry out attacks against Hamas and Islamic Jihad top commanders, in a bid to battle the ongoing Qassam fire from the Gaza Strip. It was also decided that the military steps would be accompanied by an international diplomatic campaign to explain Israel’s stance to the world. According to political sources, the army chief was satisfied with the decision. In the meeting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said, "There is no magic solution to the Qassams"¦obviously every solution is complicated and has numerous implications. more.. One resident killed, at least five injured in an Israeli air strike in Gaza Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/21/2007 Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Sunday night after midnight that one resident was killed and at least five others were injured in an Israeli air strike that tagetted a brick factory east of Gaza City. Dr. Muawiya Hassanen, head of the Emergency Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, reported that resident Hamada Ahmad Al Fayyoumi, 20, was killed after the army shelled a brick factory which belongs to resident Jamal Karim. Dr. Hassanen added that the body of Al Fayyoumi was severely mutilated. The factory. Located at Al Sanaqoue Junction, was totally destroyed deu to the shelling, and at least five residents were injured. The injured residents were transferred to the Dar Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza. One of them is in a serious condition. more.. Israeli warplanes kill three Palestinians in Gaza, shell parts of Khan Younis Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/20/2007 Israeli warplanes attacked a car in Gaza city, killing three Palestinians and opened heavy fire on Palestinian-owned houses in eastern Khan Younis city. Palestinian medical sources identified Mohiye Alserhi,23, Emad Ashour, 35 and Jamal Manna’,52, as dead after their bodies arrived completely burnt at the Alshifa hospital in Gaza. In the meantime, the Israeli warplanes also hit three metal workshops early on Sunday morning in the Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza and near the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. In the Khan Younis city, south of Gaza, the Israeli planes shelled several Palestinian security posts, witnesses said. Since last Thursday, the Israeli army has been keeping up attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing so far about 15 Palestinians including children and women and wounding scores others. more.. Palestinian ministry attacked by unidentified gunmen in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 5/20/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The headquarters of the Palestinian ministry of communications in Gaza City was attacked by unidentified gunmen on Sunday morning. The assault caused severe material damage to the building. The undersecretary of the Palestinian ministry of communications, Sulaiman Zuhairi, told Ma’an that the gunmen opened fire inside the building and stole the documents, computers and a car. He added that they demolished the doors of the fourth-storey of the building before they stole the treasury, the stamps and all documents. The advisor of the Palestinian minister of communications for administrative affairs, Muhammad Al-’Aydi, told Ma’an, "The situation in the building is miserable." He explained that the third storey in particular, which is the main storey and which comprises the minister’s office, was completely destroyed. more.. Militant factions in Gaza shell bordering Israeli towns Ma’an News Agency 5/20/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, on Sunday morning claimed responsibility for launching a number of mortar shells at the Israeli military posts of Kisufim and Sufa, east of the Gaza Strip. The brigades’ statement affirmed that six mortar shells were hurled at the military post near Kisufim and four shells were launched at the Sufa area, east of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed group of the Hamas movement, claimed responsibility for shelling the Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip on Sunday morning. In a statement, Al-Qassam said that four homemade projectiles were launched at Sderot and three at different Israeli towns, east of the Gaza Strip. In addition, a Yasin homemade shell was launched at an Israeli military vehicle in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. more.. Rockets rain down on Negev Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/20/2007 Qassam rocket barrages continue for sixth consecutive day on southern communities; eleven rockets land since morning Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip fired 11 Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Sunday. Four rockets landed near the southern town of Sderot, one nearby a school in the town. Two rockets landed in open fields near the Sha’ar Hanegev kibbutzim, and two others landed in open fields near the Eshkol Regional Council. Another rocket landed near the security fence. There were no reports of injuries or damages as a result of the attacks. A total of 132 rockets have been launched towards Israel"s southern communities since the attacks began on Tuesday. Sderot has suffered the majority of rockets fired from Gaza; 6,000 "“ 8,000 of its residents have reportedly left their... more.. Sderot taxi drivers protest government’s inaction Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/20/2007 Drivers slowly make their way from rocket-battered city to cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, say ’if government fails to do something, we will start doing something’ Dozens of business owners and taxi drivers gathered in the center of Sderot on Sunday afternoon, carrying signs protesting the government’s failure to deal with the ongoing rocket fire. The protestors plan to slowly drive from the southern town to the cabinet meeting in Jerusalem. "Our children must not be abandoned" and "There is no security in Sderot" are only some of the slogans that could be seen on the cars making their way to the capital. This is the first organized demonstration in Sderot since the start of the current escalation, after failed attempts to organize a demonstration for fear the crowds would be hit by rockets. more.. Qassam rocket hits restaurant Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/20/2007 Empty restaurant in kibbutz near Sderot set on fire after Qassam rocket hits structure; no injuries reported, restaurant destroyed Two Qassam rockets launched from the northern Gaza Strip landed near the southern town of Sderot Sunday evening. One of the rockets hit a restaurant in a nearby kibbutz, setting it ablaze. No one was injured as the restaurant was empty at the time of the attack. Firefighters rushed to the scene where they worked to restrain the fire. Police removed curious spectators from the area for fear of the restaurant"s gas tanks exploding. Rachel Cohen, the restaurant owner"s mother, told Ynet, "œThe restaurant has been closed for a few days because of the Qassams "¦ It"s a shame, this restaurant had lots of visitors. more.. Taking a break, IDF style Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/21/2007 Some 1,000 of Sdreot’s residents are staying in IDF facilities across Israel, away from rockets barraging city. IDF cares for their every need. Seeing the children smile, says Colonel Ronit Lev, makes it all worth whileColonel Ronit Lev, head of the IDF’s Payment and Retirement Administration has found herself doing some very unusual work in the past few days. The Defense Ministry has recently decided to have several hundreds of Sderot’s residents get away from the barraged city for a few days of some much needed rest and recuperation. Lev is in charge of caring for their every need. [end] Israel hits Hamas politician home BBC Online 5/20/2007 An Israeli air strike has hit the Gaza home of a leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, witnesses and officials have said. At least eight relatives were killed in the attack, said to be on the home of Hamas lawmaker Khalil al-Hayya, who was not at home at the time. Israel’s military said it was targeting Palestinian militants on the streets. Hours earlier Israel’s cabinet backed plans to "intensify" Gaza operations in response to recent rocket attacks. Israeli air strikes have killed almost 30 people, but Palestinian rocket attacks have continued. A BBC correspondent in the southern Israeli town of Sderot said many streets were deserted on Sunday, as hundreds of people had left their homes to avoid the rockets. ’People are suffering’The Israeli military confirmed there had been... more.. Israeli shells kill 10 residents, including family members, in the Gaza Strip Rami Almeghari, Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/20/2007 Israeli air forces struck Sunday evening a Palestinian house that belongs to a Hamas affiliated legislator, in the Gaza city, killing ten people, media sources and medics said. Israeli missiles landed on the family house of Khalil Alhaiya in the Alzaytoun neighborhood in Gaza city, killing ten people, security sources and witnesses said. The sources added that among those killed were members of the Al Hayya family including his brothers, while Alhaiya himself was not present at the time of the attack. Some of the residents who were killed in the Israeli air strike were identified as Nimir Ismail Al Hayya, 60, Bakir Al Hayya, 26, Jihad Abdul-Hamid Al Hayya, 17, Abdul-Hamid Al Hayya, 35, Ala’ Al Hayya, 22, Ibrahim Al Hayya, 23, Mohammad Khalid Al Hayya, 16, Sameh Farawna, 27. more.. Palestinian militant groups prepare dozens of female suicide bombers to retaliate to Israeli aggression in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/20/2007 Bethlehem – Ma’an – An eminent field leader of the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement, on Sunday warned the Israeli occupation of committing any "folly" in the Gaza Strip. In a press release that Ma’an received, the Al-Quds Brigades’ leader said, "The Israeli threats to conduct a major ground operation in Gaza Strip will not achieve any of the goals which the occupation claims to seek." He affirmed that all the military wings of the Palestinian resistance are ready to counter any expected aggression in the Gaza Strip. The leader revealed that the Islamic Jihad-affiliated Al-Quds Brigades have prepared dozens of female fighters "ready to undertake operations and to blow themselves up at Israeli troops". more.. Female suicide bombers ’eagerly await’ IDF soldiers Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/20/2007 (VIDEO) Islamic Jihad warns Israel of ’surprises’ should IDF invade Gaza Strip; dozens of female suicide bombers eager to blow themselves up, take soldiers with them VIDEO - Islamic Jihad’s military branch released a warning Sunday morning that dozens of women were ready to defend the Palestinian people if the IDF invaded the Gaza Strip. The organization said it was fully prepared to retaliate "if the Zionist enemy committed foolish acts against Palestinians in the Strip." "The enemy’s threat to act in the Strip will not be fruitful and their goals will not be achieved. The Palestinian organizations are at high alert to handle a Zionist attack in the Strip," the statement said. Video clip released by the Islamic JihadIslamic Jihad also released a video clip in which a high-ranking Jihad... more.. 8 Gazan citizens killed, 7 of them members of Al-Hayyah family as Israeli jets target family’s meeting hall Ma’an News Agency 5/20/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Eight Palestinians were killed including 7 members of Al-Hayyah family as a result of an Israeli air strike which targeted the family’s meeting hall on Sunday evening. The raid came in an attempt to assassinate the Hamas leader, Khalil Al-Hayyah at Shuja’iyya neighborhood east of Gaza city. Palestinian medical sources stated that 8 people were killed and more than ten were injured. The corpses of the victims arrived at the Ash-Shifa hospital in Gaza city torn into pieces. The medical sources named the victims as: Nimir Isma’il Al-Hayyah 60, Bakir Al-Hayya, 26, Jihad Abdul Hamid Al-Hayyah, 17, Abdul Hamid Al-Hayya 35, Ala’ Al-Hayya 22, Ibrahim Al-Hayya 23, Muhammad Khalid Al-Hayya 16 and Samih Farawna 27. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that the Israeli raid came minutes after the Hamas and Fatah movements agreed to end the state of tension. more.. Israel soldiers observing the clashes between Fatah and Hamas comment on Hamas’ advanced techniques Ma’an News Agency 5/20/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an – Israeli soldiers have been observing the clashes between Hamas and Fatah. They have marked the developed methods of Hamas used in fighting. Israeli daily Maariv reported that the advanced military techniques of Hamas were developed during courses in Iran in 2006. Israeli soldiers noted the success of Hamas in the clashes, stating that Hamas had a well-organised infantry during battles. They added that Hamas had used advanced skills during long clashes with the presidential guards at the Karni Crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip. Fatah lost seven fighters in that clash. [end] IDF called up untrained soldiers to fight in Second Lebanon War Yuval Azoulay, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 5/20/2007 The Israel Defense Forces ombudsman’s report publicized Sunday revealed that reserves soldiers were called up to perform duties they were not trained to perform during the Second Lebanon War last summer. In some cases, the report maintained, the utilization of these IDF reserves soldiers in live combat they were not trained for was only prevented by last minute interventions. The report, drafted by Brigadier General (res. ) Avner Barzani, describes in detail three incidents out of a series of complaints mentioned in the report. Barzani’s report said that during the war, a medic who had been living outside Israel for 12 years was called up to fight. He was annexed to a paratroopers battalion, a combat unit, though he had had no training nor had he participated in any drills over the 12 years prior. more.. Boy dead in Israeli missile strike Al Jazeera 5/19/2007 A Palestinian boy has been killed and two others wounded by an Israeli missile fired into the Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. An Israeli army spokesman said a missile had been launched at a group of fighters who fired a rocket into Israel from a cemetery in the area. They confirmed that the missile had hit its target. Residents said a 15-year-old boy who was close to the rocket launcher had been killed. They said he was not involved in the launch. The youth was the fourth Palestinian to die in Israeli air strikes on Saturday. Following the attacks, three people were killed in the Gaza Strip before dawn on Sunday, when a missile fired from an Israeli aircraft hit their car, local residents and medical staff said. more.. U.S. pressing Israel to bolster pro-Abbas forces in Gaza Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 5/19/2007 The United States is pressing Israel to help bolster security forces in the Gaza Strip that are loyal to Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Major General Keith Dayton, the U.S. security coordinator, recently discussed the function of the pro-Abbas Presidential Guard and National Security forces with senior Israeli officials. The Americans believe that strengthening Abbas loyalists and deploying them in friction points along the north of the strip and Philadelphi route in Rafah will eventually improve the security situation. Western officials who studied the battle near the Karni crossing last Tuesday concluded, contrary to the IDF’s assessment, that Abbas’ forces had performed well despite their losses and had succeeded in warding off a larger Hamas force. more.. Israeli attacks on Gaza kill 14, injure 81 Report, Electronic Intifada 5/18/2007 The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) carried out a series of attacks against targets in the Gaza Strip since Wednesday 16 May 2007 killing fourteen Palestinians and injuring 81. Israeli tanks and ground troops stormed into several areas in the north and east of the Strip. Threats of aggressive, painful attacks, and cutting-off electricity and water, by Israeli government and army officials have been mounting. This escalation has increased as soon as a ceasefire between Palestinian factions came into effect last night. Israel says it retaliates to barrages of home-made projectiles on its southern towns, which left some 40 Israelis injured. Palestinian civilians have become victims of both internal fighting and Israeli military attacks. Al Mezan’s field workers reported that at approximately 1:37 pm Wednesday 16... more.. Israeli tanks shelling Palestinians for fifth day Middle East Online 5/19/2007 Rival faction clinch new Gaza truce. -- Israel continues aerial offensive on Gaza in bid curb Qassam rocket fire against Sderot. GAZA CITY - Rival Palestinian factions clinched a new ceasefire deal on Saturday to end a week of violence as Israel continued to pound targets across Gaza, killing one Palestinian. The Hamas and Fatah movements agreed to implement a ceasefire from 1200 GMT on Saturday, the fifth such deal since violence erupted on Sunday, Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya’s spokesman Ghazi Hamad said. Shortly after announcement of the new truce, but before it took effect, gunmen in northern Gaza opened fire on the convoy of general Mohammed al-Masri of the Palestinian intelligence service, causing no casualties, Fatah spokesman Maher Maqdad said. more.. Army kidnaps six civilians and searches numerous homes in the West Bank city of Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Palestinian sources reported that Israeli forces searched scores of Palestinian homes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and kidnapped six civilians on Saturday morning. Troops attacked and searched residents’ homes and ransacked their belongings, with witnesses reporting that soldiers forced the families out during the searches. Among those kidnapped were Ja’far Abu Sinanah, 20, Hassin Abu Sinanah, 20, Fadi Ghith, and Hisham Ashur. The Israeli army clamed that its troops were trying to locate and kidnap “wanted Palestinians”. Sources in the city stated that all those kidnapped were civilians. [end] Palestinian resistance shells Sderot Wisam Afifa - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Palestinian resistance groups continued to fire homemade Qassam shells at the Israeli town of Sedirot, located near the Gaza strip on Saturday morning. The Al-Quds brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, clamed responsibility for this attack, claiming that it came as a response to Israeli crime against the Palestinian people. [end] Olmert ’doesn’t foresee large ground operation in Gaza’ Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/19/2007 Prime Minister, despite abandoning policy of restraint, chooses to stick to current, pinpoint military operations"I don’t foresee us undertaking a large ground operation that would take months or cause the IDF to get bogged down in Gaza," said Prime Mnister Ehud Olmert, Saturday night, to associates. He said he would wait and consult with the security cabinet, which will convene Sunday afternoon in the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem. The ministers will give their opinions on briefs presented by the IDF, Shin Bet and Security Council last week. more.. Five Palestinians wounded by Israeli gunfire in northern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Palestinian medical sources declared Saturday afternoon that five Palestinian residents were shot dead by Israeli gunfire in northern Gaza Strip. Dr. Ma’awiya Abu Hasanain, director of emergency department at the Palestinian health ministry, confirmed that four of the wounded sustained moderate injuries, while the fifth was critically wounded. Israeli occupation forces shelled earlier in the day a number of Shepard, killing one and injuring two others. Israeli army has recently stepped up its attacks on the Gaza Strip, killing at least 15 Palestinians including civilians and wounding scores others, in what Israel called ‘a response to homemade shells fire on nearby Israeli towns. Israeli human rights groups urged Israel to stop attacking Palestinian civilians, while the Palestinian Authority condemned the attacks strongly. more.. IDF attacks after Qassams land in Sderot Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/20/2007 Eight Qassams land Saturday night, hours after soldier wounded from Hamas-launched missile; IAF attacks series of targets in Gaza, Palestinians report four deadEight rockets were fired at the western Negev Saturday evening. No one was injured in any of the attacks, although several caused damages. Meanwhile an IDF soldier was wounded from shrapnel earlier in the afternoon, after an anti-tank missile hit the military bulldozer that he was operating near the border fence in the northern Gaza strip. He was taken to hospital for medical treatment. