Conflict..

Officials accuse Israel of laying pipes to steal water from South The Daily Star 9/29/2006 WAZZANI: Lebanese officials and residents of the South on Thursday accused the Israeli Army of stealing water from the Wazzani River. Mohammad Ghamlush, the engineer heading the Wazzani River pumping systems, told AFP that the Israeli Army sabotaged the water pumps on the river last week and installed a pipe to pump hundreds of cubic meters of water to Israel. During the last weekly Cabinet meeting on Thursday, the government denounced what it called an Israeli violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which brought 34 days of hostilities to a close. Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora discussed the issue over the phone with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on September 22, according to the National News Agency. more.. Israeli soldiers hit by an explosive device in Balata refugee camp; raids and arrests across West Bank Ma''an News 9/28/2006 West Bank - Palestinian gunmen threw an explosive device at Israeli forces invading Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank early on Thursday morning. Israeli forces raided a number of northern West Bank villages, seizing several Palestinians. Israeli ''security'' measures were increased in the Hebron and Salfit areas. Israeli forces raided the camp in the city of Nablus, claiming that they were searching for ''wanted'' Palestinians. Israeli media sources also reported that an explosive device was thrown at the Israeli troops. No casualties were reported. Israeli sources reported that the Israeli forces arrested eight ''wanted'' Palestinians from across the West Bank on Thursday. According to Palestinian security sources, more than ten Israeli military vehicles raided the village of Az Zababida, south of Jenin, early on Thursday morning... more.. Army invades Al Zababda and Sliat Al Harthia villages near Jenin and takes three prisoners International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 Israeli forces invaded the villages of Al Zababda and Sliat Al Harthia near the West Bank city of Jenin and took prisoner three residents on Thursday at dawn. Troops entered Al Zababda village east of Jenin and took Amar Abass, 29, and Mohamed Abu Khamis, 32, to unknown locations after searching a stone making factory where they work. Meanwhile, soldiers invaded Sliat Al Harthia village west of Jenin, searched and ransacked scores of residents'' homes before taking Mahmoud Tahina, 20, to an unknown location, local sources reported. [end] Israeli aerial F16 bombardment on Rafah home Palestine News Network 9/28/2006 Again Thursday morning Israeli F16 warplanes bombed homes in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah. At least two missiles hit a house in western Rafah whose owners were forewarned to leave. Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli bombardment targeted the home of Sami Sabri Brekke, an armed resistance member affiliated with the Hamas movement. The Israeli bombing destroyed the three-story house completely and damaged surrounding buildings. Medical sources reported that no injuries were reported. Yesterday at dawn Israeli forces fired missiles, killing a 14 year old girl in a home on the Egypt – Gaza Strip border. The occupation army continues its policy of aerial bombings on homes of resistance members.... Dozens of homes have been destroyed in this manner over the past two months. more.. The Occupation Report September 28, 2006 Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel 9/28/2006 Chronicling the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Jerrold Cohen, Ph. D. , Editor -- Gaza Strip: "Israeli jet fighters in Rafah bombarded the three-story house of Sami Braika with two missiles, and flattened it. Several houses were damaged, but there were no reports of casualties. (2) Braika is (8) an armed resistance (11) member of the Hamas movement. (8) 0411 hours: On Wednesday, an Israeli aircraft shot two missiles at a building used for storing weapons in Rafah, after giving advance warning by phone. ... West Bank: Israeli forces stormed several houses and arrested five Palestinians in different parts of Jenin. In Bethlehem, Israeli patrols arrested two Palestinians, identified as Rami Shawriya, 22, and Nader Zawahreh, 44. Two Palestinians were arrested in the Balata Refugee Camp near Nablus... more.. Israeli Jetfighter Flattens a House in Rafah WAFA - Palestine News Agency 9/28/2006 RAFAH, September 28, 2006, (WAFA)- Israeli jetfighters on Thursday morning bombarded a house in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah and completely destroyed it. Witnesses said that Israeli fighters hit the 3-storey- house of Sami Braika with two missiles and flattened it. WAFA reporter said that several houses were damaged during the airstrike where no wounded were reported. [end] IOF Arrests 9 Citizens in WB WAFA - Palestine News Agency 9/28/2006 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Thursday nine citizens, including a girl, in different cities in the West Bank, witnesses and security sources said. Witnesses told WAFA that a 20-year-old girl, Doaa Hussein, and an unidentified man, were arrested in the refugee camp of Balata, near Nablus. In the meantime, IOF arrested five citizens in different places in Jenin, security sources said. The sources said that Israeli soldiers stormed several houses and arrested the five citizens. Two other citizens were also arrested Thursday in the holy city of Bethlehem, witnesses said. They added that Israeli patrols deployed in the streets of Bethlehem and arrested both Rami Shawriya 22, and Nader Zawahreh 44. [end] Army injures farmer north of Beit Lahia International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 The Israeli army injured Jamal Al Attar, 45, after firing live rounds at him in Al Siqa area, north of Beit Lahia town, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip on Thursday. Medical sources in Kamal Adwan hospital near Beit Lahia reported that Al Attar sustained medium injures due to a built wound in the leg and will remain at the hospital for more treatment. [end] Army invades Iskaka village, east of Salfit International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 The army invaded Iskaka village, east of the West Bank city of Salfit Thursday morning, searched and ransacked residents'' homes. Troops entered the village, stormed homes, including that of Rabi'' Harb where they confiscated two computers and left. The army gave no reason for this action, residents reported. [end] Army takes prisoners two residents from Nablus International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 The Israeli army took prisoner two residents in a predawn invasion to several parts of the West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday. In Balata Refugee Camp troops attacked and ransacked scores of residents'' homes and shot live rounds randomly at residents before taking a 20 year old young woman, Du''a Hussen, and another unknown youth from the refugee camp to unknown locations, eyewitnesses reported. Elsewhere, in the nearby Rojeb and Assira Al Shamaliha villages near Nablus, soldiers searched scores of homes and damaged families'' belongings during the dawn invasion today. The army claimed they were looking for wanted people. [end] Daily invasion of Balata Refugee Camp: several arrested, a pharmacy and internet café destroyed Palestine News Network 9/28/2006 Israeli forces invaded eastern Nablus’ Balata Refugee Camp again