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, claimed responsibility for the attack. After the launchings IDF aircraft carried out a series of attacks in Gaza and Palestinians reported four people killed as a result. more.. IDF prefers aerial strikes - for now Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/19/2007 There was a partial and probably temporary lull in fighting between Palestinians in Gaza during the weekend. Rocket firing at Israel also eased, as the air force continued hitting Hamas targets. Today the cabinet will debate whether to carry on with the campaign or to discontinue it, in response to its success in deterring Hamas from firing. The prime minister, defense minister, chief of staff and Shin Bet head all agree that Israel should refrain from a large military operation in Gaza. At the moment, there is not sufficient public support for such a move and the government is not stable or confident enough to carry it out. Besides, it would take months to make a fundamental change in the situation in Gaza. The interim solution is therefore the massive use of the air force against the Qassam launching units and Hamas headquarters. more.. Officer: No imminent offensive in Gaza Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/19/2007 Despite the escalation of the situation in the Gaza Strip, a senior officer at the headquarters of the Israel Defense Forces’ General Staff said a major ground offensive is not imminent. "If we think a major operation is necessary, we will do it, but these things must be thought through from the end to the beginning - and the question is what we do on the dayafter, after we reoccupy," the officer told a press briefing. He added that the IDF will take "whatever action is needed" in Gaza in the coming days. "We will hit the Qassam launchers in order to stop the firing, to exact a price and to create a deterrent equation vis-a-vis the Palestinian organizations." The senior officer was critical of calls for Israel to target water and electricity facilities in Gaza. more.. Israeli army invades Nablus and nearby villages Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and nearby Awarta Ausreen and Zawata villages on Saturday morning. Troops attacked the downtown area of Nablus city along with the three villages. In the attacks, soldiers searched and ransacked homes, with witnesses reporting that live rounds of ammunition were fired at the homes of local residents. Palestinian sources reported no kidnappings and no injuries. [end] One civilian killed many more injured due Israeli shelling in northern Gaza strip Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Palestinian medical sources reported that at least on Palestinian was killed and many more injured on Saturday midday due to an Israeli shelling to several locations in Beit Hannon town in northern Gaza strip. Dr. Mo’awiah Abu Hassanin, the director of the emergency department in the ministry of health in Gaza stated that the body of the dead was severely mutilated and burned and so far the medical teems in Kamal Adwan hospital are unable to identify the body, moreover the doctor said that so far at least ten were modernity to critically wounded in the shelling of Beit Hannon. The shelling which started in the morning and continued tell the time of this reports has targeted several neighborhoods in the town. [end] Palestinian resistance attack invading army troops in Nablus Ameen Abu Warda - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Local Palestinian resistance groups clamed responsibility for hurling home made bombs at invading Israeli forces in the city of Nablus on Saturday. The Al-Aqsa brigades of Fatah and Naief Abu Sharaf brigades, the armed wing of the popular front for the liberation of Palestine, calmed responsibility for the attack. The groups said that its fighters ambushed the invading troops by planting a home made bomb at a settlers’ road near the city. One army vehicle sustained damage and a four hour long gun battle also broke out. No injures were reported. [end] Al Aqsa Brigades involved in clashes with Israeli military outside Nablus Ma’an News Agency 5/19/2007 Nablus – Ma’an – The Al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed group affiliated to the Fatah movement have claimed responsibility on Saturday for detonating an explosive device near Israeli forces, and engaging them in armed clashes in Zawata village, north west of Nablus in the northern West Bank. The armed groups stated, "On Friday at midnight, a military group planted an explosive device and detonated it under an Israeli Hummer jeep in Zawata, west of Nablus. The jeep was directly hit." They added that the explosion was followed by fierce armed clashes lasting over 15 minutes, "before Israeli military forces were obliged to call for helicopter reinforcement". [end] Six Palestinians detained by Israeli military; 45 Hebronites arrested so far this month Ma’an News Agency 5/19/2007 Hebron – Ma’an – Israeli military forces on Saturday morning arrested six Palestinians from Hebron in the southern West Bank, in the Abu Sneinah neighborhood in the centre of the city. With this latest round of apprehensions, the number of Hebron citizens arrested this month rises to 45. [end] New factional agreement shattered by renewed violence Ma’an News Agency 5/19/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Brigadier Muhammad Al-Masri from the Palestinian intelligence service survived an assassination by anonymous gunmen who shot at his convoy, near the Al-Naser neighborhood, west of Gaza City. Two people were moderately injured in the incident. Fatah’s official, Mahir Miqdad, accused Hamas gunmen of ambushing Al-Masri near his home in the Al-Naser neighborhood. He told Ma’an that Al-Masri’s guards and the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades groups, clashed with the assailants for more than an hour. As a result, two bystanders were injured. This assassination attempt took place a short while after the announcement of the new ceasefire agreement between the Hamas and Fatah rivals, aimed to stop the fighting and withdraw the gunmen from the streets and roofs of buildings. more.. Israeli soldier hit by Qassam rocket in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/19/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – An Israeli soldier was wounded after his military vehicle was hit by a missile in Gaza. Israeli news source, Ynet News, reported that the soldier was operating a bulldozer near the border fence of the northern Gaza Strip, when it was hit by an anti-tank missile. The soldier has been transferred to hospital for medical treatment. The Hamas-affiliated Al Qassam Brigades have claimed responsibility for the attack. [end] Allied brigades launch projectile attack on Sderot Ma’an News Agency 5/19/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the armed group of the Popular Resistance Committees, and Al Mujahideen Brigades of Fatah on Saturday claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at Sderot. The brigades said in their statement that the Israeli authorities admitted the damage caused by the shelling and that an Israeli woman went into shock. [end] Israeli troops shell several areas in the Gaza Strip Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/19/2007 Palestinian Security Sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Saturday at dawn that Israeli soldiers shelled several areas in the Gaza Strip, damage was reported, no injuries, the Palestinian WAFA News Agency reported. Palestinian sources in Al Shujaeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, reported that the army carried an air strike that targeted a blacksmith workshop which belongs to Al Samna family. The workshop was destroyed and burnt by the shells, and several surrounding houses damaged. Local sources reported that at least one missile was fired at the workshop. In a separate attack, soldiers fired a shell at the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The shell denoted near Sheikh Zayid mosque. more.. Attacks from Gaza continue Saturday Ynet reporters, YNetNews 5/19/2007 Eight Qassams land Saturday night, hours after soldier wounded from Hamas-launched missile; Earlier Saturday, two rockets land in Sderot, air force targets launching cell in responseAn IDF soldier was wounded from shrapnel, Saturday afternoon, after an anti-tank missile hit the military bulldozer that he was operating near the border fence in the northern Gaza strip. He was taken to hospital for medical treatment. The Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Sderot residents were forced to return to their fortified rooms several times on Saturday. Two Qassam rockets were launched from the northern Gaza Strip towards the town Saturday morning and one more Saturday afternoon. more.. PRC: Qassams will continue until IDF attacks stop Ali Waked, YNetNews 5/19/2007 Spokesman for group who launched Saturday morning rocket attack on Sderot claims Israel attacking Palestinians collectively, cites need to create a ’balance of terror’; says ’mass evacuation of Sderot proves we are right’ "Qassam fire will continue as long as Israel continues to attack. We’ll continue to fire (rockets), because the Israelis proved that they don’t understand any language but force," said Abu Mujahed, the spokesman for the Public Resistance Committees’s military wing "“ the Salah a-Din Brigades. Abu Mujahed, whose organization is responsible for the Saturday morning Qassam attack that left a Sderot woman injured, said that the IDF should be careful in its actions, since Palestinians in Gaza have weapons that the IDF is unaware of. more.. Gaza hit by fresh Israeli strikes BBC Online 5/18/2007 Israel has launched new air strikes on targets near Gaza City including Hamas buildings killing at least five people, four of them fighters loyal to Hamas. Six Palestinians were killed in similar strikes on Thursday. They came as fighting between Hamas and rival Palestinian faction Fatah, which has left 40 people dead, continued for a sixth day. Israeli officials said the raids were in response to Hamas rocket attacks on its soil. On Sunday, the Israeli cabinet is to consider whether to escalate its response. "In the next few days, Israel is going to make some decisions," Reuters news agency quoted Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni as saying. Correspondents say the rocket attacks on Israel appeared to be an attempt to draw it into an internal Palestinian conflict, although the Israeli defence ministry has denied its attacks are linked to factional fighting. more.. Politicians bombard Sderot - and disappear until the next attack Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 5/19/2007 At Sasson Sara’s kiosk, otherwise known as "Sderot’s parliament," everyone knows that Benjamin Netanyahu and other Likud MKs are scheduled to come to the nearby town hall, but there is little excitement. Netanyahu and company were here in November, for the last major Qassam bombardment. That’s how it is in Sderot: When the rockets rain down, politicians from across the spectrum arrive and then disappear until the next time. And so it was on Friday. In the morning, two Qassams hit the city center. One damaged the Maccabi Health Services clinic. The second landed a direct hit on a nearby home. The Hosen Trauma Center treated people suffering from panic and anxiety, and also hosted Health Minister Yaakov Ben Yizri and Pensioner Affairs Minister Rafi Eitan. more.. Four Palestinians killed, several injured, in an Israeli air strike in Rafah Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Palestinian medical sources reported on Thursday at night that the Israeli air force fired missiles at civilian areas east of Gaza City killing four residents and injuring eight others. One of the casualties of the israeli shelling. The sources stated that the bodies of the killed residents were severely mutilated after the army fired at least four missiles. Three of the four killed residents were identified later on as Mohammad Saleh Joha, Ahmad Saleh Siyam and Ahmad Roshdy Siyam. Also on Thursday night after midnight, soldiers shelled several areas in Al Shujaeyya neighborhood, east of Gaza city. One of the shelled areas is located behind Dar Al Wafa’ rehabilitation hospital, the Palestinian WAFA news agency reported. No injuries were reported until the time of this report but heavy damage was reported in the area. more.. Israeli forces withdraw from Tulkarem after violent incursion, arrest Al-Aqsa Brigades’ activist Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli military operation in the eastern neighbourhood of Tulkarem city, in the north west of the occupied West Bank, ended on Friday morning with the apprehension of an Al-Aqsa Brigades’ activist, Shadi Qur’an, 24. The Al-Aqsa Brigades are the main military wing of Fatah. The Israeli force withdrew a few hours after invading the area. During the invasion, they conducted a number of house-to-house searches and break-ins, destroying furniture in their wake. Our Tulkarem correspondent stated that two young Palestinian men were injured during the incursion: Ala’ Abu Saffaqa, 23, who received two gunshots to his left hand, and Ali ’Amara, 22, who was hit by several metal bullets. Both were transferred to Thabit Thabit Hospital in Tulkarem. more.. Three Palestinian children injured as army invades Tulkarem city Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Palestinian sources reported that three Palestinian children were injured by Israeli army fire as the latter invaded the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday night and Friday morning. Eyewitnesses reported that after storming the eastern side of Tulkarem late on Thursday late night, soldiers attacked and searched scores of homes, forced families to leave, firing sound bombs and damaging houses. In the early hours of Friday morning, clashes erupted between stone-throwing children and the invading troops. Medical sources stated that the soldiers fired live rounds and rubber bullets at the boys, injuring three. [end] Israeli army kills a Palestinian child near Bethlehem Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC& Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Palestinian sources reported on Friday that a Palestinian child died in Beit Jala public hospital, located in the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem, after being shot by Israeli soldiers late on Thursday night. A group of Israeli soldiers attacked homes in the village of Beit Fajar, located to the south of Bethlehem city. During the attack, soldiers randomly opened fire on a group of children playing in front of their homes, critically injuring Ziad Takatka, 16. The boy was moved to Bethlehem public hospital, but later died from his wounds. more.. PA Presidential Guards kill a fisherman, blame it on Qassam Palestinian Information Center 5/18/2007 GAZA, (PIC)-- Elements of the PA Presidential Guards have killed on Friday afternoon a Palestinian fisherman while working at Gaza’s seashore, according to eyewitnesses. Eyewitnesses told PIC that elements of the Presidential Guards who take "al-Muntada" as one of their head quarters fired shots at Samir al-Amoudi, who is 43 years old fisherman from the Shati refugee camp near Gaza City, while he was going about his business near the port of Gaza killing him instantly. Some Fatah affiliated websites reported that the fisherman was killed by Qassam Brigades fighters and elements of the Interior Ministry’s Executive Force. But this was belied by eyewitnesses, on the one hand, and, on the other, it is impossible for Qassam Brigades fighters or Executive Force elements to reach the place because of the presence of tens of road blocks on the way to that area. more.. Gazan fisherman killed by inter-Palestinian crossfire Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - A Palestinian fisherman was killed on Friday during an armed clash near the Gaza wharf, west of Gaza City, Palestinian security sources said. The sources affirmed that Samir Al-’Amoudi, 42, was killed by crossfire between rival Palestinian fighters while he was descending from his fishing boat at Gaza’s sea port. [end] Israel pummels Hamas targets in Gaza Middle East Online 5/18/2007 Air strikes kill ten Palestinians as fifteen Israeli tanks advance across border into Gaza. -- GAZA CITY - Israeli aircraft launched a series of air strikes against Hamas targets in Gaza early Friday, killing at least 10 people. Barely two hours later, a Hamas fighter was killed when Israeli aircraft fired on a car in Gaza City. A house was targeted in another strike that left another Hamas member dead while a fourth strike on a car in the Sufa area, one of the crossing points between Israel and the southern Gaza Strip, killed two brothers aged 14 and 16. Their 17-year-old sister was gravely wounded. A fifth air strike killed a militant preparing to fire a rocket into Israel, an army spokesman alleged. A sixth strike in the early hours of Friday killed four people and wounded another four in Gaza City, according to Palestinian medics. more.. Israeli jets strike another Executive Force base in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Israeli fighter jets launched a new strike on Friday at an Executive Force base south west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported. The Executive Force is considered loyal to Hamas. Our Gaza correspondent reported that the Israeli fighter jets launched three rockets at an empty base causing huge material damage to the base’s building. [end] ’The wheel of life has completely stopped’, 60-year-old Gazan tells UN reporter Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 GAZA CITY, 18 May 2007 (IRIN) - Maryam Al Muqayyed, 60, a resident of Gaza in the occupied Palestinian Territory, is one of hundreds of civilians caught up in renewed intense clashes between the Fatah and Hamas factions over the past several days. She recounts how the fighting has completely disrupted her life:"The wheel of life has completely stopped in places where clashes have erupted. Shops are closed and streets are empty except for the armed men who took up positions at junctions and in main streets. All the shops are closed and no one dares go into the streets." When the shooting is intense it is not even safe for us to go near the windows of our homes because we might get hit by a bullet. We have heard over the past two days different types of weapons - regular guns or heavy machine guns and heavy missiles. more.. Presidential guards besiege Islamic University, threaten journalists Palestinian Information Center 5/18/2007 Gaza, (PIC)-- Guards of the Islamic University in Gaza have reported that the PA Presidential Guards and other security elements, stationed on rooftops of buildings around the university have frequently opened intensive machine gun fire and fired RPG’s at the university. The guards told PIC correspondent in Gaza that the firing has set one of the buildings on fire and that the firing targeted the university administration building. Firefighters tried to reach the fire but they could not because of the intensity of machine gun fire. The guards also reported that Presidential Guards are gathering in the area and that they have mounted the roof top of the nearby ministry of housing. The Qassam Brigades for their part have warned they will fiercely defend the university. Journalists threatened with liquidation if they cover the assault on the university. more.. Israeli forces arrest five Palestinians near Qalqilya on suspicion of planting an explosive device next to the Wall Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Qalqilya - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested on Friday morning five Palestinians in the Qalqilya region and three in the Salfit region. The five in Qalqilya allegedly planted a 15 kilogram explosive device near the separation wall west of Qalqilya in the northern West Bank. Israeli media sources stated that several Israeli military vehicles invaded the area near the Qalqilya dump before they arrested five Palestinians who were digging a ditch for an explosive device near the separation wall. The sources added that Israeli sappers then disposed of the device. The Israeli forces also arrested on Friday morning three Palestinians from the villages of Marda and Iskaka, located north east of Salfit and adjacent to the illegal settlement of Ariel. more.. AMB: the strife in Gaza is a foreign plan being executed by collaborators Palestinian Information Center 5/18/2007 GAZA, (PIC)-- The fighting in Gaza between Hamas and rogue elements in Fatah was planned beforehand under US supervision and is being executed by mercenaries of the occupation, said the AMB, the armed wing of Fatah. The Armed Struggle and Right of Return wing in the AMB said in a statement that the aim of the Israeli occupation government is "for us to forget our main aim and get busy with fighting one another through plans supervised by Condoleezza Rice and General Dayton through the Mossad and Shabak and their cohorts who follow blindly." The group further said that resistance is the only way for unity and liberation stressing that it will fight for homeland, holy places and the right of return and reject those who serve the interests of the US and Israel as people who have no place amongst the Palestinian people. more.. Brigades fire projectiles at crossing points in southern Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, and the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, claimed responsibility on Friday morning for launching two homemade projectiles near the Sufa crossing, located between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel, in a joint operation. Furthermore, the brigades launched two mortar shells at Israeli military tanks near the evacuated Israeli settlement of Dogheit in the northern Gaza Strip. They also fired two projectiles at the Kerem Shalom crossing, located south of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. In a statement received by Ma’an, the brigades announced that the shelling came as part of their "retaliation to the Israeli atrocities against the Palestinian people and resistance fighters. more.. Gaza projectiles hit Sderot synagogue and gas station Ma’an News Agency 5/18/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli media sources have reported that a Palestinian projectile hit a gas station in the southern Israeli town of Sderot at around 9:30 am on Friday morning, lightly wounding one person. A number of Palestinian homemade projectiles hit the town on Thursday night. The Israeli daily Yedioth Ahranoth reported that one Qassam rocket hit a Sderot synagogue soon after Israeli Prime Minister Olmert visited the town. Several people were reported as suffering from shock and buildings were damaged. Yedioth Ahranoth says that at least three rockets landed in Sderot at around midnight Thursday, one of them hitting a synagogue just minutes after the end of a celebration. An eyewitness told Ynet that about 300 people had gathered at the synagogue earlier but the event had ended minutes before the rocket landed. more.. Al Qassam brigades attacks Sderot and the Western Negev Nisreen Qumsieh - Imemc News, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 The Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, have declared responsibility for the attacks on Sderot and Askalan city, north of the Gaza Strip. The brigades fired dozens of rockets on Sderot and Askalan, causing structural damage to a number of buildings but no serious injuries. Israeli sources stated that a resident of Sderot was lightly wounded after his house was struck by a homemade shell. Al Qassam Brigade fired at least 9 home-made into the western Negev on Friday morning, after firing some 30 home-made throughout Thursday. On Thursday’s attacks, a home-made Qassam shell landed near a school on the outskirts of Sderot, lightly wounding two people. Israeli sources declared that the damage caused by Al Qassam fire in recent days has reached up to NIS 65 million. more.. Barrage continues: 16 Qassams hit western Negev Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/18/2007 Rocket attacks against western Negev continue for sixth consecutive day as IDF steps up airstrike against Hamas A Qassam rocket fired from the northern Gaza Strip landed near a school in Sderot and another exploded in an open field, the police said. An early warning system known as Red Dawn failed to sound a warning siren. IDF Chief of Staff Lit-Gen Gadi Ashkenazi was touring the city at the time of the attack. "I came to hear and see what more we can do to help," Ashkenazi said after meeting Mayor Eli Moyal and residents of the city. Hours later, two Qassam rockets were fired at the western Negev. One of the rockets landed on a road in Sderot, lightly injuring a resident. The other hit a house in the Eshkol town. No injuries were reported. more.. Police preparing for possible Qassam strike on Ashkelon Haim Bior, Ha’aretz 5/19/2007 The southern district police commander said on Friday that police are taking steps to prepare for a Qassam strike on the southern city of Ashkelon. Commander Uri Bar-Lev said that police have been placed on high alert in Ashkelon and have expanded their presence in the city and in communities near the Gaza Strip. At least 16 Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants landed in the western Negev, at least nine of them hitting Sderot, Friday. Two Sderot residents were lightly wounded and several were treated for shock Friday as a result of the rocket attacks. In one such attack, a Qassam hit a residential building in the Negev town. A woman was treated for shock after a Qassam rocket destroyed a residential building in a separate western Negev town Friday night. more.. Israeli army invades Salfit city and nearby village, kidnaps six civilians Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Salfit and the nearby Iskaka village; soldiers searched homes and took six residents to unknown detention camps, on Friday at dawn. Among those kidnapped was the director of the Palestinian education ministry in Salfit city. [end] Gunmen open fire at a society in Nablus IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Palestinian sources reported on Friday that gunmen opened fire at a development society in the Northern Mountain area, in the northern west Bank city of Nablus. The gunmen fired several rounds of live ammunition at the society in spite that it is located in a residential neighborhood, no injuries were reported. The attack came only several hours against an attack that targeted Beit Al Maqdis Authors Forum in the city. [end] Threatened at a Gaza roadblock Mohammed Omer, 22, Journalist, Rafah, Gaza, BBC Online 5/18/2007 Fighting between Hamas and Fatah factions coupled with the threat of Israeli air strikes is keeping most Gaza residents indoors. A Palestinian journalist from Rafah describes a trip to Gaza City, and a student there describes exam frustrations. I live in Rafah but have gone to Gaza City to report on the factional fighting. On Tuesday, I was stopped by three militants at a roadblock close to the Palestinian Legislative Council. I was walking on one side of the street and another young guy was on the other side. The gunmen shouted "Stop! Stop!". They made us raise our hands and approach them slowly. They were Palestinian, definitely, from the accent, but I couldn’t see their faces because they wore masks. They formed a triangle around me - two in front, and one behind. more.. Fuel oil spilled from Jiyyeh during war still fouls parts of coast, stirs controversy over clean-up IRIN News.org, Daily Star 5/19/2007 BYBLOS: Black slime coats beaches and oozes into rock pools in North Lebanon, nine months after an oil spill led to international pledges to clean this stretch of coast. Oil clings to beach after beach north of Byblos, an ancient fishing port that is one of Lebanon’s main tourist attractions. Israel bombed the storage tanks at the power station in Jiyyeh, south of Beirut, during the summer 2006 war. The attack caused an estimated 10,000-15,000 tons of fuel oil to spill into the Mediterranean Sea. Experts have described the incident as the worst environmental disaster in Lebanon’s history. "Summer is coming and this oil is melting," said Mohammad Sarji, the head of the Lebanese Divers Union and in charge of the clean-up operation along the Southern coastline conducted by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Bahr Loubnan (Sea of Lebanon). more.. This Week In Palestine – Week 20 2007 IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Click here to download or listen to MP3 File. || 16. 4 MB|| Time 18m0s. This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for May 12 through 18, 2007. While the Palestinian prepare to commemorate 59 years of Al-Nakba, factional infighting in Gaza Strip kills dozens of Palestinians and Israeli army launches several air strikes killing 17 others. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned. Nonviolent Resistance in Palestine. Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine and especially in Bethlehem and Ramallah against the wall, IMEMC’s John Smith has more. Stop the bleeding of Bethlehem Campaign Continues. Around 60 Palestinian, Israeli and International protesters gathered in southern Bethlehem on Friday to commemorate the 59th anniversary... more.. IDF officer says decrease in Qassam launching evident Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/18/2007 High ranking IDF officer says despite reduced Qassam launching IDF activity against terror cells in the Gaza Strip to continueA high-ranking IDF officer said that he believed the internal skirmishes in the Gaza Strip would not end in the near future and the IDF intended to continue activity against the Qassam rocket launching and terrorist infrastructures. He said the goal was to hit "anyone engaged in terrorism, and not only empty camps. These actions have a cumulative affect." Over the last 24 hours the IDF has been increasing its strain on the Gaza Strip. Tanks and cannon batteries have advanced towards the border. The IAF has also made several air strikes. [end] Gaydamak pledges $60 million to Sderot Yael Bernovsky, YNetNews 5/18/2007 Russian-Israeli billionaire Arcadi Gaydamak pledged Friday $60 million to Sderot to fortify public and residential structures in the rocket-battered city. Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal said after a meeting with Gaydamak that the donation will be used to fortify about 1,300 apartments in the city. The city has been under intensified rocket attacks by Hamas gunmen in the Gaza Strip for the last six days. Video: Yaron Brenner "During the meeting Moyal presented the problem of fortifications. We will seek to finish the fortifications of houses within four months. Over the next 15 days the first building will be fortified and I will fund everything. We will begin with multi-storey residential buildings," Gaydamak said. Moyal praised Gaydamak for his contribution to Sderot’s security and the well-being of its residents. more.. Israelis wade into Gaza turmoil with barrage of air strikes against Hamas Daily Star 5/18/2007 Seven dead in actions by Jewish state, four more in factional fighting -- Israel unleashed a barrage of air strikes against Hamas on Thursday, killed at least seven people, including three civilians, sent tanks into the northern Gaza Strip and deployed heavy artillery to face the territory. The military operation plunged the Palestinians deeper into turmoil as warring factions clashed again Thursday, killing at least four people and shattering the latest truce aimed at ending six days of fierce fighting verging on civil war. Rubble was all that remained of a downtown Gaza City building that housed Hamas’ Executive Force, which President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah movement wants disbanded. Two Hamas fighters were killed and at least 40 other people, including civilians, wounded, hospital officials said. more.. Clashes erupt in Rafah, killing two and wounding severeal others Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2007 Witnesses said that children hurled stones at the nearby preventive security building when the funeral procession passed by the security oypost. The personnel in the headquarters responded by gunfire. This development is the deadliest since a ceasefire was reached last Wedensday between Fatah and Hamas, in a bid to end four days of bloody infighting. Meanwhile, a Hamas man was reportedly detained by the preventive security in Gaza city. [end] Qassam rockets hit Sderot, Ashkelon Shmulik Hadad, YNetNews 5/18/2007 Rocket attacks continue Thursday evening. Two rockets fired at southern Ashkelon, one lands near strategic facility. Three rockets fired at Sderot; no injuries reported but fire breaks out in two buildings. At least 23 rockets fired at southern Israel since Thursday morningFive Qassam rockets landed Thursday evening in Sderot and in southern Ashkelon, near a staretgic facility. There were no reports of injuries, but one of the rockets hit a factory in Sderot and caused a fire to break out. Fire fighters reported that two buildings were damaged. At least 23 rockets were fired from the Gaza Strip since Thursday morning, and more than 85 rockets were launched since the start of the current conflict. Two Qassams landed in Sderot at around midnight, one of them hitting a synagogue. more.. Qassam hits Sderot synagogue after Olmert visit Ynet reporters, YNetNews 5/18/2007 Shortly after prime minister ends night visit to southern town with Defense Minister Peretz, rocket hits synagogue just minutes after end of celebration; a number of people suffer from shock At least three rockets landed in the southern town of Sderot at around midnight Thursday, one of them hitting a synagogue just minutes after the end of a celebration. A number of people suffered from shock and the building was damaged. The incident took place shortly after Prime Minister Ehud Olmert visited Sderot and heard the Color Red alert system being activated. He was rushed by his bodyguards to one of the houses in the city and later visited the home of Defense Minister Amir Peretz. Bad PR Qassams ignored abroad / Yitzhak Benhorin After overlooking continuous rockets attacks on Israel’s... more.. Israeli tanks enter Gaza Strip Globes’ correspondent, Globes Online 5/17/2007 Barrages of kassam rockets are continuing. -- The IDF is responding by land and air to kassam rocket attacks against Sderot from the Gaza Strip. A number of IDF tanks entered the northern Gaza Strip today, to a depth of about 400 meters, north of Beit Lahiya. IDF sources said that the tanks entered the area to “provide additional means to hit kassam squads. ” This afternoon, the Air Force attacked a compound used by Hamas in downtown Gaza. Reports said that five people were killed and 30 wounded. Witnesses claimed that some of the casualties were passers-by. The building serves, among other things, as the headquarters for Hamas security units. The land operation is limited in scope. However, this is the first time that the IDF put tanks into the northern Gaza Strip since the declaration of a cease-fire six months ago. more.. Tanks edge into Gaza, air strikes intensify Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 The Israel Defense Forces sent tanks a short way into the Gaza Strip for the first time since November yesterday in response to continued heavy rocket fire on southern Israel. Palestinians fired almost 30 Qassam rockets at Israel yesterday. In addition, the IDF stationed artillery batteries along the Israel-Gaza border, also for the first time since November, though no shots were fired, and continued its aerial attacks on Gaza, killing six Palestinians. At least three of the dead were Hamas members. The tank incursions, accompanied by infantry, took place at two locations in Gaza - the Strip’s northern tip, and a ridge west of Sderot. Both incursions stayed within a kilometer of the border. Their main goal was to assist in spotting crews launching Qassams, and they are expected to remain there for a few days. more.. 3 Palestinians killed and over 15 injured, as clashes spread to Rafah Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Rafah - Ma’an - Three Palestinians were killed, including one woman, and more than 15 injured, as clashes erupted on Thursday between Hamas gunmen and members of the Preventive Security forces in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. The Hamas gunmen consisted of members of Hamas’ armed wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and members of the Hamas loyalist Executive Force. Palestinian medical sources named the dead as Mahmoud Muammar, 25, a member of the Preventative Security; Tha’er Abu Zeid, 22, a member of the Executive Force; and Ms. Fadwa Younis, 22. The sources said that six of the injured were in a critical condition. All the injured were evacuated to Gaza-European Hospital in Khan Younis. Our Rafah correspondent stated that the clashes erupted following the funeral procession of a Hamas member, Muhammad... more.. Unidentified gunmen open fire at leftist rally in Gaza City Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Thursday towards a rally organized in Gaza City by the leftist PFLP and DFLP movements. The Popular Front and the Democratic Fronts for the Liberation of Palestine were protesting the ongoing confrontations between Hamas and Fatah. The two groups called on the rivals to respect the Mecca agreement, and to remove gunmen from the streets. Before the rally, several leaders of both factions gathered in the Unknown Soldier square in Gaza City. They held President Abbas and Prime Minister Haniyeh responsible for the latest deterioration. A leader in the PFLP, Kayid Al-Ghoul warned in a statement of new rounds of confrontations. He described the insistence of the rivals in continuing to fight each other as "shameful and harmful to the Palestinian image. more.. Gaza hit by fresh Israeli strikes BBC Online 5/18/2007 Israel has launched new air strikes on what it calls Hamas targets near Gaza City, killing at least four people. Four others were wounded in the raids, Palestinian rescue workers said. The attacks followed a series of Israeli air strikes in Gaza on Thursday which killed six Palestinians - including four Hamas members. Israel said the raids were in response to Hamas rocket attacks on its soil. They come amid fighting between Hamas and rival Palestinian faction Fatah. [end] Hamas’ armed wing denies plan to target Abbas IMEMC & Agecnies, International Middle East Media Center 5/18/2007 Abu Obaida, spokesperson of the Al Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, denied on Thursday any plan to target the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas when he return to the Gaza Strip. The statement came after Israeli sources reported that Abbas had cancelled his trip to Gaza after a tunnel filled with explosives was located under a road used by Abba’s convoy. Abu Obaida stated that these reports are false and that they are aimed at poisoning the Palestinian atmosphere and to inflame a new wave of clashes between Hamas and Fateh gunmen. He added that security forces loyal to Abbas are "interested in blocking his return to Gaza so that he will not see their harsh conducts". Moreover, spokesperson of Hamas, Fawzi Barhoum, confirmed the death of four Hamas members, and said that they were shot by gunmen who are members of the Presidential Guard Force. more.. IDF vows to operate till Hamas surrenders Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/18/2007 Defense establishment source says military to expand activity in Gaza, adding that ’the more Hamas launches, the more they will get back’"We’ll shoot till they say ’stop’!" a defense establishment source told Ynet on Thursday after IDF activity in the Gaza Strip was expanded. "We plan to operate against those who are guilty, not around them; they will be the ones to pay the price. We are aware of their Qassam launching abilities, but the more they launch, the more they will get back," the source said. [end] Hamas threatens Israel suicide bombings The Guardian 5/17/2007 Hamas today threatened to resume suicide bombings after Israeli planes launched air strikes against the militant Palestinian group in Gaza. The three aerial attacks destroyed a Hamas compound, hit a car carrying two senior commanders and a trailer used by the Islamist group, killing three people and wounding scores of others. Israel confirmed all three air strikes. It had earlier threatened "harsh" action in response to repeated Palestinian rocket attacks. More than 50 rockets have fallen on the Israeli town of Sderot in the last three days. Seven struck Sderot today, one hitting a school and leaving two people slightly injured. The Israeli actions, including the deployment of tanks just inside Gaza, added a new dimension to Palestinian infighting and drew an ominous response from Hamas. more.. Gaza man charged for gathering info in plot to assassinate Olmert Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 A Palestinian man was charged Thursday in Jerusalem District Court with gathering intelligence as part of a plan to assassinate Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Masseb Bashir, a 25-year-old resident of Dir el-Balah in the Gaza Strip, has a valid entry permit into Israel due to his work with the organization "Doctors without Borders." The charges against him include contacts with a foreign agent and conspiracy to commit a crime. The planning for the assassination was conducted at the initial level only, and did not become operational. Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) militants in Dir el-Balah allegedly recruited Bashir, and sent him to gather intelligence on the security arrangements at the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. more.. Qassam hits classroom while pupils are away Mijal Grinberg and Barak Ravid, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 Palestinians fired 15 Qassam rockets at the western Negev yesterday, and one of them heavily damaged Sha’ar Hanegev High School with a direct hit. No one was injured, however, because the students had been sent on a trip to avoid the rocket fire. Despite the barrage, the Sderot municipality announced that schools would be open today as usual. Another rocket landed in the courtyard of an apartment building, damaging several cars, and a third hit a factory in Sderot’s industrial zone, setting fire to a trailer used for moving cargo. A number of politicians visited Sderot yesterday, including the entire Knesset Finance and Interior Committees and Industry Minister Eli Yishai. During Yishai’s visit, a Qassam landed in the city. At the meeting with the Finance Committee, which was also attended by the heads of... more.. Defense Min. halts evacuation of Sderot after 2,500 leave city Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent, and Reuters, Ha’aretz 5/18/2007 The Defense Ministry on Thursday halted the evacuation of the western Negev city of Sderot after some 2,500 of its residents had already left the city. Palestinian militants had fired some 30 Qassam rockets at the western Negev on Thursday, one of which slammed into a high school on the outskirts of Sderot, lightly wounding two people. On Tuesday, over 30 rockets landed in the western Negev, wounding two people, one moderately to seriously. 800 Sderot residents had been evacuated by the Defense Ministry earlier on Thursday to facilities run by the Association for Soldiers’ Welfare in the area. However, the evacuation was later halted due to the large number of residents demanding accommodations and low availability. Dozens of Sderot residents stormed the office of Sderot Mayor Eli Moyal after learning the evacuation had been cut short, demanding action to protect them. more.. Home front cliches Haaretz Editorial, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 Sderot residents gathered around the Orot Tikva public bomb shelter Wednesday night and shouted that it was too poorly ventilated to stay in. At their side were Jewish Agency officials who had come to determine what equipment was needed and psychologists who had come to try to calm them down. Mayor Eli Moyal, who has turned into a mere spokesman, saw no need to apologize to the residents for the state of the shelters. No one still expects him to solve problems. Even though public shelters are the most basic line of defense, and the municipality is responsible for their upkeep, there is an expectation that someone else will solve the problems. Two months ago, it was students from Sapir College who came to the city and prepared a list of residents in distress - something that should also have been done by the municipality. more.. Al Qassam Brigades continue to fire home-made shells at Israel Nisreen Qumsieh - Imemc News, International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2007 In a statement published on Wednesday at midnight, the brigade said it has launched at least 12 home-made Qassam shells and 10 mortar shells at Sderot, and 18 mortar shells at Sufa military base on the southern border of the Gaza Strip. The statement added that this shelling comes on the 59 anniversary of Al-Nakba, and is meant to remind the Israelis that Palestinian refugees will return to their land from which they were expelled in 1948. This recent shelling brings the number of home-made Qassams to 67, since Tuesday night when the brigade fired some 27 Qassam shells at Sderot causing some injuries and minor damage to property. Several residents were treated for shock. more.. Israeli forces arrest a member of the Palestinian intelligence near Tulkarem Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces apprehended on Thursday morning a member of the Palestinian intelligence service, Muhammad Seisan, 24, from the village of ’Illar, located north east of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank. Our correspondent in Tulkarem quoted Palestinian security sources as saying that around 20 Israeli military vehicles invaded the village this morning, and broke into several homes before arresting the man. He added that the Israeli force used police dogs during their inspection and destroyed furniture and personal property in the homes they ransacked more.. Islamic Jihad threatens to send bombers into Israel in retaliation for escalation Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Islamic Jihad movement said on Thursday that any Israeli intervention in Palestinian affairs would face tough resistance by the Palestinian factions. The movement called on all Palestinians to close ranks and abort the Israeli attempts to maintain disagreement between the Palestinians. In a statement received by Ma’an, the Islamic Jihad movement held the Israeli occupation responsible for the escalation in the Gaza Strip after Israeli fighter jets targeted an Executive Force base and a group of the Al-Quds Brigades fighters in Gaza City. The Al-Quds Brigades are the armed wing of Islamic Jihad. The movement added that the Palestinian resistance forces are considering all options, including sending people to blow themselves up inside Israel, and launching more homemade projectiles. more.. Brigades join forces to launch projectiles at Sufa crossing Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – A joint Palestinian group comprising the resistance brigades of the DFLP, and the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad movement claimed responsibility on Thursday for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli military presence at the Sufa crossing. In a joint statement, the brigades said the operation "came in self defense and in retaliation to the frequent Israeli assaults against the Palestinian people, including today’s air raids