Thursday morning, arresting a young man, Baha Amin Asawalhi. Several men at the Mosque for morning prayers were also taken. Eyewitnesses report that eight military vehicles invaded the camp, focusing the raids near the school. Israeli forces broke into the homes of Ziad Hassanain and Fahkri Al Aktam under the pretext of searching for Amar Hassanein. An Israeli bulldozer razed a pharmacy, internet café, and several other stores. Camp residents said that Israeli soldiers shouted obscenities through loudspeakers, especially offensive, the citizens complained, during the month of Ramadan. Members of the resistance detonated an explosive near a jeep during Thursday’s invasion of Balata, a daily occurrence since Ramadan began. [end] Israeli security claims to have defused an intended operation in their territories Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Nablus -- Israeli security sources have claimed on Thursday that they had, on Wednesday, defused an intended bombing operation inside the Israeli territories. The source added that force number 101 discovered and detonated an explosive belt in the Palestinian city of Nablus weighing approximately 10 kilos. The military spokesperson then said that they had arrested the planners of the operation during the invasion of Balata refugee camp near Nablus. The Israeli security services accused the Al-Aqsa Brigades operatives Jihad Toqan and Abdullah Qatawi who were arrested during the invasion of Balata on Wednesday. [end] Israeli army seizes a young Palestinian woman in Nablus accused of intending to carry out a bombing operation in Israel Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Nablus - Israeli forces arrested a young Palestinian woman from Balata refugee camp in the north of the occupied West Bank on Thursday morning, claiming she was intending to carry out an explosive operation inside Israel. Our correspondent in Nablus reported that, according to Palestinian sources, dozens of Israeli military vehicles penetrated the camp in the city of Nablus and arrested Do''a Hussein, 20, after they inspected several houses. Israeli sources claimed that the woman belonged to the Islamic Jihad movement and the Israeli forces arrested her after she expressed her readiness to carry out an explosive operation in one of the Israeli cities. On Tuesday night, Israeli sources reported that the Israeli forces had found an explosive belt weighing ten kilograms in the camp. Israeli bomb experts detonated the belt. more.. Al Quds Brigades claim responsibility for two explosions in Nablus Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Nablus - The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for throwing an explosive device at an Israeli patrol in Al Ain Beit Al Ma refugee camp in Nablus in the north of the West Bank on Thursday. In the same regard, the Al-Quds Brigades also claimed responsibility for throwing another explosive device at an Israeli patrol in Balata refugee camp, also in Nablus, in a joint operation with the Fatah-affiliated Al-Aqsa Brigades. In a joint statement, both Brigades confirmed that the operations came as natural response to the Israeli atrocities. The Brigades warned that similar such operations are planned for the future. [end] Resident dies of wounds sustained during internal clashes last week International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported on Thursday morning that one resident died of wounds sustained on September 22 during clashes between members of the Executive Committee and fighters of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh. The Executive Committee Force was formed by the Hamas party after the movement won the majority of the Legislative Council seats. The clashes took place around Kamal Adwan hospital, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Six residents were injured in the clashes, resident Taiseer Misbah Al Hindy, 45, was injured in his head and died of his wounds on Thursday. The northern part of the Gaza Strip witnessed increasing tension between members of the executive force and members of Fateh''s armed wing. more.. Israeli incursion into Al-Am''ari refugee camp; one Israeli soldier injured, three Palestinians seized Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Ramallah - Israeli sources reported on Wednesday evening that one Israeli soldier was lightly injured when an Israeli force was exposed to stone-throwing in Al Am''ari refugee camp in the West Bank city of Ramallah. The sources added that the Israeli troop raided the camp and arrested three Palestinians claiming that they were wanted. Meanwhile, a group of Palestinian youths threw stones at the soldiers, injuring one Israeli soldier in his head. The sources did not reveal the identities of the three arrested Palestinians. [end] Israeli forces arrest two in Jenin Palestine News Network 9/28/2006 During the continual invasions of the northern West Bank Jenin District Thursday, Israeli forces arrested Mahmoud Abu Khamis. He was a factory worker in the Jenin area town of Al Zababda. Israeli forces stormed the factory, and arrested another worker, Ammar Ibrahim Abbas. Also at dawn this morning, Israeli forces invaded Jenin Refugee Camp, breaking into several homes while claiming to search for "security information. [end] Army takes prisoner two residents in Abu Da''eif village near Jenin International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 The Israeli army took prisoner Obaida Yassen, 21, and Ibrahem Yassen, 22, during a dawn invasion of Abu Da''eif village east of the West Bank city of Jenin on Thursday. Troops and army jeeps raided the village and conducted a house-to-house search campaign and ransacked families'' belongings before taking the two detainees to unknown locations. [end] Army invades Obaydiah village, east of Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 Israeli troops invaded Thursday morning the village of Obaydiah, east of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Several army vehicles stormed the village and troops searched a number of houses, ordering five residents to turn themselves into the army. The five were known as Mohamed Shanaita, his son Nasser, Nayif Shanaita, Mohammad Shanaita and his son Sanad. [end] Army takes prisoner two residents in Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 9/28/2006 Israeli forces took prisoner two residents in a pre dawn invasion to the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Thursday. More than 8 army vehicles surrounded Rakhmah area on the east side of Bethlehem, searched several homes, then took Rami Shawuria, 22, to an unknown location. Moreover, in Al Karkafa area, on the west side of the city, troops stormed, searched and ransacked the house of Moussa Zawahra, 44, then took him to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported. [end] Israeli court sentences Bethlehem men Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Bethlehem - The Israeli military court of Ofer has on Thursday sentenced the Palestinian Hilmi Abdul-Kareem Hammash from Deheisheh refugee camp in southern Bethlehem to 12 terms of lifetime imprisonment. The same court also sentenced the brothers Ala'' and Imad Ahmad Da''du'' from Al-Khadir in western Bethlehem to 7 months'' imprisonment each, and a fine of 5000 NIS. Hammash was arrested on 09/03/2004, and was charged with being a member of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, and of recruiting the Palestinian who blew themselves up in Jerusalem in January 2004. [end] Member of security forces arrested in Jericho by Israeli troops Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Jericho - Ma''an - Israeli forces have on Thursday invaded the Palestinian refugee camp of Aqabat Jaber in Jericho and arrested a member of the Palestinian security forces, after surrounding his house for two hours. Ma''an''s reporter stated that Abdul-Hakeem Al-Qabbani, 27, was arrested and taken to an unknown location. [end] Al-Quds Brigades launch three projectiles at Sderot Ma''an News 9/28/2006 Gaza -- The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed group of the Islamic Jihad movement, have on Thursday evening launched three "Quds3" home-made projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot. In a statement received by Ma''an, the brigades stated that the bombing comes in retaliation for ongoing Israeli atrocities, and commemorates the first anniversary of the assassination of the Islamic Jihad leader Mohammad Sheikh Khalil. Israeli sources have admitted that the projectiles landed in Sderot. [end] Lebanese border village eagerly awaits Israeli pullout The Daily Star 9/29/2006 MAROUN AL-RAS: At home, Lina and her family tread on dangerous ground. The house, partly destroyed by rockets, has two unexploded bombs still buried underneath it. Israeli soldiers are still controlling the entrance of the hilltop village, which was the first area to be occupied in South Lebanon at the outbreak of the month-long Israeli offensive that ended August 14. In the ruins of Maroun al-Ras, the rocky village that overlooks northern Israel, Lina and her family can hardly make ends meet. Three weeks ago, the young woman came home with her three daughters, her disabled husband and her parents-in-law to find their house bombarded and vandalized, and all of her tobacco fields nearly dried to the roots. more.. Only an antimissile system can save our tanks Jerusalem Post 9/29/2006 The guerrillas lay in specially dug foxholes waiting for the IDF Merkava tanks. Once the tanks were spotted, the Hizbullah fighters pulled out their antitank missiles - some of the most advanced in the world - and within seconds knocked off another Israeli tank and then another. This is how it worked during Israel''s second war in Lebanon, which brought Military Intelligence to a better understanding of Hizbullah''s fighting tactics. The guerrilla group would train fighters for specific missions. Unlike IDF infantrymen who are trained for face-to-face combat and to fire antitank missiles in Low Intensity Conflicts (LIC) and conventional warfare, Hizbullah trained its fighters to become experts in a single field - one of those being the antitank missile, which during the war turned into the IDF''s worst nightmare. more.. Merkava tank production to stop within four years Globes 9/28/2006 The IDF has decided that the Merkava tank production line will be shut down within four years. "Globes" reports that the decision to stop production of the tank, one of the most expensive projects in the history of Israel''s military industries and the pride of the army, was made shortly before the outbreak of the war in Lebanon. Leaders of the project decided that the benefits do not justify the cost of the product. During the fighting in Lebanon, the Merkava tanks sustained serious damage from antitank rockets fired by Hizbullah militants. The tank, which has been boasted as having the best protection in the world, and which was designed for classic tank on tank battles, was not impervious to the rockets. 500 rockets were fired at Israeli tanks, 47 Merkava tanks were hit (two more were hit by roadside bombs) and 33 IDF soldiers were killed. more.. 9-Year-Old Boy, 4 Other People Hurt By Cluster Bomb Explosions An Nahar 9/27/2006 A nine-year-old boy was killed and four other people wounded in south Lebanon Wednesday in two separate cluster bomb explosions, security officials said. Mohammed Hassan Sultan was instantly killed when a cluster bomb exploded near his house in the village of Sawwaneh, some 17 kilometers north of the Israeli border. Three men were also wounded in the explosion, said officials. In Qaaqayiet al-Jisr, about 10 kilometers farther north from Sawwaneh, a 36-year-old woman was wounded in another cluster bomb explosion. U. N. de-mining experts said Tuesday that up to a million unexploded cluster bombs fired by Israel could be in south Lebanon -- nearly three times as many as previously estimated. Israel has not responded to repeated U. N. requests to hand over detailed information about the cluster bomb strikes... more.. Israel Stealing Wazzani River''s Waters An Nahar 9/27/2006 Lebanese officials and residents of the south have accused the Israeli army of stealing water from the Wazzani border river. Mohammad Ghamlush, the engineer heading the Wazzani river pumping systems, told Agence France Presse the Israeli army sabotaged the water pumps on the river last week and installed a pipe to pump hundreds of cubic meters to Israel. During the last weekly cabinet meeting on Thursday, the government denounced what it called an Israeli violation of. UN. Security Council Resolution 1701, which ended 34 days of Israeli-Hizbullah hostilities. Premier Fouad Saniora discussed the issue over the phone with U. N. Secretary General Kofi Annan on September 22, according to the National News Agency. In a region where water is scarce, the issue may have dramatic consequences and the U. N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) has opened an investigation. more.. Israeli warplanes bomb Rafah home, kill 14 year old girl and injure 20 people Palestine News Network 9/27/2006 Israeli forces opened fired from F16 warplanes over the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah Wednesday morning. The bombing targeted a family home near the Egyptian – Palestinian border. Medical sources in Rafah’s Abu Yousef An Najar Hospital reported that a girl arrived at the emergency room with her head crushed from falling concrete as her home crumbled under the Israeli attack. She was 14 year old Izzat Ahmed Hammad. The Israeli bombing also injured 20 people, including the girl’s father. Seventeen of the 20 are in Rafah’s Abu Yousef An Najar Hospital while three were transferred to a larger Gaza Strip hospital due to the critical nature of their injuries. The Israeli warplanes launched two separate aerial attacks this morning. The second bombing was on the home of Sami Salim Sha’er, also near the border with Rafah. The home was entirely destroyed as were adjacent houses. more.. Israeli forces invade Balata Refugee Camp, impose curfew Palestine News Network 9/27/2006 At dawn Wednesday Israeli military jeeps and a bulldozer invaded eastern Nablus’ Balata Refugee Camp. Israeli forces imposed curfew, meaning no one could move from where they were at that moment, and helicopters buzzed in circles overhead. Eyewitnesses report that dozens of Israeli military vehicles flooded from all axes to the street market where an explosive device was detonated. The Al Aqsa Brigades armed resistance wing later claimed responsibility. The Israeli bulldozer engaged in other acts of vandalism, breaking off facades of storefronts and plowing through the narrow camp streets. Israeli soldiers imposed a curfew on the camp and further reinforcements arrived at the center of the camp across the valley, setting up temporary military installations in the vicinity of the Old Mosque. more.. Israeli incursion into Balata refugee camp; at least two men taken prisoner Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Ma''an - During an Israeli military incursion