and the vows to invade the Gaza Strip". [end] Israel releases Lebanese captured near Shebaa Daily Star 5/18/2007 French contingent ends first phase of mine removal -- BEIRUT: Israeli forces on Thursday released a Lebanese man they had taken captive a day earlier on the outskirts of the border region of Shebaa. Hisham Dalleh, 35, was handed over to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which in turn handed him over to the Lebanese Army, the National News Agency (NNA) said. According to the NNA report, an Israeli commando unit abducted Dalleh on the outskirts of Shebaa on Wednesday noon as he was working in a field near an Israeli radar base. Baath Party MP Qassem Hashem issued a statement Thursday condemning the incident. "We put this Israeli violation in the hands of the UN and international peacekeepers in order for them to see Israel’s persistent violations of the Lebanese sovereignty," Hashem said in the statement. more.. A war this summer? Ze'ev Schiff, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 With great fanfare, it was announced this week that the Israel Defense Forces was conducting a general command drill. Last week, it held an important war game. One would have to be naive to think the Arab camp is just sitting there and not conducting drills, maneuvers and large-scale training exercises. The Syrians are talking about a major military exercise that will last more than a week. They say all the preparations must be complete by June 1 in case Israel attacks. While Hezbollah continues to lick its wounds, it is trying to establish new defense lines, rearm and step up training. One of its new approaches is to recruit Shi’ites who belonged to Amal, as well as Sunni volunteers. Hamas is continuing its efforts to build up a semi-regular army in the Gaza Strip. more.. Palestine Today 051707 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/17/2007 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 Thursday May 17th, 2007. Israel threatened on Thursday that it would step up attacks on the Gaza Strip, as more homemade shells have been fired on nearby Israeli towns over the past couple of days. Furthermore, a group of the Islamic Jihad fighters escaped an Israeli air attack in northern Gaza. In a related development, witnesses in northern Gaza reported that a column of Israeli tanks has advanced some hundred meters into Beit Lahiya town. On Thursday the Hamas Fatah infighting continued. Media reports and witnesses stated that two people were killed and several were wounded during a shootout between Hamas supporters and personnel... more.. Radio ’Sawt Al-Quds’ resumes transmission after going off air during fierce fighting near station Ma’an News Agency 5/17/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Radio ’Sawt Al-Quds’ (’Voice of Jerusalem’), which is affiliated to the Islamic Jihad movement, resumed on Thursday its transmission. The radio transmission was stopped on Wednesday evening as a result of clashes between Hamas and Fatah gunmen in Al-Wihda Street in Gaza City, near the Shawwa and Husari tower, from where the radio broadcasts. On Wednesday evening a number of journalists and media personnel were besieged in their offices in the tower, where many Palestinian and foreign media outlets are based, as gun battles raged outside. The radio affirmed that it will continue its efforts to fight disagreement between Palestinian rivals at any cost. It also called on the rival factions to avoid shooting at journalists and their institutions in order to enable them "to carry out their duty of telling the truth. more.. In pictures: Gaza clashes BBC Online 5/16/2007 A resurgence of factional violence between Fatah and Hamas gunmen has left dozens dead since Sunday. Scores more have been injured in the fighting - the worst between the two sides for months. Three ceasefires declared by the groups have broken down in as many days, with no end to the feuding in sight. The violence stems from a long-term power struggle between Hamas and Fatah, despite the recent formation of a unity government. In one of the deadliest incidents, at least five people were killed when the home of Fatah security chief Rashid Abu Shbak was ambushed, reportedly by Hamas gunmen. Shops have shut and schools have closed in Gaza City, as many Palestinians are staying at home, too afraid to venture out. more.. Gaza faction boosts police ranks BBC Online 5/15/2007 About 500 Fatah loyalists have returned to Gaza from police training in Egypt amid fighting with rival faction Hamas. The latest violence killed 14 people,including eight in one attack on Fatah - the worst in three days of bloodshed. A Fatah official denied the loyalists would fight Hamas, saying they give Palestinians security. Four Israelis were injured, with one woman seriously hurt, in the town of Sderot, near Gaza, by a rocket fired by Palestinian militants. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has urged an end to the factional fighting. There were reports on Tuesday night that the rival groups had agreed a ceasefire deal. However, several similar accords have broken down within hours. The BBC’s Katya Adler in Jerusalem says the latest events in Gaza appear to be a significant escalation... more.. Hamas and Fatah declare truces after 16 die in new Gaza battles Daily Star 5/17/2007 Five more perish in Israeli missile strike -- Hamas called a unilateral Gaza cease-fire on Wednesday and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ordered troops loyal to his Fatah movement to hold their fire after 16 people were killed in internal fighting and five more in an Israeli missile strike. Previous attempts to stem a flare-up of factional fighting that has killed at least 40 Palestinians in the past four days fell apart within hours, and it was unclear whether this one would be different. "Hamas has decided on a unilateral cease-fire to protect the blood of the Palestinians as of 8 p. m. ," the chief of Hamas’ faction in Parliament, Khalil al-Hayya, told AFP. "Hamas is entirely ready for dialogue to solve all the problems." A Palestinian official said that Abbas "gave orders to all security forces and Fatah men to cease fire immediately. more.. IDF bombs Hamas offices in retaliation for Qassam barrage Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 Israel Air Force jets bombed a Hamas headquarters in Rafah yesterday, killing four Palestinians and injuring approximately 20 others. All the injured were Hamas militants. In another raid that evening, the air force killed a Hamas militant on the outskirts of Gaza City. He was part of a crew of Qassam rocket launchers. With the exception of these air raids, there has been no substantial change in Israel’s response in the Gaza Strip, even as the heavy barrages of Qassam rockets targeting Sderot and its environs entered its second day. The Hamas headquarters served the Executive Force, the militia set up after the group came to power following national elections. Several rockets were fired at the structure during the attack, which took place at about 2 P. more.. PM approves ’severe and harsh’ response to Qassam rocket fire Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert approved Wednesday a "severe and harsh" response to the ongoing Qassam rocket fire, including the resumption of targeted killings of Hamas commanders in the Gaza Strip. "Israel cannot continue to show restraint in the face of the harm to its citizens," said Olmert. "The Hamas government is behind the terrorist activity," continued Olmert. "Its unacceptable that at the same time it is requesting international recognition and financial assistance." The decision came as Palestinian militants continued their rocket barrage on the western Negev on Wednesday, firing some 30 rockets at the area, wounding two people. Also Wednesday, five Hamas militants were killed in two separate Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip. more.. 30 rockets hit W. Negev; woman hurt by shrapnel Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 Palestinian militants fired twenty-six Qassams yesterday from the Gaza Strip into the western Negev. The landing sites of 14 were identified: four in Sderot and the rest in open areas at Moshav Mivtakhim, Moshav Yesha and around Kibbutz Be’eri. One woman was moderately to seriously injured. The Sderot municipality opened a hotline for residents who want to leave town, and more than 20 public shelters were opened. Yesterday afternoon a Qassam landed in a residential complex near the home of Yaakov Yaakobov, who was killed in November by a Qassam rocket that landed at the Of Kor poultry-packing plant in Sderot. Shrapnel from the rocket injured a 60-year-old woman, who was taken to Barzilay Hospital in Ashkelon. A man suffering from shock was also taken to the hospital. more.. State prepares partial Sderot evacuation Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz disagree on whether to evacuate the residents of Sderot in light of the Qassam rocket attacks on the town in recent days. The business tycoon Arcadi Gaydamak has added complexity to the debate by evacuating hundreds of Sderot residents to the Golden Tulip hotel in Be’er Sheva. The possibility of evacuating people from Sderot was raised yesterday by Peretz during a meeting with defense officials called by Olmert to discuss the developments in the Gaza Strip and the constant bombardment of Sderot. "Gaydamak is evacuating people, and he will take over the whole thing," Peretz said. "He sent buses and we need to consider an evacuation." Olmert opposed the idea. "I am not willing to evacuate Sderot. more.. Five Palestinian civilians kidnapped as army invades Nablus Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 A massive Israeli force invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and a nearby refugee camp on Wednesday morning, kidnapping five civilians. Witnessed reported that troops attacked and searched homes in downtown Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp, forcing residents from their homes and firing sound bombs. During the invasion local resistance men clashed with the invading troops in several parts of the city. No injures were reported on either side, but five civilians were kidnapped during the attack. [end] At least 17 dead as Hamas-Fatah fighting continues in Gaza Strip Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 Violence raged for a fourth day in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday as Palestinian gunmen from the rival Hamas and Fatah factions continued battling in the streets of Gaza City despite a cease-fire called by their leaderships. At least 17 people were killed in the clashes Wednesday, bringing the total death toll in the factional fighting to at least 41. Wednesday’s dead included 10 members of Fatah, five Hamas members, and two civilians. Hamas and Fatah had earlier said their men would hold fire as of 8:00 P. M. , but a Fatah man was killed in fighting after the cease-fire took effect. Dozens of Gaza residents turned out for a rally on Wednesday to demand an end to factional fighting, only to be caught in crossfire that left eight wounded. "Just as we used to protect you from the occupation by acting as human shields,... more.. Gaza crisis worsens as 16 killed in gun battles Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 5/17/2007 Gaza slid deeper into a factional war yesterday as another 16 people died in gun battles between rival armed groups. Palestinians held rallies in Ramallah, in the West Bank, and in Gaza City protesting against the violence and calling for a halt to a wave of killing that has claimed 41 lives in the past four days. But in Gaza at least eight people in the demonstration were wounded when shooting broke out around them, scattering the crowd. Streets in Gaza were deserted and shops and schools were closed throughout the day. On street corners small groups of armed men, often in balaclavas, took up positions and searched anyone walking or driving past. Ambulances were fired on, and in one case a female nurse was shot in the head. Several high-rise apartment buildings that are home to senior figures from the Fatah movement were set on fire, trapping people in their homes. more.. Palestinian resistance attack Israeli army military post in central West Bank Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 A group of Palestinian resistance men opened fire at an Israeli military post near the central west Bank city of Ramallah on Wednesday morning. Israeli media sources reported damage to the post infrastructure, but no injuries. Palestinian sources reported that the military deployed troops around the post, established a number of checkpoints and detained a number of Palestinian cars for several hours in response to the attack. [end] 16 killed in infighting in Gaza bringing the death toll to 33 this week Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 Palestinian sources have reported the arrival of seven new dead bodies to several hospitals as the clashes in the Gaza Strip intensify. There is still no concrete figure on the number of injuries due to the difficulty that ambulances are facing in reaching certain areas of the region, but medical sources have stated that at least 100 hundred injured people currently lie injured in hospitals across Gaza. Earlier on Wednesday morning, six Palestinian security guards were killed as internal clashes renewed in several parts of Gaza city, the deadliest being in the Tal Al Hawa neighborhood where gunmen surrounded the house of Rashid Abu Shubak, the director of the internal security forces in the Palestinian Authority. Witnesses told Palestinian media that the gunmen showered the house of Shubak with mortar shells... more.. An Israeli air strike kills a Hamas fighter in northern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 An Israeli air strike killed on Wednesday a Palestinian resistance fighter of Hamas and wounded three others moderately. Hospital sources said that Rami aL-Zaqzouq, arrived dead at the Kamal Edwan hospital in the Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza. A Hamas source, speaking in a condition of anonymity, said that an Israeli unmanned drone fired a missile on an outpost for the Palestinian national security forces that was seized earlier by the Hamas men. This attack is the second on Wednesday after the Israeli warplanes bombarded a headquarters of a Hamas-linked executive force in Rafah city, killing three members and wounding about 20 others. In the meantime, Hamas announced a unilateral ceasefire to stop the ongoing infighting with Fatah over the past three days. more.. Death toll continues to rise in Gaza: 37 since Sunday Ma’an News Agency 5/16/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - (Updated 15:45) - The death toll on Wednesday continues to rise. Palestinian medical sources have confirmed seven more deaths in the Tel Hawa district of west Gaza City as a result of the ongoing Fatah-Hamas clashes. This brings the death toll as a result of inter-Palestinian fighting to 37 since Sunday morning. The 12th truce brokered between the feuding factions of Hamas and Fatah since December collapsed at dawn on Wednesday when gunmen besieged the house of the Palestinian domestic security chief, Rashid Abu Shbak, in the west of Gaza City, killing four of his guards. Over 100 Palestinians have been injured as a result of these most recent factional clashes in Gaza. Five Executive Force members killedThe director of the Palestinian Preventive Security force, Yousef Issa, reported... more.. Israeli forces arrest twelve Palestinians in the West Bank Ma’an News Agency 5/16/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested on Wednesday morning eight Palestinians in different parts of the occupied West Bank under the pretext that they were wanted by the Israeli security services. Israeli sources said that the Israeli army arrested five Fatah members in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, and three other Palestinians in Hebron in the southern West Bank. In a different regard, the Israeli sources said that Palestinian activists opened fire at an Israeli military base near Ramallah in the central West Bank. No casualties were reported. In a separate incident, the Israeli forces on Wednesday morning arrested four Palestinians on Al-Quds street, in Nablus in the northern West Bank and Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. more.. Israel bombards two military bases in south Gaza; Ma’an News Agency 5/16/2007 3 killed and more than 20 injured, numbers rising. -- Rafah - Ma’an - Three members of the Hamas-affiliated Executive Force were killed and more than 20 Palestinians were injured, when Israeli F-16 fighter jets shelled an EF base in the centre of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. The base was completely destroyed. Palestinian medical sources explained that several of the injuries are critical and the death toll from the shelling is expected to rise. Several members of the Executive Force, who were in the base, are still under the debris of the destroyed building, while the medical staff are doing their best to save the injured people. Four Preventive Security force members were also injured when their neighbouring base also received a hit. more.. Huge Israeli force invades Attil, near Tulkarem, several injuries and damaged homes Ma’an News Agency 5/16/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces invaded ’Attil, a village north of Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, on Wednesday. The forces withdrew the same day, leaving behind casualties and the wreckages of Palestinian homes. The Israeli forces claimed that they were searching for ’wanted’ activists. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that around 40 Israeli military vehicles and a bulldozer invaded the city and besieged the homes of Ala’ Atwani, and Salih and Ahmad Karkour, amidst heavy gunfire and sonic bombs. The campaign was allegedly in search for the Islamic Jihad activist, Salih Karkour. Our correspondent also reported that the Israeli soldiers ordered the head of Attil village council to demand the local residents to evacuate their homes. more.. Sderot claims state obligated to respond to Qassams Aviram Zino, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Group of Sderot residents petition High Court, demand government allow army to respond to incessant Qassam fire even if civilians at riskA group of residents from the battered town of Sderot have decided on a unique course of action against the unremitting rocket fire directed at their homes from Gaza, announcing they would petition the High Court to force Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to instruct the army to respond. The initiative is credited to Sderot resident Avi Farhan "“ who was evacuated from the settlements of Yamit and Elei Sinai when Israel pulled out of the Sinai Desert in Egypt and the Gaza Strip, in 1981 and 2005 respectively. more.. Hospital struggles to cope with trauma sufferers Meital Yasur-Beit Or, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Dr Schneider of Barzilai Hospital speaks of her experience in treating unprecedented number of trauma sufferers after yesterday’s Qassam attacks against Sderot One of the victims of yesterday’s rocket attacks on Sderot was a woman who celebrated her daughter’s birthday in her garden. "When the Color Redalert siren was sounded she rushed the kids home but she realized that one was missing. She went out and found the kid lying on the ground terrified. Then the boom was heard. She brought the child in and she also suffered from shock," said Dr Rosa Schneider, a trauma specialist at the Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. "We had 14 victims who suffered from shock and I heard hair-raising stories," she said. "I can’t remember an event with so many victims. more.. Gaydamak evacuates hundreds from Sderot Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Letter prompts billionaire to send buses for evacuation of Sderot residents following rocket barrage on town; Bnei Akiva takes 250 Ethiopian immigrants on ’fun day’ Business mogul Arcadi Gaydamak came to the rescue of hundreds of terrified Sderot residents on Wednesday, after nearly 30 Qassam rockets landed in the town in 24 hours. Appeal Sderot’s residents despair from government, turn to Gaydamak/ Yael Branovsky Residents of the city appeal to Gaydamak to help them evacuate. Chairwoman of Sderot PTA: we have no choice Full StoryGaydamak received a letter on behalf of Sderot"s residents on Tuesday, requesting that they be evacuated from the town. The billionaire responded to the letter by sending eight buses to the town, in order to take residents out of harm"s way to hotels in... more.. Over half of city’s shelters are unusable Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 A few steps away from the Orot Tikva ("lights of hope") shelter in Sderot is a view of the Gaza Strip, from which the Qassams are being fired. In normal times, the shelter is used as an afternoon day-care center. A visit to the shelter yesterday, 24 hours after 19 Qassams were fired at the city and Sderot opened its shelters for the first time, reminds one of the Lebanon war. Representatives of the Jewish Agency came to find out what was lacking, and an Education Ministry psychologist talked with mothers. A group of residents crowded at the entrance, shouting that there was no air in the shelter, not enough room, and they needed mattresses. Sderot has 58 public shelters, according to the city’s security officer, 30 of which have no electricity and are uninhabitable even for a short stay. more.. Next target may be Ashkelon, defense officials warn Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/17/2007 Intelligence information collected by defense establishment indicates that Gaza terror groups have Soviet-made Grad missiles with 22-km range; defense officials warn that terror groups may target Ashkelon in response to Israeli offensive in GazaAshkelon could be the next target of Palestinian rocket attacks, defense officials warned during a security consultation at the Prime Minister’s Office Wednesday. With violence worsening in the Gaza Strip,Hamas and other terror groups may decide to use Grad rockets against Israeli targets, the officials said. more.. Analysis: No other solution for Gazans but Israeli occupation Avi Issacharoff, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 5/17/2007 "The Gazans are repeating one clear message: only Israeli occupation will save them." -- Who are these "Gazans"? - Ed. ] -- Four days into the current round in the Palestinian civil war in the Gaza Strip, with Fatah fighting Hamas, several phenomena have emerged: 1. Hamas has won every confrontation since fighting started Sunday. Its military dominance and supremacy are clear. Nearly all the fatalities have been from Hamas attacks. Even the five Hamas militants killed Wednesday died in an assault by their comrades against a Fatah force that took them hostage. Hamas