into Balata refugee camp on Wednesday morning, there were clashes, explosions, shooting and reportedly a number of injuries and arrests. The Israeli army claimed that three Palestinians were injured and two arrested during the clashes in Balata, in the city of Nablus in the north of the occupied West Bank. However, our reporter in Nablus said that Palestinian sources denied the Israeli reports about injured Palestinians. The reporter confirmed that a number of young Palestinian men were taken prisoner by the Israeli forces, including Ala''a Sharay''ah, 21, and Jihad Shoufan, 17. Palestinian sources in Nablus also said an Israeli military vehicle was damaged when a roadside bomb exploded. more.. Israeli tanks roll into southern and central Gaza Strip Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Gaza -- Fifteen Israeli tanks and bulldozers rolled into the area of Sofia in the south of the Gaza Strip early on Wednesday morning, flattening Palestinian agricultural land, fruit trees and homes, the media coordinator in the Palestinian national security services has reported. Adnan Barbakh reported that the Israeli military vehicles entered Sofia, a region east of the city of Khan Younis and only 700 meters from the Gaza Strip''s borders with Israel. They started bulldozing Palestinian fields and destroying homes, claiming they were looking for tunnels. Barbakh confirmed that the Israeli forces seized more than 30 Palestinian citizens and took them to an unknown destination. He added that Israeli Special Forces broke into many houses in the area. Soldiers surrounded many other houses and occupied the roofs of other houses. more.. Jeeps invade one northern West Bank village; soldiers airdropped into another Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Jenin -- More than ten Israeli military vehicles and jeeps broke into the village of Aqqaba, and Israeli soldiers were airdropped over Badhan and Talluza, in the Tubas area in northern occupied West Bank, local sources have reported. The Israeli forces raided the village of Aqqaba from the north early on Wednesday and broke into many houses. The soldiers carried out a search of these houses, claiming they were looking for ''wanted'' Palestinians. Israeli helicopters also airdropped soldiers into villages south of the city of Tubas early on Wednesday, Palestinian security sources reported. The airdrop caused damage to the land in the area and it is reported that the Israeli forces fired intensive gunfire in the air during the operation. more.. Israeli settlers in southern West Bank bulldoze Palestinian land Palestine News Network 9/27/2006 Israeli settlers from Kiryat Arba, known for some of the most violent behavior in the West Bank, spent Wednesday destroying vast areas of Palestinian agricultural land. The southern West Bank city of Hebron suffers at length from the oldest settlement and the Israeli soldiers that work in it. Today settlers bulldozed major tracts of Palestinian land to the north for settlement expansion under heavy guard of Israeli soldiers. All settlements, expansion, and the settlers, are illegal under international law. The destroyed land belonged to Palestinians from eastern Hebron City. According to official sources from the Office of the General Committee for Land Defense in the West Bank, Israeli military forces and settlers brought bulldozers and other military vehicles and spent hours Wednesday afternoon destroying 15 dunams of Palestinian land. more.. Egypt destroys weapons tunnel Jerusalem Post 9/27/2006 Egyptian security forces destroyed a tunnel used to smuggle weapons into the Gaza Strip, police said on Wednesday. Police discovered the tunnel Wednesday near Karm Salem, less than 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Rafah crossing point, Capt. Mohammed Amin said. No arrests were made in the operation and police later detonated explosives in the tunnel to block it up. On Tuesday, Palestinian security forces discovered two underground tunnels along the Gaza Strip border with Egypt. Only one reached Egypt and officials sealed it later in the day. Since Israel pulled out of Gaza last summer, turning control of the border over to Egypt and the Palestinians, the IDF has said that cross-border smuggling of weapons and explosives has increased considerably. more.. IDF soldier hurt in op near Ramallah Jerusalem Post 9/27/2006 IAF aircraft shot two missiles at a building used for storing weapons in Rafiah, near the Egyptian border, it was reported late Wednesday night. Two people were lightly wounded, and the building was lightly damaged. The army reported that the building''s residents had been warned in advance by phone and had evacuated the premises. Arab sources claimed the IDF has recently attacked several homes of those suspected of smuggling arms to the Gaza Strip. Earlier Wednesday evening, an IDF soldier was lightly wounded when he was hit by a concrete block thrown by a Palestinian during an arrest operation in El-Amri refugee camp, next to Ramallah. During the operation, IDF Special Forces arrested an Al-Aksa Martyrs Brigades operative and two other Palestinian fugitives. more.. Invasion of southwestern Jenin town Palestine News Network 9/27/2006 At dawn Wednesday members of the Islamic Jihad-linked armed resistance wing Al Quds Brigdes joined with the Nasser Salah Addin Brigades in fighting off Israeli forces invading Qabatiya Village, southwest of Jenin. Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces invaded the town, with at least 20 military vehicles, besieged neighborhoods and began raid and search campaigns. Israeli forces injured two young members of the armed resistance and did not arrest anyone they claimed to be “wanted". [end] The Occupation Report September 27, 2006 Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel 9/27/2006 Chronicling the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict - Jerrold Cohen, Ph. D. , Editor -- Gaza Strip: Israeli soldiers backed by three bulldozers and 15 tanks stormed the al-Fakhari area in north Khan Younis, launched a wide-scale search campaign, and arrested 20 Palestinians from the al-''Amour and al-Jarghoun families. The bulldozers razed "scores of dunums" (figure a dunum to be about a quarter-acre), and uprooted hundreds of olive, citrus, and palm trees. (4) For the second time, Israeli aircraft targeted the house of Sami al-Sha''er in the city of Rafah. Dan Hammad, 14, arrived at the al-Najar Hospital "scattered into pieces" as she was hit with missile shrapnel. 14 other Palestinians were wounded in that attack, one of them Dan''s mother, three reported to be seriously wounded. "Witnesses said that the house was completely destroyed..." more.. Al Quds Brigades launch projectile at Ashkelon Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Gaza - Ma''an – The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement have claimed responsibility for launching a Quds home-made projectile at the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Wednesday. In a statement received by Ma''an, the brigades stated that the operation comes in retaliation for recent Israeli atrocities, which culminated in the killing on Tuesday of "the innocent baby girl Dam-il-Iz Hammad in the brutal shelling of Rafah. [end] Jewish terrorist who murdered four Palestinians gets four consecutive life sentences Ma''an News 9/27/2006 The Jerusalem District Court on Wednesday sentenced a Jewish terrorist to four consecutive life sentences, plus an additional 12 years in prison, for the murder of four Palestinian men. Asher Weisgan was convicted on September 11th of murdering four Arab workmen and wounding a fifth at a factory in the West Bank settlement of Shilo where they all worked under his supervision, the day before the implementation of the Gaza disengagement plan in August 2005. At the end of the work day at the factory, Weisgan gave four Arab workmen a ride in his car, stole an M-16 assault rifle from the guard and used it to shoot his four passengers, killing three of them and wounding the fourth. He then he ran toward the factory and shot another workman before turning himself in to the security officer who arrived on the scene. more.. Military group fire projectiles at Sderot Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Gaza -- The An Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC), said that they have launched two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot early on Wednesday. In a statement, the Brigades confirmed that the shelling of Sderot is a "natural reaction to the Israeli aggression against the Palestinian people. [end] Increased delays experienced at Za''tara checkpoint on Tuesday Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Nablus -- Ma''an - Israeli soldiers stationed at the Za''tara barrier between Nablus and Ramallah in the northern West Bank stepped up their measures against Palestinians wishing to pass through on Tuesday. The soldiers held up pedestrians and vehicles at the barrier for long periods of time claiming they needed to carry out ''security'' searches and checks. [end] Bureau of Statistics reports on Palestinian status since beginning of Intifada Ma''an News 9/27/2006 Gaza -- Gaza - Ma''an – The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics has issued a report in which it reviewed the Palestinian situation on the sixth anniversary of the Intifada. The report said that 4348 Palestinians were killed between the beginning of the Intifada and the end of July 2006. Of that 4348, 2372 were killed in the Gaza Strip, 1940 in the West Bank, and the remainder were killed on the Israeli side of the Green line. 847 of those killed were children under 18, and 2427 were between 18 and 29 years old. The report said that there were 30638 Palestinians injured during the six years of Intifada. In addition to death and injury caused directly by Israeli military assaults, the building of the separation wall has further caused the plight of the social and economic situation... more.. Qaqilia Zoo protecting animals against Israeli attacks Palestine News Network 9/27/2006 Even zoo animals are not spared Israeli attacks on World Day of Tourism. Wildlife living outside in the trees, wetlands, and lands overtaken and attacked by Israeli forces are killed or end up with no where to go... even within the Qalqilia Zoo, which the Israeli authorities have helped to maintain.... The animals were brought from the animal parks in Israel, which has helped with the garden at the outset. The Department of Civil Administration of the Israreli authorities aided until 1994..... Director of the Garden, Said Jaidi, told PNN Wednesday, “Animals in the park are exposed to strikes by the occupation army during invasions of the town of Qalqilia. Bullets hit the animals who are stuck inside their cages and must inhale tear gas and not be properly fed due to the impositions of curfew. ” more.. Medics: Girl killed, seven hurt in IAF Gaza strike Ha''aretz 9/27/2006 Israel Air Force air strikes on a house in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah early Wednesday killed a 14-year-old girl and wounded seven other people, hospital officials said. The air raids came several hours after a rocket fired from Gaza wounded a woman soldier in the western Negev town of Sderot. The attack targeted the house of Sammy al-Shaer, a weapons dealer, witnesses said. The army called al-Shaer 15 minutes before the initial raid, they said, and told him to clear out of the house, which he did. There were no major injuries in the initial strike, which leveled the house. However, as children gathered to look at the rubble, a second airstrike hit the house, killing a 14-year-old girl and wounded seven other children, hospital officials said. more.. ''Million bomblets'' in S Lebanon BBC 9/26/2006 Up to a million cluster bomblets discharged by Israel in its conflict with Hezbollah remain unexploded in southern Lebanon, the UN has said. The UN''s mine disposal agency says about 40% of the cluster bombs fired or dropped by Israel failed to detonate - three times the UN''s previous estimate. It says the problem could delay the return home of about 200,000 displaced people by up to two years. The devices have killed 14 people in south Lebanon since the August truce. The manager of the UN''s mine removal centre in south Lebanon, Chris Clark, said Israel had failed to provide useful information of its cluster bomb strikes, which could help with the clearance operation. Last month, the UN''s humanitarian chief, Jan Egeland, accused Israel of "completely immoral" use of cluster bombs in the conflict. more.. Relentless raids leave Gaza reeling BBC 9/26/2006 In a village in southern Gaza, an old Palestinian woman stood surveying the wreckage of her life, and her home - bulldozed by the Israeli army. Subhiya Mouamr pointed out her family''s store of flour strewn in the rubble, and the tent she now lives in." We sit here - between the earth and the sky - and we survive just on what the Red Cross brings us," Subhiya Mouamr said." They destroyed everything." But on that night when the Israelis came late last week, Subhiya Mouamr lost even more than her home and all that she owned. She also lost her son and her daughter-in-law. What happened in the village of Um al-Nasr is typical of the nature of the Israeli offensive in Gaza - which is now going into its fourth month.... The army says that it went in to Um al-Nasr to capture what it calls terrorists... the troops came under fire from two buildings, and... they were consequently demolished. more.. Soldier hurt in Qassam strike Ha''aretz 9/27/2006 Two Qassam rockets fired from the Gaza Strip landed in the western Negev yesterday morning, causing moderate injuries to a soldier. Also yesterday, a secret meeting of Israeli, Palestinian, European and American officials was held in Jerusalem to discuss the reopening of the border crossing at Rafah. The first rocket incident occured when a Qassam crashed near the central square of Sderot, close to the public market. A soldier on her way to her base suffered moderate injuries from shrapnel. Emergency crews rushed her to Barzilai Medical Center, Ashkelon, where she underwent surgery. She is in stable condition. Several civilians were treated for panic as a result of the incident. A spokesman for the Sderot municipality said that the supply of electricity to the town was cut for a short time. more.. Child injured by Israeli military in a Jenin refugee camp International Middle East Media Center 9/27/2006 Palestinian medical sources reported on Tuesday at night that one child was injured in Al Far''a refugee camp, near Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, after the Israeli army invaded the camp and fired at several residents during clashed that erupted at the main entrance of the camp. The sources stated that dozens of youth hurled stones at the invading forces and that one child identified as Moneer Mohammad Abdul-Fattah, 14, was moderately injured and was transferred to Khalil Suleiman Governmental Hospital in Jenin. Several children and residents inhaled gas fired by the