is conducting itself like a military organization: It moves its forces, positions snipers, uses light artillery (mortars, for example), sets up ambushes in strategic locations, and systematically targets Fatah’s leadership in the Gaza Strip, based on hit lists it has drafted. more.. Gaza: 4 killed in IDF strike Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/16/2007 (VIDEO) For first time since ceasefire with Palestinians was declared, IDF helicopters strike Hamas headquarters near Rafah, killing at least four people. Palestinian sources report additional air strike hours laterVIDEO -Israeli army helicopters fired missiles Wednesday afternoon at a Hamas building in the southern Gaza Strip, killing four members of the Islamic group and wounding 20 others. The army said the building situated in Rafah along the border with Egypt was used by Hamas to plan terror attacks. Several hours later, Palestinian sources in northern Gaza said an Israeli aircraft fired at armed gunmen near Jabaliya. It remains unclear if there were any casualties in the attack and the factional affiliation of the gunmen is unknown. Clashes in Gaza (Video: Reuters) more.. "Hamas mistakenly kills 5 of own fighters" Associated Press, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Hamas gunmen kill five of own fighters in ambush of Fatah jeep as Gaza seems to be sliding into an all-out civil war with 41 Palestinians killed in four days of internal fighting between the rival factions Hamas gunmen mistakenly ambushed on Wednesday a jeep carrying their own fighters, killing five of them, in the bloodiest day of Palestinian infighting since violence erupted in the Gaza Strip four days ago. But according to other accounts, the five victims were members of the Fatah-affiliated Preventive Security force. Gunmen from the hardline Islamist group also fired barrages of rockets at Israeli towns, an apparent attempt to draw Israel into the internal Palestinian conflict that has sent the coastal territory spiraling into chaos. more.. ’It’s dangerous inside and outside’ The Associated Press, By Ibrahim Barzak, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 With battles raging outside my building, and my windows blown out by bullets, I sit in a dark hallway outside my apartment with my wife and baby. It’s dangerous inside and outside. Today I have seen people shot before my eyes, I heard the screams of terrified women and children in a burning building, and I argued with gunmen who wanted to take over my home. I have seen a lot in my years as a journalist in Gaza, but this is the worst it’s been. Much of the fighting is taking place right here in my neighborhood. I went outside a few times to report, just around the house. I saw a building on fire after Hamas gunmen attacked, and I heard the screams of people who could not get out because of the gun battles. I saw Hamas gunmen going in and out of the building, and they were exchanging fire with Fatah forces. more.. Palestine Today 051607 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 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 Wednesday May 16th, 2007. On Wednesday, Israeli warplanes bombarded a building belonging to the executive force of Hamas, formed by the former interior minister, Saed Siyam of Hamas, killing seven executive force members and wounding 30 others in Rafah city. In the meantime, Palestinian sources have reported the arrival of seven new dead bodies to several hospitals as clashes in the Gaza Strip intensify. The number of people killed on Wednesday now stands at 16, with infighting between Fatah and Hamas having claimed the lives of a total of 33 people so far this week. more.. As night falls on Gaza, seventeen residents killed, at least 60 injured in internal clashes on Tuesd Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/16/2007 Tuesday, one of the bloodiest in the Gaza Strip as internal clashes between Hamas and Fateh gunmen left 17 dead, and at least sixty injured. The clashes continued throughout Tuesday in several parts of the Gaza Strip in spite of continuous efforts to end the clashes. As night falls on Gaza, seventeen residents killed, at least 60 injured in internal clashes on TuesdayPalestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported that one resident identified as Mohammad Abu Saif, 18, was shot and killed in clashes that took place in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Saif was seriously injured and died of his wounds at a Gaza hospital. On Tuesday at night, gunmen shot and killed Isam Al Juju, one of Hamas members. The Maan news agency reported that most of the Palestinians who were killed on Tuesday are members of the National Security Forces. more.. Eight PA officers killed in Gaza Staff - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 Eight presidential guards’ officers were killed near Al Mintar in northern Gaza Tuesday morning during the continuous clashes between the presidential guards and Al Qassam members, the armed wing of Hamas and the executive force of the Ministry of interior affairs. Islam Shahwan, the executive force spokesperson, denies taking any role in the operation on the roadblock, despite reports from Palestinian sources indicating that members of the executive force had participated in the attack. Fearing attacks, the Israeli army had attempted to move to the roadblock. Colonel Al Qaysi, the spokesperson of presidential guards, said to the Palestinian News Agency on Tuesday Morning that massive clashes between the Al Qassam brigades, the executive force, the presidential guards and the national Security members had taken place near the roadblock. more.. Four wounded by Qassam rockets in Sderot; Hamas claims responsibility Aluf Benn, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 Four people were wounded Tuesday, one of the moderately, as Hamas fired a barrage of Qassam rockets at the western Negev. At least 21 rockets were fired at Israel on Tuesday, at least eight of which hit the western Negev town of Sderot. A 44-year-old woman was moderately wounded and her 4-year-old son lightly hurt when a Qassam rocket scored a direct hit on their Sderot home. Two people were lightly wounded in additional rocket strikes in the town. A spokeswoman for Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon said some 30 individuals were brought to the hospital and treated for shock. Defense Minister Amir Peretz held security consultations with the participation of senior Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet officials in order to discuss the escalation on Tuesday. more.. Armed Israeli settlers attack Palestinian farmers and injure two near Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 A group of armed Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers east of Hebron city in the southern West Bank on Tuesday afternoon. Medical sources stated that Sarah Sultan, 60, and ’A’isha Sultan, 17, sustained cuts and bruises all over their bodies. Both women were moved to a nearby clinic for treatment. In related news, a further group of right-wing Israeli settlers, along with several Israeli soldiers, attacked and ransacked a Palestinian home in the same area. This incident also took place on Tuesday. [end] Army invades Nablus and nearby refugee camp Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 A massive Israeli force invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby refugee camps on Tuesday morning. Troops entered the city and the Al Ein and Balata refugee camps and searched a number of homes. Upon completing the search, they deployed around the area and established a military checkpoint. In the nearby Al Far’a refugee camp, local youth clashed with the invading Israeli troops. The soldiers left after several hours and no injuries were reported. more.. Army invades Jenin refugee camp injures a boy and kidnaps a civilian from nearby village Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 Israeli forces invaded Jenin refugee camp located in Jenin city in the northern part of the West bank and injured one child, in the meantime another force invaded a nearby village and kidnapped one civilian on Tuesday morning. Also on Tuesday morning another force stormed the down town Jenin city, searched and ransacked number homes then left, no kidnappings were reported. In the meantime the Israeli army attacked and searched homes in Kufer Ra’e village south west of Jenin, soldiers entered the village from several directions, witnesses said that troops stopped some Palestinian cars forces people out of them then kidnapped one young man, he was known as Issam Milihim, 21. his family reported that he was on his way to the university when he was kidnapped by the Israeli army. more.. Sderot’s bomb shelters opened for first time as Qassams rain down Aluf Benn Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/15/2007 Hamas fired 19 Qassam rockets at Sderot and the western Negev yesterday, against the background of another day of fierce factional fighting between Hamas and Fatah in the Gaza Strip, which left at least 15 Palestinians dead. The rockets wounded 26 people, including one woman who was moderately to seriously hurt and a man who was moderately hurt. Most of the others suffered from shock. As a result of the barrage, the public bomb shelters in Sderot were opened for the first time. Hamas openly claimed credit for the strikes and announced it plans to continue them. Palestinian security sources said Hamas is trying to provoke a fight with Israel in the hopes that an Israeli military response would calm the Fatah-Hamas fighting by uniting the two against a common enemy. more.. Gunmen wound senior Egyptian official in Gaza Avi Issacharoff and Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/16/2007 Gunmen shot and wounded a top Egyptian official in Gaza on Wednesday as he tested whether a shaky ceasefire deal between feuding Fatah and Hamas loyalists was holding, a Palestinian security official said. The Egyptian was shot in the hand as he walked along a Gaza street with the Palestinian cabinet secretary Ghazi Hamad of Hamas and a Fatah official, in a bid to see whether the armed rivals were sticking to the truce agreed on late Tuesday. The Egyptian was among a team involved in mediating the truce and trying to put an end to the fighting. Fighting between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip reached new heights Tuesday, claiming the lives of at least 15 Palestinians in the worst single day of clashes since the two parties agreed to form a unity government in February. more.. Army invades Hebron region and injures one Palestinian civilian Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 Israeli forces attacked and searched scores of Palestinian homes in the Hebron region on Tuesday morning, injuring one Palestinian civilian in the process. In the city of Hebron, Israeli soldiers set up several checkpoints around and in the city at which Palestinian cars were stopped and searched. At one of these posts, a car containing two Palestinian police officers was stopped and the passengers beaten. [end] Fatah leader killed by Israeli troops in 3-way clash at Gaza border Ma’an News Agency 5/15/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Fatah movement in the Gaza Strip have announced the death of Lieutenant-Colonel Osama Al-Madhoun and said that he was one of the most eminent leaders of the Fatah-affiliated Al Mujahideen Brigades. Al-Madhoun was killed by Israeli troops who shot at the Palestinian national security forces that were fighting with Hamas gunmen near the Karni crossing. Fatah demanded that the killing of Al-Madhoun stand as a clear message to all Palestinian factions and forces to be united behind one goal: "Resistance against the Israeli occupation whose forces do not have mercy even on the plants and the stones, when they belong to the Palestinian people." [end] IDF may respond harshly Ronny Sofer, YNetNews 5/15/2007 Olmert, Peretz authorize IDF to respond to Tuesday night Qassam barrages with predetermined standard operating procedures; Lieberman, Yishai call for strong military response. IAF attacks launching grounds in northern GazaThe Qassams that rocked Sderot Tuesday evening caught Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz during a joint political-military exercise. Stationed at military headquarters in Tel Aviv, they gave the IDF the authorization to respond based on predetermined standard operating procedures for such a situation. IAF helicopters fired at the open fields in northern Gaza used by terror groups to launch the rocket attacks in an attempt to deter immediate future attacks. Palestinian officials said no one was hurt. more.. OPT: Aid agencies dig in as Gaza erupts IRIN 5/15/2007 GAZA CITY, 15 May 2007 (IRIN) - Renewed infighting among rival Palestinian armed groups has put aid agencies on the alert for more bloodshed as well as threats to their staff in the troubled Gaza Strip. More than 400 Palestinians have been killed in clashes mainly between militias affiliated to the Hamas and Fatah political parties in the past 14 months. Inter-Palestinian violence, some of it clan-related rather than political, is accounting for at least as many Palestinian deaths as Israeli military action, the UN reported this year. In the first three months of this year, 119 Palestinians were killed by other Palestinians compared to 34 fatalities caused by Israel, the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported this month. Nine more Palestinians have been killed since Sunday and more wounded in exchanges of gunfire across Gaza City and the northern Gaza Strip... more.. Gunmen shoot 2 Jund al-Sham militants Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 5/16/2007 SIDON: Two members of the Jund al-Sham militant group were wounded by unidentified gunmen early Tuesday at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp near Sidon, a Palestinian source told The Daily Star. "We have been expecting such an incident to occur," said the source, speaking on condition of anonymity. On May 7, members of Jund al-Sham killed two members of the Fatah Movement, Ibrahim Deeb and Abu Omra Asmar, at the camp. A Palestinian girl was wounded in fighting that ensued between the two groups. "Like the previous incident, today’s shooting was aimed at inciting strife among the Palestinians," the source said. The source said the two Jund al-Sham members, Palestinians Ahmad Abu Said and Jamal Rmaid, were shot at around 4 a. m. Tuesday morning. more.. Sixteen die in latest Gaza factional battles Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem, The Guardian 5/16/2007 Hamas gunmen raided a major crossing point in the Gaza Strip yesterday, killing eight men from a rival Fatah security force in another day of factional violence. In total 16 people were killed in Gaza yesterday, bringing the death toll since the eruption of fighting at the weekend to more than 20. Dozens more were injured in what has become the most serious fighting since an agreement reached between Hamas and Fatah three months ago. [end] New agreement between factions fails to end fierce clashes in Gaza; 12 killed today Ma’an News Agency 5/15/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - After two days of brutal clashes on the streets of Gaza, the rival factions agreed to end the fighting. The new treaty included an agreement to deploy joint Palestinian security forces on the streets, but failed to end the fierce inter-factional clashes. Fresh fighting erupted on Tuesday in several areas of the Gaza Strip leaving behind several victims. The death toll has now risen to at least twenty people since Sunday. Clashes at Karni Crossing -- Nine members of the Palestinian national security forces were killed and 10 injured in clashes that erupted near the Mintar (Karni) crossing. According to the director of ambulance and emergency department in the Palestinian ministry of health, Mu’awiya Hassanein, the victims were evacuated from the eastern border of Gaza City, near the Malka square and taken to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah. more.. Sderot’s residents despair from government, turn to Gaydamak Yael Branovsky, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Residents of the city appeal to Gaydamak to help them evacuate. Chairwoman of Sderot PTA: we have no choice -- tuesday night’s Qassam barrage was too much even for Sderot’s most experienced residents, and they decided to appeal to "the nation’s savior" - Arkadi Gaydamak. Batia Cattar, Chairwoman of the Sderot PTA (Parents-Teachers Association) said that numerous appeals from the city’s residents resulted in the letter she wrote Gaydamak. "I appeal to you on behalf of the residents of Sderot, requesting you help us evacuate the city, as you did last summer," she wrote. "We have no choice. Life here has become a game of Russian roulette, rockets are fired constantly and many are injured. "The prime minister and the defense minister have left us on our own, bleeding in the battlefield. more.. IDF to stay out of Gaza despite Qassams Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/16/2007 Defense establishment evaluation meeting called after over 20 Qassams leave some 20 Israelis injured permits IDF to operate against terror, within limitationsThe IDF’s policy in Gaza has not changed drastically, but the military will be permitted to operate more widely, while focusing on specific targets, in order to minimize the Qassam rocket threat on Israel. The decision came following the emergency evaluation meeting held by Defense Minister Amir Peretz Tuesday night after Qassams barrages hit the southern town of Sderot, leaving a mother, her son, and about 20 other residents wounded. It was also decided that the Home Front Command will increase its aid to residents of Sderot and the vicinity. In light of the intelligence and operational evaluations presented in the meeting, the... more.. Palestine Today 051507 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/15/2007 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 Tuesday May 15th, 2007. Palestinian medical sources reported Tuesday that ten people were killed and at least 20 others were wounded during renewed Hamas-Fatah clashes in Gaza. Fighting flared up today after a Hamas gunman was killed at a roadblock manned by the Palestinian presidential guards in Gaza city. Right after the incident, dozens of members of the Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, attacked a Palestinian security post in eastern Gaza, where seven security personnel were reportedly killed and seventeen others wounded. A Hamas statement denied responsibility for the killings, while Fatah accused Hamas of killing the security personnel. more.. Israeli police arrest Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem suspected of planning to stab Israelis Ma’an News Agency 5/15/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - Israeli police arrested a Palestinian teenager from Qalandia refugee camp, located south of the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Tuesday, according to Israeli media sources. The 19-year-old Palestinian man was seized close to the building of the Israeli army’s central command in the Neveh Ya’acov settlement in East Jerusalem. The police suspected that the Palestinian was planning to stab Israelis since he was in possession of a knife when he was arrested. The sources added that the Palestinian admitted during interrogation that he intended to stab Israelis, and so he was taken to the police department for further questioning. Israeli sources also announced the explosion of a small bomb in Zarhi Street in West Jerusalem on Tuesday. more.. Renewed Fatah-Hamas infighting in Gaza leaves two killed Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 Two Palestinians were killed on Monday morning, just few hours after both Fatah and Hamas agreed last night to a ceasefire and halt of all provocative actions in streets. Meqdad said that Hamas gunmen attacked his house, killing the bodyguard and another bystander, adding that his media office was set into fire, while his house was attacked. Today’s fresh wave of violence in Gaza came just few hours after the rival Hamas and Fatah agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the Gaza-based Egyptian security officials. The parties agreed to withdraw gunmen from streets and stop all provocative actions, yet the Egyptian-mediated deal seems to be failing as at least ten people were wounded overnight. Yesterday, at least five people were killed and about twenty others wounded after a Fatah militant was killed. more.. Hamas seizes US weapons Aaron Klein, WND, YNetNews 5/14/2007 Gaza sources say Hamas ambushed US convoy, seized stockpile of weapons aimed for Fatah militias -- Hamas ambushed a convoy in the Gaza Strip on Sunday and seized a stockpile of US weapons transferred in recent months to militias associated with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’ Fatah party, according to Hamas and Fatah sources. "We obtained the US weapons and will keep hijacking any assistance the Americans provide to Fatah. Our fighters are aware of the American and Israeli conspiracies to topple our government. We’re trained and well prepared to defeat the American-backed (Palestinian) agents," said a top member of Hamas’ military wing in the Gaza Strip. According to Israeli and Palestinian security officials and Hamas sources, Hamas militias have taken almost complete control of the northern... more.. Two Palestinian civilians injured as army invades Nablus and nearby refugee camp Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 A massive Israeli force invaded the northern West Bank city Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp, during the invasion the Israeli army searched homes and injured two civilians, on Monday morning. Israeli military vehicles rolled into the city, some of them took over the down town Nablus city and started to search homes in the meantime a number of military jeeps proceeded and attacked home in the nearby Balata refugee camp, witnesses reported. During the invasion the Israeli troops fired live rounds and sounds bombs randomly into residents’ homes injuring two, medical sources reported. The army left the area after several hours without making any abductions but damage to residents’ homes were reported. Last week Israeli troops opened fire randomly at residents’ homes and killed an unborn baby after shooting and injuring the mother. more.. Cabinet gives IDF green light to expand, but not escalate, Gaza Strip operation Aluf Benn Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/15/2007 Under the cloud of the Winograd Committee report, the security cabinet agreed yesterday to authorize the broadening of Israel Defense Forces operations in the Gaza Strip, so long as these were in keeping with the current policies. Adopting a vague stance, the cabinet postponed to next week further decisions on the nature of the army’s offensive response to the Qassam rocket attacks on the Negev. The cabinet asked the IDF to present it with plans for countering the terror threat from the Gaza Strip on a number of levels: the Qassam rocket attacks, the smuggling of weapons through tunnels from Sinai, and the growing strength of Hamas and other militant organizations. The security cabinet heard assessments from Shin Bet members, IDF officers - who recommended operations - and Foreign Ministry officials. more.. Tel Aviv man confesses to murdering Arab taxi driver Roni Singer-Heruti, Ha’aretz 5/14/2007 A recent immigrant from France residing in Tel Aviv confessed Monday to the murder of a 35-year-old Arab taxi driver, whose body was found in the city earlier in the day. The body of the East Jerusalem man was discovered in an apartment on Yona Hanavi Street on Monday afternoon. His throat had been cut, and his body bore the signs of a severe attack. A preliminary police investigation revealed that the dead man had been invited to the apartment by the 25-year-old Israeli, who also holds French citizenship. Police were first alerted to the murder when officers from the traffic department noticed two men loitering in the center of Allenby Street in Tel Aviv, at approximately 4 P. M. Monday. When the two, the suspect and his 21-year-old brother, were detained for routine questioning, the 25-year-old confessed... more.. Army attack and search homes in Hebron and nearby town one civilian kidnapped Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 Palestinian sources reported that a massive Israeli force attacked and searched Palestinian homes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron and near by Halhol town, during the campaign one civilian was reported to be kidnapped by the army, on Monday morning. Witnesses added that soldiers ransacked and damaged families belongings during the house to house search. In other news the Israeli human right group BeitSalem issued a report on Monday stating that due to the continued Jewish extremists living in illegal settlement in and around he old city of Hebron and the army attacks; Palestinians were forced to evacuate 1000 house and 1800 shops located near those illegal settlement posts. At least 400 Israeli illegal settlers are occupying a large area of this ancient Palestinian city, where about 20, 000 Palestinians are inhabited. more.. 10 ’wanted’ Palestinians arrested in the West Bank on Monday at dawn Ma’an News Agency 5/14/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested ten Palestinians from the West Bank on Monday at dawn, claiming that the apprehended citizens are ’wanted’. Israeli sources said that the army arrested six ’wanted’ from the Fatah and Hamas movements in Ramallah, and the surrounding area, and four from Hebron. The Israeli sources said that the forces operating in Nablus and ’Askar refugee camp were exposed to gunfire from Palestinian resisters, no injuries were reported. more.. EF deny any association with the violent incidents in the Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/14/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The Executive Force condemned "all those that attempt to associate our good name with the current violent incidents in the Palestinian territories." The EF issued a statement in which they expressed astonishment at the renewed clashes in the Gaza Strip that left two dead on Sunday. The statement read "the Executive Force is concerned about Palestinian unity. The EF is the sons of the people that endangered their lives to serve their people." The force claimed that "there are internal parties that are collaborating with the occupation and do not want calm in the Gaza Strip or an end to the tension. These parties want to hinder attempts to bring calm, such as the security plan, which is about to be implemented." more.. New round of factional violence leaves 8 dead and 50 injured Ma’an News Agency 5/14/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The death toll of the inter-Palestinian clashes, which erupted anew on Sunday between Fatah and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, rose to eight on Monday, in addition to fifty injuries, after two people were killed in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. Palestinian medical sources reported that Anwar Salahiddin Ash-Sha’er, 25, was killed and two others were injured in Khan Younis. According to the medical sources, Ash-Sha’er was already dead when his body arrived at the hospital riddled with bullets. Our Gaza correspondent quoted eyewitnesses as saying that Ash-Sh’aer was passing by when clashes erupted. In a separate incident, medical sources at Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City stated that the body of another Palestinian citizen, who had been shot dead, had arrived at the hospital. more.. Q&A: Gaza’s civil war The Guardian 5/14/2007 What is going on in Gaza? The heaviest fighting for months has broken out between Islamist Hamas and secular Fatah. At least two Fatah fighters died and 10 people were wounded in today’s clashes, breaking an Egyptian-brokered agreement between the two sides announced only yesterday. A total of seven people died in violence over the weekend. Why the upsurge in fighting? It follows last week’s deployment of 3,000 police in Gaza from forces loyal to the president, Mahmoud Abbas, who belongs to Fatah, amid objections by Hamas. What will happen to the Palestinian government? The danger is that the coalition between Hamas and Fatah will implode only a few months after it was cobbled together. The two factions announced a unity government in February after talks brokered by Saudi Arabia in Mecca. more.. Environmentalists urge quicker clean-up as oil-spill again threatens sea Report, Electronic Intifada 5/14/2007 BYBLOS, 13 May 2007 (IRIN) - Black slime coats beaches and oozes into rock pools in northern Lebanon, nine months after an oil spill led to international pledges to clean that stretch of coast. Oil clings to beach after beach north of Byblos, an ancient fishing port that is one of Lebanon’s main tourist attractions. Israel bombed an oil refinery in Jiyyeh, south of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, during its conflict with the armed wing of Lebanese political party Hezbollah last July. The bombing caused the refinery to spew an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 tonnes of fuel oil into the Mediterranean Sea. It was Lebanon’s worst environmental disaster, say environmentalists. "Summer is coming and this oil is melting," said Mohammed Sarji, head of the Lebanese Divers’ Union and head of the clean-up operation along the southern... more.. Maariv: Israeli security services fortifying oil, gas and nuclear facilities due to fear of Al-Qaeda attack Ma’an News Agency 5/14/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - The Israeli daily Maariv reported on Monday that the Israeli security services and the ministry of infrastructure are going to begin fortifying their nuclear facilities and increase the gas and petroleum resources following a general intelligence warning about Al-Qaeda intentions to target gas and petroleum facilities in the Middle East in general, and those which have an influence on Israel in particular. Any such attack could have a disastrous impact on the Israeli economy. The department of research and intelligence studies in the Israeli foreign ministry has submitted a secret document to the ministry’s higher echelons which includes analysis about the intentions of global jihad organizations such as Al-Qaeda to undertake a very serious operation. more.. Palestine Today 051407 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 2. 47 MB|| Time 3m0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Monday May 14th 2007. The Palestinian interior minister, Hani Al-Qawasmi, resigned on Monday from his post after a period of deadly infighting between the rival Hamas and Fatah parties in Gaza. Al-Qawasmi’s resignation was announced officially in a press conference in front of his house in Gaza City. The interior minister cited as a reason lack of cooperation by the rival parties with respect to the implementation of his security plan, which was initiated only last week. Asked by IMEMC whether there had been a lack of cooperation by the security bodies since his plan was launched, the outgoing minister maintained “actually we’ve... more.. Factional fighting kills four Palestinians in Gaza Daily Star 5/14/2007 Four Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Sunday and a Hamas official was abducted from his home in the deadliest outbreak of factional fighting in the coastal strip in months, sources from Hamas and Fatah said. Gunmen killed a senior commander of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and another member of the Fatah-linked group. Abu Qusai, spokesman of Al-Aqsa Martyrs, said the Brigades held Hamas’ armed wing, the Izzeddine al-Qassam Brigades, and its "Executive Force" responsible for the attack. "This ugly crime will not pass without punishment and the Hamas movement is entirely responsible for this," Fatah warned in a statement. However, Izzeddine al-Qassam flatly denied any responsibility, "condemning this effort to blacken our name" and "false accusations. more.. Security cabinet approves broader action in Gaza Aluf Benn Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/14/2007 Under the cloud of the Winograd Committee report, the security cabinet agreed on Sunday to authorize the broadening of Israel Defense Forces operations in the Gaza Strip, so long as these were in keeping with the current policies. Adopting a vague stance, the cabinet postponed to next week further decisions on the nature of the army’s offensive response to the Qassam rocket attacks on the Negev. The cabinet asked the IDF to present it with plans for countering the terror threat from the Gaza Strip on a number of levels: the Qassam rocket attacks, the smuggling of weapons through tunnels from Sinai, and the growing strength of Hamas and other militant organizations. The security cabinet heard assessments from Shin Bet members, IDF officers, who recommended operations, and Foreign Ministry officials. more.. Internal clashes escalate, Hamas warns "our patience has limits" IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/14/2007 Internal clashes in the Gaza Strip have escalated leaving more Palestinians killed and injured as gunmen of Hamas and Fateh exchanged fire in several areas. Hamas stated in an official press release that "its patience has limits", and called on the Palestinian president, government, factions and the Higher Follow-up Committee to intervene immediately to stop these attacks. The movement also said that a group which belongs to Palestinian security devices and Fateh movement abducted on Sunday at least 70 residents, members or supporters of Hamas. Hamas added that it has no connection in any way with the death of Bahaa Abu Jarad, a senior Fateh fighter who was killed on Sunday by gunmen in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Two comrades of Abu Jarad were also killed in the attack. more.. Two Fatah gunmen killed in clashes in Beit Lahiya Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/13/2007 Two Fatah members were killed on Sunday in Gaza after being shot dead by unknown assailants. Fatah has accused Hamas of committing the killing. illustration photo/ photo by Maan News Agency Hospital sources said that one of his comrades, who was escorting him was also killed in the attack, described the deadliest in two months, following the formation of a national unity cabinet, comprising Hamas and Fatah. Spokesman of Fatah in northern Gaza , Hassan aL-Wali, accused Hamas gunmen of the murder of his colleague Abu Jarada. aL-Wali also blamed the interior ministry for what he called ‘delaying the implementation of the security plan”. In a press release, the IMEMC has received a copy of which, Hamas’s representative to the follow up Fatah-Hamas committee, Ayman Taha, voiced astonishment of Fatah’s accusations. more.. Peretz and IDF officers seek more options in responding to Qassam launchers in Gaza Strip Amos Harel Aluf Benn Mazal Mualem, Ha’aretz 5/12/2007 Defense Minister Amir Peretz and the senior officers in the Israel Defense Forces will ask the cabinet today for more leeway in engaging hostile forces in the Gaza Strip. The IDF does not, however, recommend an extensive ground operation in the Strip. The cabinet’s discussion today of the situation in the Gaza Strip will include ways of countering the Palestinians’ firing of Qassam rockets into Israel. The ministers will also review reports concerning arms smuggling into the Strip along the border with Egypt and the consolidation of Hamas’ military power. The ministers will hear presentations by intelligence and security personnel on the internal situation in Gaza and on various plans of action prepared by the IDF. Foreign Ministry officials are expected to present the diplomatic ramifications of the various plans of action and proposed retaliatory measures. more.. New Jerusalem settlement planned BBC Online 5/11/2007 The Israeli authorities are planning to build three new Jewish neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, an area regarded as occupied land under international law. The plan, which has yet to receive final approval, would involve building about 20,000 homes. The Palestinian chief negotiator, Saeb Erekat, said the plan destroyed efforts to re-start the peace process. He said Israel had to choose between settlements or peace, but could not have both. Yehoshua Pollak, Jerusalem’s deputy mayor, said the intention was to create a contiguous Jewish residential area linking East Jerusalem with major West Bank settlement blocs. Israel has occupied East Jerusalem since 1967. It annexed the area in 1981 and sees it as its exclusive domain. This has not been recognised by the international community. more.. Israel plans East Jerusalem enclave Al Jazeera 5/10/2007 20,000 homes in Arab east Jerusalem [AP]Israel has announced plans to build 20,000 new homes on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem, prompting condemnation from Palestinians. The Israeli plan, announced on Thursday but yet to be ratified by national authorities, envisages three separate Jewish neighbourhoods being set up on land annexed after the 1967 war. Yehoshua Pollak, chairman of Jerusalem’splanning and construction committee, said the housing was intended for young Israeli couples. Saeb Erekat, Palestinian chief negotiator, condemned the plan, saying the Israeli government ought to choose between settlements and peace." We conveyed official messages to the international community to put pressure on the Israeli government to reverse this decision," he said. more.. Investigation: Israel executed 8 Palestinians in Jenin in past 3 months Report, Electronic Intifada 5/10/2007 The following is the Palestinian human rights organization Al-Haq’s intervention to diplomatic representatives regarding the extrajudicial executions of Palestinians in the Jenin area: Your Excellencies: As a Palestinian organisation dedicated to the protection and promotion of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), Al-Haq would like to raise its serious concern regarding the ongoing extrajudicial executions of Palestinians. Over the course of the last three months, Al-Haq has documented four incidents, the facts of which are summarised below, involving the extrajudicial executions of eight Palestinians in the Jenin area. The number of incidents, all of which involved disturbingly similar facts, indicates that, far from being isolated acts, the extrajudicial execution of Palestinians continues to be a widespread practice. more.. Shot West Bank woman ’loses baby’ BBC Online 5/10/2007 Maha Katoumi, 30, was injured when Israeli troops and Palestinian gunmen exchanged fire at the Ein Beit Ilma refugee camp, witnesses said. An Israeli army spokesman said the military was checking reports that a pregnant women had been shot. He said the clash came when improvised grenades were thrown at soldiers. Boy ’wounded’"The soldiers identified militants shooting at them and they returned fire... and identified hitting two of them," he said. An Israeli soldier was wounded, the spokesman said. Ms Katoumi, a mother of three, was in the late stages of pregnancy, Palestinian medical officials said. He husband said that she was inside their home when she was wounded. A 16-year-old boy was also injured in the raid, Palestinian sources said. more.. Unborn baby killed in exchange of fire The Israeli army confirmed an exchange of fire in the, The Guardian 5/11/2007 A Palestinian woman in the seventh month of her pregnancy lost her unborn baby yesterday when she was caught in crossfire between Israeli troops and Palestinian militants, her family said. Ahmed Bisharat, a nurse at Rafidia hospital in Nablus where Maha Katouni was treated, said the foetus’s head had been shattered by bullet fire. Ms Katouni’s husband, Rafat, said their house was in the line of fire between Israeli troops on a daytime arrest raid and Palestinian gunmen. more.. ’Operation Big Blue’ carries out annual clean-up of fouled coastline James Farha, Daily Star 5/14/2007 Iffat Edriss Chatila of the Cedar Protection Group, organizer of Operation Big Blue, said that the summer 2006 war with Israel had not only degraded the environment but also had eroded people’s attention to environmental issues. -- BEIRUT: Springing into motion after a rousing chorus of the Lebanese national anthem, soldiers, volunteers, fisherman, divers and schoolchildren began the 10th annual "Operation Big Blue" clean-up of the national coastline on Sunday. Ceremonially headed by the commander of the Lebanese Army, General Michel Suleiman, the operation mounted a three-pronged attack on pollution blighting Lebanon’s coast and wildlife. Members of the army and the public abseiled down the cliffs at Raouche at 8:30 a. m. , while divers and fishermen cleaned the waters below and student and scouting groups swept the beaches for litter. more.. Resistance fighters in Gaza escape an Israeli raid Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/13/2007 Palestinian resistance fighters from the Islamic Jihad group escaped Sunday an assassination attempt by an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza. Witnesses said the attack, which took place near the border fence with Israeli in Beit Hanoun city, caused the injury of the car’s passengers and that medics were unable to reach the wounded. Nevertheless, the aL-Quds Brigades, the Islamic Jihad’s armed wing, faxed a statement to reporters, denying any causalities among its fighters and claimed the Israeli warplane hit the car after its fighters fired a homemade shell into south of Israel. The statement confirmed that the aL-Quds Brigades’ car, was hit with the Israeli missile as the fighters managed to survive unharmed. Sunday’s attack came just hours ahead of an Israeli cabinet meeting to discuss continued rocket fire attacks into nearby Israeli communities. more.. Six hurt as Hamas, Fatah clash in heaviest Gaza fighting in weeks Reuters, Ha’aretz 5/12/2007 Rival Palestinian factions clashed in the Gaza Strip on Friday, causing at least six injuries, in some of the heaviest fighting in weeks, security officials and witnesses said. The clashes erupted less than 48 hours after Palestinian security forces began deploying in Gaza under a new security plan. Palestinians had hoped the deployment would help curb growing lawlessness and ease tensions between ruling Hamas Islamists and Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas’s secular Fatah faction. Hamas said the fighting began before dawn when members of Abbas’ national security forces detained a member of Hamas’ military wing. The man was detained because he was suspected of being involved in firing on security forces overnight, according to a source with the national security forces. more.. This Week In Palestine – Week 19 2007 IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/12/2007 Click Here to download or Play MP3 File || Time 18m0s || file 16. 