army and received treatment. The clashes started during evening hours after several armored jeeps and military vehicles invaded the camp.... more.. Israelis settle in for long stay in village of Ghajar The Daily Star 9/27/2006 ABBASSIYEH, Lebanon: The once divided Southern town of Ghajar, half occupied by Israel and half within Lebanese territory, appears to have been finally reunited under one flag. "Khalas, it is gone. It is a new Israeli town and they are even repainting it in Israel''s favorite colors, pink and yellow," said 16-year-old shepherd Walid Ain Zat, who along with his two younger brothers regularly tends his flock of goats in the open fields near the border town. Ghajar appears to be excluded from reports that circulated Tuesday announcing that Israel has withdrawn from 90 percent of the territory it held in the South after the recent month-long war on Lebanon." I guess no one will ever be coming out of or going in there again," said Ain Zat, who wasn''t the only Southern resident to notice "changes" in Ghajar, such as the raising of an Israeli flag.... more.. Israeli soldiers take six brothers captive in a raid on a West Bank village Ma''an News 9/26/2006 Jenin -- Israeli forces seized six Palestinian men from two families in one village in the north of the occupied West Bank on Tuesday. Palestinian security sources said that Israeli military forces raided the village of Kafr Dan, west of Jenin, from all directions and started a house-to-house search. The Israeli forces broke into the house of Ramzi Abid, who is considered ''wanted'' by the Israeli army. As he was not at home, the soldiers seized four of his brothers instead – Qahir, 37, Hitler, 30, Osama, 28, and Lutfi, 23. The soldiers also broke into the Salah family house and seized the two brothers, Mohammad and Khair Samir Salah. The six men were taken away to an unknown destination. Eyewitnesses said that they heard sounds of explosions during the raid on the village. [end] Three days of invasions disrupt Ramadan in Nablus Palestine News Network 9/26/2006 For the third consecutive day, Israeli forces have continued the invasion of Nablus City, converting several high buildings into sniper towers. Residents say the “atmosphere of Ramadan is spoiled. ”Official Palestinian security sources said that Israeli snipers shot into the apartment of Kamil Abu Saed Iddin, striking 23 year old Amjad Anabtawi in the chest. The Nablus man is hospitalized as of Tuesday morning. Israeli forces concentrated on several Old City neighborhoods, including Yasmina and Kalbouna, conducting major raids. Military vehicles incurred from Checkpoint 17 and the Beit Iba suburban checkpoint, while opening heavy gunfire and launching grenades this morning. [end] Troops abduct a resident in Qabatia International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2006 Palestinian sources reported on Tuesday at night that Israeli soldiers abducted Ali Abu M''alla, 20, from Qabatia town, south of Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank. The sources stated that Abu M''alla was approaching his home when he was attacked and abducted by undercover forces of the Israel army. After the resident was taken prisoner, Israeli soldiers invaded the town and exchanged fire with resistance fighters, no injuries were reported. Army claims that the resident is a member of the Islamic Jihad Movement. [end] Army installs two checkpoints on Jenin–Tulkarem and Jenin-Nablus roads International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2006 Israeli troops installed two military checkpoints on Jenin–Tulkarem and Jenin-Nablus Roads, on Tuesday morning. Soldiers stopped civilian cars and taxis, searched them and checked the identity cards of the residents after forcing them to stop out of the vehicles for long periods. Also soldiers forced several residents to undress in public uder the pretext of searching themat the two checkpoints, eyewitnesses reported. Troops also confiscated several vehicles after claiming that they were illegal, eyewitnesses added. [end] Army takes two prisoners from Hebron and a nearby village International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2006 Monther Hassan, 28, from the West Bank city of Hebron and Sobhi Zma''ra, 16, from the nearby Halhoul village were taken prisoners by the Israeli army on Tuesday morning. Troops stormed, searched and ransacked residents'' houses in Hebron city and Halhou, before taking the two to unknown locations, their families reported. The sister of Zma''ra said that troops stormed their house in Halhoul 50 days ago and abducted her19-year old brother who remained in detention until now without charges or trial. [end] Army invades Kofer Dann village near Jenin, takes six prisoners International Middle East Media Center 9/26/2006 Tuesday at dawn, Israeli army invaded the village of Kofer Dan, west of Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank, and took six residents prisoners, including four brothers. Several army vehicle invaded the village and fired flares and sound bombs while soldiers conducted wide scale house-to-house search campaign and ransacked families belongings before taking the six to unknown locations. The detainees were identified as; Qaher Abed, 39, and his three brothers Samir, 33, Osama, 29, and Lotfi, 25, Mohamed Abu Al Hija, 21, and his brother Khairy, 20. [end] Two Palestinians seized in Halhul, north of Hebron Ma''an News 9/26/2006 Hebron -- The Israeli forces seized two Palestinians in the Hebron area of the southern occupied West Bank on Tuesday morning. Palestinian security sources reported that the Israeli forces invaded the town of Halhul, north of Hebron, and arrested Muhammad Subhi Za''amrah, 16 and Munther Jamil Abdul-Karim. The Israeli soldiers also stepped up their security measures in Hebron by checking everyone entering the city. [end] Masked gunmen assault student leader in Khan Younis Ma''an News 9/26/2006 Khan Younis -- Unknown armed men attacked the head of the student union of Al Aqsa University in Khan Younis on Tuesday. Four armed and masked men arrived in a black Subaru car and stopped Ala''a Jokhlob near the university, that is in the south of the Gaza Strip. They severely beat him and humiliated him, then left. The man was transported to hospital with many bruises and broken bones. The reasons for the attack are unknown. [end] Military groups fire projectiles at Sderot and detonate roadside bombs next to Israeli jeeps in Gaza Ma''an News 9/26/2006 Ma''an - The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claimed responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the Israeli town of Sderot on Tuesday. In a statement issued on Tuesday morning, the Brigades said that the shelling of Sderot was in reaction to the Israeli minister of defence Peretz'' statements in which he called for the launching of projectiles to be stopped and said that Israel will continue pursuing the projectile-launchers. The Al Quds Brigades announced earlier on Tuesday morning that they had launched a projectile at the town of Sderot. A young Israeli woman was reportedly injured by shrapnel from a homemade projectile fired at the town on Tuesday morning. Israeli medical sources said that the woman was in an Israeli hospital and her condition is stable. more.. Israel: Sderot still under fire ReliefWeb/IRIN 9/26/2006 SDEROT, 26 September (IRIN) - With the end of the war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, rocket attacks on the north of Israel are now no more than a bad memory. However, the small southern town of Sderot has long been the target of rockets fired from the Gaza Strip by Palestinian militants." Nobody tells the story of Sderot. We''ve been suffering almost six years on a daily basis. We don''t have the same life as before the Qassams [rockets] came to visit," said Eli Moyal, Mayor of Sderot. With a population of 24,000, Sderot is barely a mile away from the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt). The first Qassam rocket fired from Gaza landed on Sderot in April 2001. Five years on, about 3,000 rockets have hit the town - and they show no sign of abating. more.. How cluster bombs work BBC 9/26/2006 Cluster bombs are controversial weapons consisting of a canister which breaks apart to release a large number of small bombs. A range of so-called bomblets can be employed to attack different targets such as armoured vehicles or people - or to start fires. They can cover a large area but do not have precision guidance. Dropped from medium to high altitudes, they can wander off target. There is a significant "dud rate" of about 5% [est. 40% of Israel''s cluster bomblets remain unexploded in Lebonon - Ed. ]. In other words, many do not explode but, rather like landmines, litter the ground with the potential to explode years later. There are said to be thousands in Kosovo. more.. Israel pressed on cluster targets BBC 9/19/2006 The UN has urged Israel to say exactly where it fired cluster bombs during its recent bombardment of south Lebanon. Humanitarian co-ordinator David Shearer says Israel''s failure to provide the co-ordinates has hampered a clear-up effort that could take many months. An average of three people are killed or wounded a day by cluster munitions since the fighting ended on 14 August. Thousands of cluster bomblets landed in farms and villages, some 30-40% of which failed to explode at the time. Israel denies using the munitions illegally against civilian targets during the conflict. But Mr Shearer said Israel has yet to explain why 90% of its cluster munitions were fired in the last days of the conflict, as UN members were finalising a ceasefire resolution. -- See also: Lebanon, a unique example of humanitarian solidarity more.. IAF planes to fly over Lebanon until 1701 implemented Jerusalem Post 9/25/2006 Gearing up for the complete withdrawal of soldiers from Lebanon by the end of the week, the IDF said on Monday it would continue - even following the withdrawal - to fly surveillance planes over Lebanon until UN Security Council Resolution 1701 was fully implemented. On Tuesday, Brig. -Gen. Udi Dekel, head of the IDF''s Strategic Planning Division will meet with UNIFIL commander General Alain Pellegrini and representatives of the Lebanese Army at UN headquarters in Nakoura, just north of Rosh Hanikra.... To the UN''s dismay, the officer said, Israel did not plan to suspend its aerial activity over Lebanon until Resolution 1701 was fully implemented, the kidnapped soldiers Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were released and the Lebanese border with Syria was hermetically sealed to weapons transfers to Hizbullah. more.. Rights group: Israel abducting civilians The Daily Star 9/26/2006 BEIRUT: The Khiam Rehabilitation Center for the Victims of Torture said Monday that Israel continues to abduct Lebanese citizens from Lebanese territories in a "clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 1701." The center said in a statement that "the convention prohibits the taking of hostages who have no active role in the hostilities, including members of armed forces who have laid down their arms and those put out of action by sickness, wounds, detention or any other cause." The center urged the international community to force Israel to stop abducting civilians and release all Lebanese detained in its prisons. It added that Israel''s actions violate Resolution 1701, which calls for a cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbullah. more.. Israeli forces attack northern Gaza Strip several days running Palestine News Network 9/25/2006 At dawn Monday Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank town of Beit Hanoun. Eyewitnesses report that a number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers advanced towards citizens’ homes and imposed earth roadblocks. Imposition of another military installation inside the Gaza Strip is underway. Located between two former settlements, Dugit and Eli Sinai, area residents have suffered under three days running of Israeli attacks. It began when Israeli soldiers forced Palestinians from their homes under the pretext of searching for tunnels used for resistance activities. In nearby Beit Lahia, Israeli forces killed three young boys herding sheep in the area just days ago. [end] 14-year old boy in critical condition after being shot in the chest by Israeli soldiers Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Bethlehem -- A Palestinian boy was seriously injured when Israeli forces shot him in the chest on Sunday. Palestinian sources said that 14-year old Ghassan Salah was shot in the chest and his condition is critical. Eyewitnesses said that confrontations erupted between Palestinians and Israeli forces when they entered the village of Al Khader, south of Bethlehem on Sunday. They also said that another two were injured but did not identify them. The boy was transferred to Beit Jala hospital near Bethlehem. [end] Israeli forces still destroying agricultural land in Gaza Strip Palestine News Network 9/24/2006 Governor of the southern Gaza Strip’s Khan Younis, Dr. Osama Farra, told PNN Sunday that the total direct agricultural losses suffered due to recent incursions are estimated at approximately four million dollars. In an official press statement issued today, the Information Office wrote that the occupation’s recent aggressions focused mainly on Absan, Farahin, Al Qarara, and other agricultural land in the mid-Gaza Strip. Israeli forces are eradicating fruit-bearing trees and others, and destroying the infrastructure including the agricultural sector, the water wells, irrigation systems, ponds and water harvesting. He added that losses have been countless since the beginning of the month of July 2006, with direct material losses amounting to 40 percent of the total losses incurred by the agricultural sector compared with the rest of the sectors. more.. Israeli forces bulldoze 100 metres of land in southern Gaza Strip Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Gaza -- The Israeli forces penetrated the neighbourhood of Farahin in the town of Abasan Al Kabira, southeast of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, on Monday, Palestinian security sources said. The sources added that the Israeli forces bulldozed a stretch of land measuring at least 100 metres in length and searched the area for roadside bombs. [end] One of President Abbas'' guards seized by Israeli soldiers in a morning raid Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Bethlehem -- Israeli forces seized one of Palestinian President Abbas'' guards in a raid of a town in the south of the occupied West Bank early on Monday, Palestinian security sources have said. Palestinian sources reported that an Israeli contingent broke into the town of Adh Dhahiriya, southwest of Hebron, early on Monday morning and launched a house-to-house search. They surrounded the house of Nasser Nayef Hussein, 24, a member of the Palestinian presidential security guards, ''Force 17'' and took him prisoner. [end] Israeli incursion into Tubas and Far''a refugee camp; no injuries or