5MB || This Week In Palestine, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www. IMEMC. org, for May 05 through May 11, 2007. Let’s begin our weekly report with the nonviolent actions in Palestine and especially in Bilin and Ramallah against the wall Bil’in In the weekly non-violent protest conducted each Friday in the village of Bilin near the central West Bank city of Ramallah 7 non-violent protesters were injured and another 10 were detained by the army. As is the case every week, villagers, side by side with Israeli and International peace activists marched today towards the gate of the illegal wall built on the village’s land. Upon arrival at the gate of the wall, Israeli troops waiting there opened fire on the protesters, injuring 7 of them. more.. Gunfight mars launch of new plan to bring quiet to Gaza The Associated Press, Ha’aretz 5/11/2007 Clashes between the rival Hamas and Fatah forces erupted in the central Gaza Strip on Thursday, marring the launch of a new security plan aimed at halting the wave of violence plaguing the crowded coastal area. Palestinian medical officials said one person was wounded - and four people were kidnapped and then released - in the fighting in the Nusseirat refugee camp. No further details were immediately available. The fighting came as Palestinian officials moved forward with the launch of a new security plan aimed at restoring law and order in the chaotic Gaza Strip. In the first phase of the plan, an estimated 3,000 police fanned out throughout Gaza City, taking up positions at main intersections and government buildings. The police were not stationed in the area of the gunbattle. more.. Israeli army arrests two Palestinians in Nablus and Tulkarem; stones thrown at settler near Ramallah Ma’an News Agency 5/11/2007 West Bank - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested two Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Friday at dawn, according to Israeli sources. Israeli radio reported that the Israeli forces arrested one activist from the Islamic Jihad movement in the northern city of Nablus and a Hamas activist in Tulkarem. Our Tulkarem correspondent reported that the Israeli forces broke into Tulkarem city at dawn on Friday and stormed the house of the ’Awad family. The Israeli soldiers then arrested the owner of the house, Majdi Daoud ’Issa ’Awad, 30. Mr. Awad, a husband and father of two children, was previously arrested on 3 May 2001 and imprisoned for two years. Israeli radio also reported that an Israeli female settler was lightly injured when stones were thrown at her car north of the West Bank city of Ramallah. more.. Al-Quds Brigades fire projectile at Ashkelon, narrowly missing power station Ma’an News Agency 5/11/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for launching one homemade projectile at the southern Israeli city of Ashkelon on Friday morning. The brigades assured in a statement for Ma’an that this operation was in response to the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza. Israeli sources had announced on Friday morning that a projectile landed near an electricity station near Ashkelon. [end] Increasing number of rabbis are allowing Jews to enter Temple Mount Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 5/9/2007 An increasing number of religious Zionist rabbis are allowing their followers to enter the Temple Mount, contrary to the religious consensus on the matter. This weekend, the rabbis Haim Druckman and Avraham Zukerman, of the Bnei Akiva youth movement, and Tzafania Drori, chief rabbi of Kiryat Shmona, are set to join this growing group with an ad in the Orthodox media. The rabbis, who are major figures in the religious Zionist movement, will call on Jews wishing to enter the Temple Mount "in purity, to ascend at this time to the to the places permitted for Jews to enter." The three rabbis are known for their principle support for letting Jews on to the Temple Mount. But they had not yet expressed their stand formally, because of the religious sensitivity of the issue. more.. Gunmen shoot dead Palestinian man in Nablus Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Nablus - Ma’an - A Palestinian man was shot dead by unknown gunmen in east Nablus city on Tuesday evening, according to Palestinian sources. The sources added that the unknown armed men shot at Salim Al-Sharabi, 32, in one of the streets of Khalet Al-’Amoud, a neighbourhood in east Nablus city, in the north of the occupied West Bank. Palestinian medical sources said that Al-Sharabi was hit with several bullets in his body which led to his immediate death. [end] Two Palestinians, including one elderly man, injured by Israeli gunfire in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – Two Palestinian citizens were injured by Israeli forces at Karni crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday morning. One of the injured is an elderly man. Palestinian medical sources said that 80-year-old, Mohammad Muhsen Hajaj, and Fares Mohammad Sukar, aged 37, were injured in their legs from Israeli gunfire. Palestinian security personnel and ambulance teams present in the area transferred the citizens to Al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City. Medical staff said the two patients were in a stable condition. [end] Israeli army arrests six Palestinians across West Bank Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Jerusalem - Ma’an - Israeli forces arrested six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday at dawn, according to Israeli sources. Israeli radio said that three Hamas activists were arrested near the West Bank city of Ramallah and three other Palestinians were arrested in Al-’Eizariya village (Bethany), east of occupied Jerusalem. Our Nablus correspondent mentioned that three youths were also arrested in Al-Jabal Al-Shimali area (’The Northern Mountain’) of Nablus city, in the north of the occupied West Bank. [end] One civilian kidnapped and several homes ransacked as army invades villages near Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 The Israeli army invaded the village of Beit Ola and Tafuha west of the West Bank city of Hebron city, kidnapped one civilian and ransacked some homes on Wednesday. Local sources stated that Mo’aied Al Saraheen, 27, was taken from his homes when troops search and ransacked it, he was taken to unknown location his family reported. During the search witnesses said that Israeli soldiers intentionally destroyed people’s belongings. Witnesses added that troops detained some youths in the streets questioned them then let them go. [end] One Palestinian injured and one roped in Gaza Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 Palestinian medical sources reported that one civilian was shot and injured by unknown gunmen in down town Gaza city and another one was roped on Wednesday midday. The man was missing his cloths, 12 000 NIS and phone cards that worth 13 000 NIS. Also on Wednesday Palestinian medical sources reported that a fight broke out between two rival families in the city leading to the injury of nine residents one of them Abdullah Al Hashash was critically wounded after he was stabbed in the back, all injured were moved to Kamal Adwan hospital for treatment, the medical sources added. [end] Two Palestinian residents wounded as Israeli army enters Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 Palestinian medical sources confirmed that one Palestinian resident was shot and wounded in his legs after the Israeli army opened a hole in the barbed-wire fence on the eastern Gaza-Israel border line. Meanwhile, witnesses said that the Israeli forces involving tanks and bulldozers rolled about 500 meters depth into Palestinian-owned lands in evacuated Israeli settlements close to the Beit Lahiya town in northern Gaza. The Israeli army denied that such incursion was meant to carry out a ground offensive on the region. Three Palestinian resistance groups including Hams’s military wing ‘Ezzeldin Alqassam’, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Islamic Jihad group ‘holy war, warned against an Israeli offensive on Gaza and vowed to continue firing homemade shells into nearby Israeli communities. more.. Israeli army demolishes a chicken coop in al-Walaja village near Bethlehem News - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 The Israeli army invaded the village of Al Walaja west of Bethlehem and demolished a chicken coop after attacking the villagers on Wednesday. A massive Israeli army force including a bulldozer stormed the village, surrounded a chicken coop that belong to Mossa Abd-Raboh and demolished it. Israel annexed the village of the Walaja to Jerusalem but regarded the Palestinian residents of the village as illegal, and refused to give them Jerusalem residency rights. The army does not allow them to build new structures in the annexed area and continuously demolish homes. Israel rarely give building permits to Palestinians living in East Jerusalem and the nearby Palestinian villages since it occupied the city in 1967. more.. Nine Palestinians injured in family fight and one injured by Israeli army fire in Gaza IMEMC News - - Gaza, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 Nine Palestinian civilians were injured in the southern Gaza strip city of Rafah during a family fight on Wednesday. In the meantime another Gaza resident was shot and injured by Israeli army fire when the army opened tanks at Palestinian homes located near Al Mintar commercial crossing east of Gaza city. Mohamed Hajaj was injured in the leg and moved to Al Shifa hospital in Gaza city, medical sources reported. [end] Sharp rise in crime in Ramallah: young girls sold, citizens robbed and murdered Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Ramallah – Ma’an – Palestinian police sources have reported a sharp rise in crime in Ramallah. The police in Ramallah governorate revealed that they discovered the corpses of two victims of theft and announced that a father sold two of his daughters. The two girls, aged 13 and 15, were sold to two men aged 23 and 25, for 7,000 shekels (~$1,800 US). The two men who bought the women were accused of rape and luring minors. Police sources also reported a homicide, in which a man, Ibrahim al-Bayrouti, went to Ramallah to conclude a transaction worth ~ $60,000, but his money was stolen and he disappeared. Later his corpse was discovered with two bullet and several stab wounds and his leg had been severed with a chainsaw. Police officers say that crime in the city has risen 200%. more.. Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades shoot Israeli soldier near Gaza border Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – The Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) on Wednesday claimed responsibility for shooting an Israeli soldier near the separation fence, east of Juhr ’Adeik in Gaza City. In a statement received by Ma’an, the brigades declared that the operation came to state their intention "to continue fighting the Israeli occupation and retaliating to their atrocities against the Palestinians". [end] Al-Qassam brigades’ members escape a targeted attack in Jabalia, Hamas spokesman says Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - Members of the Izzedin Al-Qassam brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, escaped a targeted bombing attack, a Hamas spokesman claimed on Tuesday evening. Hamas spokesman in the northern Gaza Strip, Abdul-Latif Al-Qanu’, said that some Al-Qassam members escaped an attempt to target them in Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern Gaza Strip, when an explosive device was planted in the ground with a timer. In a statement for Ma’an, the Hamas spokesman accused the parties that planted the device of being "criminals and agents of the Israeli occupation." Al-Qanu’ added, "Those behind this cowardly and criminal act aim to deviate the compass away from jihad, resistance and accord, to the domain of internal conflict." He warned that such attempts come at a time when Israel is threatening to invade the... more.. Al Quds Brigades launch mortar attack on Israeli military station Ma’an News Agency 5/9/2007 Gaza - Ma’an – The Al Quds Brigades announced responsibility for launching four mortars at the Israeli military station in Kerem Shalom, on the border of the southern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday at dawn. The brigades, the military wing of the Hamas movement, said in a statement to Ma’an "this operation comes in response to the continuous Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza." [end] Unknown gunmen attack PALTEL in Khan Younis Rami Almeghari - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 Masked gunmen attacked Wednesday afternoon the premises of the Palestinian Telecommunications company (PALTEL) in the southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis. Palestinian medical sources said that unknown gunmen opened several bullets in the air, before they forced the company’s staff out. The attack has caused damages to one of the company’s vehicles, the sources added. Chaos and disorder have been rocking the Gaza Strip over the past several months, killing some hundred Palestinians and devastating a large number of property. [end] About fifteen active gunrunning tunnels in Gaza Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/9/2007 Palestinian and Israeli security sources believe there are approximately 15 active tunnels in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, between the Palestinian Authority and Egypt. The tunnels are being used by smugglers to move arms, drugs and people, sources say. The same sources say there are at least 10 other tunnels in the area that are not in use due to various technical reasons. There have been several attempts to dig tunnels along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These tunnels could be used to conduct raids, abduct Israelis or lay explosives. The Rafah tunnels are being controlled by the most powerful clans in the area, who consider them a very lucrative source of income. The various militant organizations use the tunnels to import various types of weapons and explosives. more.. Yesha Council hopes makeover will renew its political relevance Nadav Shragai, Ha’aretz 5/9/2007 The campaign against road accidents that the Yesha Council of settlements initiated a few months ago is symptomatic of its situation. It’s not that road accidents are not a worthy subject: The issue, which is not an area of standard settler concern, characterizes’ the council’s disappearence from the "struggle for the Land of Israel." However, this might change soon. After the Yesha Council’s huge failure in preventing the destruction of Gush Katif and the evacuation of northern Samaria, it is trying to make a comeback. Tomorrow, at Eshel Hashomron Hotel in Ariel, the renewed council will hold its first meeting. The 65-member plenum is set to include more grass-roots activists as well as some former opponents. The majority will be from the national-religious camp. more.. Palestine Today 050907 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/9/2007 Click on Link to download or play MP3 file || File 4. 57 MB|| Time 5m0s || Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www. imemc. org, for Wednesday May 9th, 2007. On Wednesday, an Islamist group in Gaza claimed responsibility for the abduction of BBC reporter Alan Johnston, who has been held hostage in Gaza for the past several weeks. The group, which is known in Gaza, said it has sent out a video tape to the Al-Jazeera Arabic satellite channel, and that it demands the release of Palestinian prisoner Mahmoud Abu Omar, known as Abu Qutada, who has been imprisoned in London for linkage to Al-Qae’da in Europe. In a second audio tape sent to Aljazeera this morning, the group stressed that any attempt by Palestinian authority forces to release Johnston will be counterproductive. more.. Israeli forces arrest 28 Palestinians Tuesday at dawn Ma’an News Agency 5/8/2007 West Bank - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested 28 Palestinians from different areas in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday at dawn, according to Israeli sources. Israeli radio reported that the Israeli forces arrested 14 Hamas activists in the city of Tulkarem, 4 Islamic Jihad activists in the city of Jenin, and one activist from the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa brigades in the city of Bethlehem. The radio added that other arrests took place in the West Bank cities of Ramallah and Hebron. In Bethlehem, the Israeli forces besieged a house in Ad-Doha, a village south of the city at dawn, and arrested the brother and brother-in-law of the owner of the house, Nidal Malash, after demolishing part of the building. A young boy, Mu’tasim Al-Qaysi, was hit by a rubber bullet in his back during the siege, and was transferred to Beit Jala hospital for treatment. more.. ’No escape:’ Fatah gives Jund al-Sham 72 hours to turn over killers of two members Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 5/9/2007 SIDON: The Fatah movement gave a militant group at the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in Sidon 72 hours from late Monday to hand over the killers of two Fatah members earlier in the day. Tensions in the camp remained high a day after members of the Jund al-Sham militia killed Fatah members Ibrahim Deeb and Abu Omra Asmar. A Palestinian girl was wounded in fighting that ensued between the groups. Abbas Zaki, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) representative in Lebanon, announced the deadline late on Monday. "Killers will not escape punishment," Zaki said after meeting with Sidon MP Bahia Hariri. "Palestinian camps will not be a refuge for fugitives nor will they disrupt Lebanese and Palestinian civil peace." A source close to Fatah told The Daily Star on Tuesday the two victims would not be buried until the killers are caught. more.. Residents and fighters foiled Israeli infiltration into Jenin IMEMC Staff, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Palestinian sources in the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, reported that residents and fighters managed to uncover, on Sunday, an infiltration of undercover forces into the camp. One of the residents who managed to observe the under-cover forces stated that the forces were hiding in a local home in Al Damj neighborhood. The under-cover forces and ordinary army units repeatedly use Palestinian houses as a hideouts as they carry their attack, and in many cases they use the houses as military posts. Local residents said that soldiers invaded the camp on Sunday at dawn, and then withdrew after the under-cover forces secretly occupied a house. On Sunday afternoon, some Palestinian youth noticed strange presence in the occupied house and spread the word in the camp. more.. Army kidnaps one Palestinian civilian from Nablus Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 The Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and kidnapped Ihap Al Qariti, 21 on Tuesday morning. Troops invaded the city and searched number of homes in the city center then took the man to unknown detention camp, Palestinian sources reported. [end] 14 Palestinian civilians kidnapped as Israeli army invades Tulkarem city Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem searched homes and kidnapped 14 Palestinian civilians on Tuesday morning. Palestinian security sources in Tulkarem stated that the military attack lasted for four hours, the force left the area after kidnapping 14 residents. Among those kidnapped were; Abdullah Yassen, 45, the spokesperson of Hamas movement in the city of Tulkarem, Ahmad Jamus, 21, and Nasser Samara, 27. [end] On pre dawn invasion; Israeli army kidnaps four civilians from a village near Jenin Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Four Palestinian civilians were kidnapped from their homes as the Israeli army attacked and searched a number of homes in the village of Kufer Ra’e south West of Jenin city located in the northern part of the West Bank on Tuesday ay dawn. Those kidnapped were identified as; Ayman Yihia, 33, Mohamed Ibraheem, 22, Sohieb Thiab, 21, and Mohamed Atrash, 20. The army stated that its operations today were aimed at locating and kidnapping local Palestinian resistance fighter, Palestinian sources reported that kidnapped today by the army are civilians. By the end of last week the number of Palestinians kidnapped and forced into detention camps since the beginning of this year has risen to 1,062. There are currently around 11,000 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli detention camps, the majority held without charges. more.. Eight Palestinian civilians kidnapped as Israeli forces attack homes in Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Palestinian sources reported that Israeli forces conducted a wide scale house to house search campaign in the northern West Bank city of Hebron and nearby villages; kidnapped eight civilians on Tuesday. Among those kidnapped were; Nadem Abu Khalaf, 28, Mohamed Iskafim and Yassen Abu Kaled, 49. all eight were taken to unknown detention camp. The Israeli army has attacked several West Bank cities on Tuesday morning and kidnapped at least 20 residents, 14 of those kidnapped were from the city of Tulkarem. [end] Islamic Jihad’s military wing fire projectile at Sderot Ma’an News Agency 5/8/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al-Quds brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for launching one homemade projectile towards the southern Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday morning. The brigades assured in a statement for Ma’an that this is a preliminary response for the Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. [end] Israeli forces besiege home in Bethlehem for 8 hours, arrest 2 men but not the targeted man Ma’an News Agency 5/8/2007 Bethlehem - Ma’an - More than 17 Israeli military vehicles invaded the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem and besieged a home in the Ad Doha area on Monday afternoon. Ma’an’s correspondent reported that the Israeli forces besieged the home of Nidal Malash and imposed a curfew in the surrounding area, preventing journalists from entering the closed military zone. Explosions and heavy gunfire were heard in the area. Palestinian security sources stated that the Israeli forces started demolishing the outer wall of the house on Monday evening. A young boy, Mu’tasim Al-Qaysi, received a rubber bullet to his back and was transferred to Beit Jala hospital for treatment. Early on Tuesday, Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli forces had demolished the outer wall of the besieged house and part of the... more.. Israeli forces invade Tulkarem, arrest 15 Hamas activists; 1 Israeli soldier injured Ma’an News Agency 5/8/2007 Tulkarem - Ma’an - The Israeli forces arrested 15 Hamas activists on Tuesday at dawn in a wide-scale military action in the West Bank city of Tulkarem. Among those arrested was a spokesman of the movement, Al-Sheikh Abdullah Yassin. More than 30 military vehicles and dozens of armed soldiers invaded Tulkarem, which is located in the north west of the occupied West Bank. Witnesses reported intensive gunfire and sound bombs launched at the homes of local citizens in Tulkarem city and Tulkarem refugee camp. Sources from Hamas say that the other arrestees are ’Issam Ghazi Gitawi, 35; Sadeq Samih Al-Qarut, 43; Ahmed Al-Matruk, 38; Nidal Abu Tharifeh, 33; Ahmed Abu Salah, 26; Nidal Abu Hilal, 35; Mahmoud Khader Abu Thiyab, 38;Mahmoud Mustafa ’As’as, 24; Ahmed ’Assem ’Awad, 28; Raja’i Ahmed ’Amouri, 23; Ziyad... more.. Military court reduces sentence of officer convicted of spying Hanan Greenberg, YNetNews 5/8/2007 Judges reduce sentence for decorated Bedouin officer out of health considerations -- The Military Appeals Court on Monday accepted an appeal by an IDF officer convicted of spying for the enemy and drug trafficking and reduced his sentence from 15 to 10 years in jail. In April 2006, a military court in Tel Aviv found Lieutenant Colonel Omar al-Hayeb "“ a decorated Bedouin officer - guilty of severe espionage and contact with a Hizbullah agent, as well as two charges of drug trafficking from Lebanon. He was acquitted of another drug dealing offense and of treason. - Decorated Bedouin officer, who was found guilty of severe espionage, drug trafficking, sentenced to 15 years in Jail, to be dismissed from army more.. Report: Prof’s murderers planned to assassinate MK Amnon Meranda, YNetNews 5/8/2007 The Knesset security officer on Tuesday began looking into the possibility that the murderers of an Israeli professor planned to assassinate a Knesset member and made a mistake due to the similarity between the license plates of the two vehicles. The Knesset launched an inquiry following information published on the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades website. The organization claimed responsibility for the murder, saying that Prof David Niv was shot by mistake as part of an attempt to assassinate a Knesset member. In a letter sent to all MKs, Knesset Officer Yitzhak Shadar asked them to check whether they or their family members owned a vehicle similar to the one mentioned in al-Aqsa’s website. Prof Niv, who served as director of the Pain Clinic at the Sourasky Medical Center in Tel Aviv, was murdered about two month ago on a main road in the city of Ramat Gan. more.. Help on the way for manufacturers hurt by Israeli attacks Lysandra Ohrstrom, Daily Star 5/9/2007 BEIRUT: The government is finalizing a scheme to compensate Lebanese manufacturers for a portion of the direct material losses sustained by hundreds of factories during last year’s war with Israel, after negotiations between Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and local industrialists at the Grand Serail last week. The government is putting the "finishing touches" on a plan endorsed by the Central Bank that would provide financial assistance equivalent to 50 or 60 percent of the total value of infrastructural damage to 142 factories, the president of the Association of Lebanese Industrialists, Faddi Abboud, said Tuesday. Details regarding the method of compensation are still sketchy, but Abboud said the proposal was "similar to financial engineering schemes used by the Central Bank in the past." more.. Palestine Today 050807 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 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 Tuesday May 8th, 2007. Israeli authorities used the excuse that the building was built without valid permits; permits that Israel has rarely given to Palestinians living in Jerusalem since it occupied the city in1967. Human rights organizations in the city stated that since the beginning of this year, Israel has destroyed 48 Palestinian owned buildings and houses under the pretext of being built without permits. Also on Tuesday morning, the Israeli army invaded several parts of the West Bank and kidnapped at least 28 Palestinian civilians. 14 of those kidnapped were from the city of Tulkarem. more.. Israeli strike targets rocket squad Al Jazeera 5/7/2007 An Israeli aircraft has attacked a car carrying an Islamic Jihad rocket-firing squad in the Gaza Strip, wounding one of the fighters. An Israeli military spokesman said the air strike, in the northern part of the territory, had targeted a vehicle carrying weapons on Monday afternoon. Islamic Jihad, which has carried out numerous rocket attacks against Israel from the northern Gaza Strip, said one of its squads was on its way to a launch site when its car was attacked by an Israeli aircraft. Describing the air strike as "an assassination attempt", the group said the men managed to flee before the vehicle was hit by a missile but one of the gunmen was wounded. Ehud Olmert, Israeli prime minister, said just before the air strike that the rocket attacks "constitute a substantial threat" against Israel, and that "Israel will not be able to be restrained anymore". more.. Clashes at Ain al-Hilweh kill 2 Fatah members Mohammed Zaatari, Daily Star 5/8/2007 AIN AL-HILWEH: Militants from the Jund al-Sham group in the Ain al-Hilweh refugee camp in South Lebanon on Monday killed two members of the Fatah movement in an apparent surprise attack, instigating a clash in which a Palestinian girl was wounded, according to security sources. Ibrahim Deeb, a Palestinian national known as Abu Omra Ashqar, and a Syrian national identified as Abu Omra Asmar were shot in the Bustan al-Yahudi area of the camp by a group of five Jund al-Sham members, the sources said. Asmar died at the scene. Deeb was severely wounded and rushed to Hammoud hospital in Sidon. He died of his wounds hours later. The two men were said to be bodyguards of Fatah official Mohammad Abdel-Hamid Issa, known as Lino. After the initial attack, armed clashes broke out between members of Fatah and Jund al-Sham. more.. IDF unveils contingency plan to counter militants’ efforts in Gaza Aluf Benn Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/7/2007 The Israel Defense Forces recently presented a contingency plan to the cabinet to counter the firing of Qassam rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip and thwart Palestinian efforts to consolidate military power there. Palestinian militants have launched a number of rockets into Israel recently, one of them hitting a house in Sderot. The IDF responded by striking a vehicle that Islamic Jihad used for firing rockets, wounding three militants. The blueprint presented to the cabinet discusses engaging hostile forces near the security fence surrounding the Strip and employing remote-controlled weapons systems, rather than a ground operation to purge the cities and refugee camps in and around Gaza of militants. GOC Southern Command, Major-General Yoav Galant, listed five components for the plan: more.. Troops invade Al Doha town in Bethlehem surround a house of a Palestinian fighter Gahssan Bannoura - IMEMC, International Middle East Media Center 5/8/2007 Israeli soldiers invaded on Monday evening the town of Al Doha, in Bethlehem, and surrounded the houses of Nidal Malash, who is said to be one of the leaders of Salah Ed Deen brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees. The invasion was carried out by several armored military vehicles, accompanied with a military bulldozer. [end] Israeli authorities confiscate land for road dividing Palestinian village from Israeli settlement Ma’an News Agency 5/7/2007 Qalqilia – Ma’an – The Israeli authority has informed the local council in the northern West Bank village of Kafr Qaddum of a military order to confiscate land for the construction of an army road. The road is intended to separate the Palestinian village from the Israeli settlement of Qedumim, which was established on annexed Palestinian land. The village council issued a statement warning of the continued Israeli policy of confiscating land in the name of security. In contrast, Israeli settlers from Qedumim uprooted hundreds of trees belonging to the residents of the Palestinian village of Jit, east of the settlement. Local sources reported that the Israeli forces guarded the settlers while they uprooted the trees. [end] Olmert: Israel to respond ’severely’ to ongoing Qassam rocket fire Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, Haaretz Service and Agencies, Ha’aretz 5/7/2007 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that Israel would "respond severely" to the ongoing Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, saying the fire "threatens civilian lives in the northern Negev," according to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office. "The Qassam attacks constitute a tangible threat to Israel," said Olmert, during a meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "Israel cannot show restraint forever." The Israel Air Force fired on a Qassam-firing squad in northern Gaza on Monday, wounding one militant, hours after a Qassam rocket hit a house in the center of Sderot. On Sunday, two people were wounded, one moderately, when a rocket hit a gas station near the western Negev town. Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon reiterated a call for the PA "to take all... more.. IDF’s Galant hands cabinet new plan for halting Gaza terror Aluf Benn Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/8/2007 The Israel Defense Forces recently presented a contingency plan to the cabinet to counter the firing of Qassam rockets at Israel from the Gaza Strip and thwart Palestinian efforts to consolidate military power there. Palestinian militants have launched a number of rockets into Israel recently, one of them hitting a house in Sderot. The IDF responded by striking a vehicle that Islamic Jihad used for firing rockets, wounding three militants. The blueprint presented to the cabinet discusses engaging hostile forces near the security fence surrounding the Strip and employing remote-controlled weapons systems, rather than a ground operation to purge the cities and refugee camps in and around Gaza of militants. GOC Southern Command, Major-General Yoav Galant, listed five components for the plan: more.. Israeli army attack Palestinian homes in Hebron and injures one child Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 A Palestinian child was shot and injured as the Israeli army searched and attacked residents’ homes in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on Monday morning. Israeli army sources stated that Israeli soldiers opened fire when the local youth hurled stones at them. Earlier on Monday a massive Israeli force invaded several areas of Hebron city and nearby villages, troops searched and ransacked a number of Palestinian homes, during the search soldiers gave military orders to several Palestinian civilians that they have to go for an interview with the secret Israeli police Shin Bit office in the nearby Kfar Atzion military pass near the city. Among those residents were Mohamed Izrikat. more.. Israeli troops open fire at Palestinian civilians stranded on a military checkpoint in northern W.B. Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 Israeli forces stationed at Al Bathan checkpoint located at the northern entrance of the West Bank city of Nablus opened fire randomly at Palestinian civilians stranded at the checkpoint on Monday morning. Witnesses reported that soldiers started to fire tier gas and live rounds at civilians stuck at the checkpoint, medical sources reported that several cases of sever gas inhalation was reported and that some cases had to be moved to nearby hospitals. The Palestinian medical teems added that the gas that was fired at the people is a new kind that they did not see before, the tier gas today was so much powerful than what the Israeli army usually uses medics said. Scores of students could not go to school and a lot of workers did not managed to get to their jobs in the city on Monday after the army attacked... more.. Army invades a town near Bethlehem, and surrounds one house there Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 An Israeli army force invaded Al Doha town south west of Bethlehem city in the southern part of the West Bank and surrounded a house there on Monday evening. Witnesses told IMEMC that the house belongs to Nidal Malash, said to be a leader in Salah Al Dien brigades the armed wing of the popular resistance committees in Bethlehem district. Witnesses added that army has deployed a bulldozer at the location. [end] Troops shell houses near the Gaza Beach Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 Palestinian sources reported on Monday at night that Israeli navy ships fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian houses near the Gaza beach. The shelling caused damage to the shelled areas; no injuries were reported. On Monday evening, the Israeli air force fired missiles at a Palestinian vehicle in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The car was totally damaged and burnt. [end] Six resident kidnapped as army invades several parts of the West Bank Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 Six Palestinian civilian were kidnapped by Israeli forces that invaded several part of the West bank on Monday morning. Israeli army sources reported that targeted what the army calls Wanted Palestinians, the army sources stated the during the invasion to Ramallah city local youth hurled stones at the invading force and damaged several army vehicles. In Al Khadier village south of Bethlehem city Israeli soldiers searched and ransacked a number of homes then kidnapped Ali Salah, 29, and took him to unknown destination Na’eem Al Warasnah, 40, and Rashad Al Khumor, 42, were taken from their homes located in Al Arop refugee camp in the southern West Bank city of Hebron after troops invaded and attacked residents homes their. more.. Palestinian man critically injured by shrapnel from Israeli explosive in central Gaza Strip Ma’an News Agency 5/7/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - A Palestinian man was critically injured on Monday morning when an explosive device exploded east of Al-Bureij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Medical sources in Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Hospital in Deir Al-Balah reported that Jamal Harbi (Abu Kamil), 30, was hit by shrapnel all over his body. His condition was described as critical. The bomb was believed to have been left behind by the Israeli military. [end] Al Quds Brigades claim responsibility for firing at Sderot, narrowly missing a kindergarten Ma’an News Agency 5/7/2007 Gaza - Ma’an - The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for firing a homemade projectile at the southern Israeli town of Sderot and two mortars at the Israeli military base of Kisufim on Monday morning. The brigades said in a statement for Ma’an that the launching came in response to the Israeli aggression against Palestinian citizens in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli sources admitted that the projectile that fell in Sderot directly hit a private Israeli house located close to a kindergarten. Israeli sources said the hit caused panic and shock among a number of Israelis. The Al Quds Brigades also claimed responsibility for firing two mortars at an Israeli military post near Karam Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing between the south of the Gaza Strip and Israel. more.. Two Al Quds Brigades operatives escape Israeli assassination attempt in Gaza Ma’an News Agency 5/7/2007 Gaza – Ma’an – Two Al Quds Brigades operatives escaped an assassination attempt by the Israeli forces on Monday when fighter jets targeted their car in the northern Gaza Strip. An innocent bystander was wounded during the air raid. Sources from the Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad movement, informed Ma’an that the activists ran from their car moments before the attack. Eyewitnesses confirmed that a Palestinian bystander was slightly injured as a result of the raid. Israeli fighter jets flew intensively over the Gaza Strip whilst Palestinian rockets continued to land on Israeli towns in the Western Negev, causing several injuries. more.. Israel air strike hits north Gaza BBC Online 5/7/2007 Israel’s army said the strike near Beit Hanoun targeted militants preparing to launch rockets into Israel. It follows a warning by Israeli PM Ehud Olmert that Israel would take action if Palestinian militants continued firing rockets into Israel from Gaza. Earlier a rocket landed near a nursery in southern Israel. No-one was hurt. The Qassam rocket landed in the town of Sderot, a frequent target by militants. Islamic Jihad said it carried out the attack. Three of the group’s members were killed on Friday in a raid by Israeli troops in the West Bank. ’Bystander hurt’On Monday, an Israeli army spokesman confirmed "an air raid in northern Gaza that targeted a vehicle that was carrying arms and was on its way to launch rockets". more.. Rocket blast in hallway proves Sderot is not Qassam-proof Mijal Grinberg, Ha’aretz 5/8/2007 When 66-year-old Hannah Ben Yaish of Sderot hears the alarm go off, warning that a Qassam rocket is arriving from the Gaza Strip, all she can do is sit tight and hope it misses her. She had been lucky until yesterday, when a rocket hit her home, which does not have a shelter. The rocket pierced her shingled roof and smashed to the floor of the hallway. Luckily, she was not hurt. After the attack she had one wish - that the government fund her a shelter. There are currently some 5,000 homes that lack shelters in Sderot and the towns, villages and Kibbutzim nearby. Prime Minister Ehud Olmert pledged in January to reinforce these homes, at a cost which the Israel Defense Forces Home Front Command estimates at just under NIS 1 billion. But the budget has not been revised to handle the reinforcement project. more.. Police respond to false report of shooting terror attack near Ramle Roni Singer Heruti, Haaretz Correspondent, Ha’aretz 5/7/2007 Police responded Sunday night to a call from a person who falsely reported that a terrorist attack was allegedly taking place at Bilu Junction near Ramle. Local police hurriedly dispatched several squad cars to the scene, only to discover that nothing had occurred there. The police suspect that the caller, who made his report at around 8:30 P. M. , is a serial prankster who has recently reported a number of fictional security-related incidents. This time, he said that an armed man was firing a weapon at passersby, and added excitedly that there were three casualties lying on the ground. Last month, police arrested a man from the central part of the county on suspicion that he had placed a bogus report regarding the abduction of an Israel Defense Forces soldier in the middle of Tel Aviv. more.. Lebanon spends $318 million on reconstruction after summer war DPA, Ha’aretz 5/7/2007 Lebanon’s Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said Monday his government had spent $318 million on reconstruction in the wake of the Second Lebanon War. Siniora announced the figures at a press conference, saying Lebanon had received $707 million in reconstruction aid out of $1. 3 billion pledged by donor countries, mainly Arab governments, after the end of hostilities. The government had so far paid $181 million as compensation to the owners of the homes destroyed in Israeli strikes, the figures showed. It spent $54 million on infrastructure, mainly repairing damaged roads, bridges, power plants and water networks. Around $42 million was spent on civilians who were displaced as a result of the 33-day conflict, which took the lives of 1,200 people in Lebanon and 162 Israelis. more.. Palestine Today 050707 Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio Dept, International Middle East Media Center 5/7/2007 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 5th, 2007. Palestinian sources reported that a Palestinian boy sustained critical wounds after a group of Israeli soldiers manning Al Nashshash checkpoint located to the south of Bethlehem attacked him on Monday midday. 17-year-old Iyad Al Anati, from the village of Halhol, near Hebron, was crossing the checkpoint on his way home from Bethlehem, when soldiers stopped him and took his bag, cell phone and money. A number of soldiers then forced him down on the ground and started to beat him up, witnesses reported. The witnesses added that soldiers kept the boy for two hours and refused to allow Palestinian medical teams to reach him. more.. Gaza school festival attacked Al Jazeera 5/6/2007 Armed men have opened fire and thrown grenades near a children’s festival at a UN-operated elementary school in the southern Gaza Strip, killing a local Fatah leader’s bodyguard and wounding seven people. No one has claimed responsibility for Sunday’s attack but earlier armed men outside the school had warned authorities not to hold the event. Majed Abu Shamaleh, the Fatah official whose bodyguard was killed, said the men had also tried to enter the school in Rafah as the celebration took place. The group had apparently announced that any festivities held where girls and boys mixed, showed dissent against Islam. ’Anti-Islam plot’ -- Abu Shamaleh said they had issued a warning on Saturday in which they blamed the UN for "turning people away from Islam. more.. Five Palestinian civilians among them two children wereinjured as Israeli army invades Jenin Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2007 The Israeli army injured five Palestinian civilians as troops continue its operation in Jenin refugee camp located in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, on Sunday afternoon. Medical sources stated that Mohamed Najem, 14, was injured in the face by a live round, and Hiaba Ighbariha was hit with a built shrapnel in her eye while Montaser Al Dorosi, 24, was injured in his leg. The medical sources added that Fou’ad Al Damag and the boy Ahmad Al Sa’adi, were hit with rubber rounds during clashes erupted between the invading troops and local stone throwing youth. Local residents in the refugee camp stated that Israeli soldiers are attacking resident homes and searching them, in the same time an army bulldozer have bulldozed a street in the camp center. more.. Settlers burn 80 Dunams of agricultural lands near Tulkarem Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2007 Local sources in Rameen village, east of Tulkarem in the northern part of the West Bank, reported on Sunday that settlers of Ennav Israeli settlement, close to the village, burnt 80 Dunams of agricultural lands that belongs to the villagers. Salman added that the burnt lands belong to a number of residents, including Awad Saleh Hamad, Sadeq Saleh Bseso, and Sami Abdul-Aziz Salman. Israeli soldiers obstructed several Palestinian fire-fighter vehicles as they were heading to the burnt lands, especially since some vehicles had to enter Ennav settlements area in order to surround and control the fire. [end] Israeli settlers attack Palestinian civilian and try to take over Palestinian land near Hebron Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2007 A group of illegal Israeli settlers from Beit Yater settlement built on stolen land from Janiah village east of Hebron city in the northern part of the West Bank attacked and injured a Palestinian boy on Sunday morning. armed settlers in Hebron city -file 2007 In the mean time another group right wing Jewish extremists took over land that belong to farmers from Yatta village near Hebron city, the settlers installed tents near an Israeli army post on those confiscated lands by the army. The farmers fear that illegal settlement post become a full established settlement which means that farmers from Yatta village will lose a massive portion of their lands. The Israeli army took over those lands several years ago and was attacking farmers in regular bases who try to get to their lands near the military post, farmers of Yatta village stated. more.. Qassam fire injures one, guard hurt in W. Bank shooting Amos Harel, Ha’aretz 5/6/2007 An Israeli citizen was seriously injured yesterday in a shooting incident near Ramallah. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades of Fatah claimed responsibility for the shooting. In another incident, a 24 year-old suffered moderate injuries from the shrapnel of a Qassam rocket that landed near Sderot. The Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the rocket attacks. The attack in the West Bank occured close to 11 A. M. , at a Palestinian gas station near the village of Dir Kadis. The 42-year-old security guard who accompanied a tanker that belonged to an Israeli company and was delivering fuel to the station, had left the vehicle and gone to the bathroom in the building. As the guard was making his way back to the vehicle, a Mazda sedan with three or four Palestinians passed by the station, firing at the Israeli guard. more.. Israeli army fires shells on northern Gaza Rami Almeghari - IMEMC&Agencies, International Middle East Media Center 5/6/2007 Israeli army fired on Sunday evening a number of shells in northern Gaza Strip, targeting a group of civilians in Beit Hanoun and a local cemetery in Jabalya refugee camp. Palestinian media sources and witnesses said that Israeli warplanes, hovering over Beit Hanun, fired at least one missile on a group of civilians, leaving no injuries. Witnesses said ambulances and rescue squads rushed to the scene immediately. An Israeli tank shell was fired as well on a local cemetery in eastern Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza. No injuries were reported, as some damages were caused in the area, media sources confirmed. The Gaza Strip has been recently on high alert after Israeli army officials threatened to carry out a ground offensive on the region, following a collapse of a six-month-old ceasefire. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