arrests Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Jenin -- Israeli forces disguised as Palestinian civilians broke into the West Bank city of Tubas on Monday morning, while military vehicles rolled into Far''a refugee camp. A contingent of "must''arabeen", Israeli Special Forces in disguise, broke into the city of Tubas in the northwest of the occupied West Bank while four Israeli military vehicles backed them up, Palestinian sources said. They entered from the northern entrance and besieged the house of Jawdat Masri. They then broke in and searched it invasively. No arrests were reported. In Far''a refugee camp, south of Tubas, Palestinian sources said that more than a dozen military vehicles entered, accompanied by a military bulldozer which took up position at the entrance of the camp. more.. 5,000 Israeli troops linger in South The Daily Star 9/25/2006 Despite an Israeli pledge to withdraw from Lebanese territory once the number of United Nations Interim Forces in Lebanon troops reaches 5,000, Israeli soldiers remain in their positions in the South on Sunday. A security source told The Daily Star that the Israeli Army "will be withdrawing behind the UN-demarcated Blue Line by the end of this month." The Israeli Army has pulled out of some Southern villages, such as Mayss al-Jabal and Mohaibeb, and redeployed to other parts of the South, but it has not withdrawn completely from Lebanese territory. Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army continues to deploy its troops along the Southern border in the villages which the Israelis have already left. For the first time in three decades, Lebanese Army troops from the 6th Legion reached the Southern border point of Naqoura, south of Tyre... more.. Israeli forces storm Marda village again Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Salfit -- Israeli forces raided the West Bank village of Marda, north of the city of Salfit, on Sunday evening. The Israeli soldiers stormed the village in the northeast of the occupied West Bank amid heavy gunfire and while firing sound bombs and flares. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces broke into the house of Hisham Radwan in the village and destroyed his furniture. The soldiers also assaulted one of the men of the house. No arrests were reported. Marda suffers frequent Israeli military incursions and violent raids. Israeli soldiers invaded on both Thursday and Friday nights last week. [end] Five Palestinians arrested at new temporary barriers in the West Bank on Sunday Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Salfit -- The Israeli forces set up new checkpoints on Palestinian roads on Sunday. At one, the Israeli soldiers detained three Palestinians from the northwest of the West Bank, and at another, they detained two teenage boys from a Bethlehem refugee camp. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli forces erected a temporary barrier between the two villages of Deir Istiya and Kifl Haris, north of the city of Salfit and the illegal settlement of Ariel. They reported that the Israeli soldiers arrested three allegedly ''wanted'' Palestinians at the barrier from the nearby villages of Haris and Qira. Two of the arrested men were named as Fuad Awwad, 21, and Ibrahim Mahmoud, 19, and the third''s identity was not revealed. The Israeli forces also set up a flying checkpoint in the Wadi Nar area... more.. In two separate incidents Israeli forces arrest three Palestinians from Bethlehem Palestine News Network 9/25/2006 Israeli forces occupying Bethlehem at the encroaching Har Homa Settlement opened fire on Beit Sahour for hours today. Eyewitnesses report from the southern Bethlehem suburb that the Israelis began shooting at noon and did not stop in Beit Sahour and further into Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers brought military dogs with them and began breaking into homes, conducting invasive searches. Israeli forces arrested one young Palestinian man who was in search of work. By all accounts Israeli soldiers opened fire on three young men who had tried to work in the settlement without obtaining permits, as money and employment are so scarce. Israeli soldiers shot at all of them and arrested one. Palestinian security sources in Bethlehem also report that Israeli forces arrested two boys from Bethlehem... more.. 2 Qassam rockets land in south YNet News 9/25/2006 One rockets lands near Kibbutz Mefalsim, causing damage to two cars; one woman suffers from shock. Another rocket hits Sderot area; no injuries reported -- Palestinians fired two Qassam rockets from the northern Gaza Strip on Monday morning. One of the rockets landed near Kibbutz Mefalsim, causing damage to two cars. A Magen David Adom crew dispatched to the area evacuated a woman who suffered from shock to the Barzilai Medical Center in Asheklon. The other rocket landed near the southern town of Sderot and did not cause injuries or damage. The Sderot Municipality spokesman reported that the Red Color alert system was activated in the southern town once a report was received on the launching of the rockets. more.. Islamic Jihad faction fires two projectiles into Sderot; one woman reportedly hit Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Ma''an -- Ma''an - The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, announced responsibility for launching two homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli town of Sderot early on Monday. In a statement, the Brigades said that explosions and sirens were heard in the town and ambulances rushed to the scene. The statement said that, according to Israeli sources, one woman had been hit. The statement also said that the launching of projectiles was part of their reaction to the Israeli occupation''s crimes. [end] Military wing of Islamic Jihad launches four projectiles at Ashkelon Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Gaza -- The Al Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, have claiming responsibility for launching four homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Monday. In a statement issued Monday afternoon, the Brigades claimed that this launching was a reaction to the Israeli aggressions. [end] Israeli forces confiscating more Palestinian land for settlement expansion Palestine News Network 9/24/2006 The Israeli military issued a decision to confiscate more West Bank land to build a settler bypass road within the Salfit District south of Qalqilia City in the northwestern West Bank. “Baber Samaria” Street construction will confiscate hundreds of acres of Palestinian agricultural land and still more will become inaccessible due to fences. Israeli forces are taking the West Bank piece by piece, lately with the northwestern West Bank and the city of Bethlehem as major targets. The purpose is to further overtake land for illegal settling in the Ornit Settlement bloc, as widely reported by human rights sources, and not for security purposes as some would hope to claim. The Israeli-built Wall is also destroying the area and farmers are reaching the point of no longer being able to function. All is being done in contravention to international law. more.. Tension prevails in Al Khader as eight remain in local prison Palestine News Network 9/24/2006 Two-hundred Palestinians demonstrated in Al Khader Village last night. Among them, 15 wore masks. They barricaded streets and burned car tires in protest of Palestinian police arresting eight Palestinians in the southwestern Bethlehem town. The conflict began during a traffic accident at the beginning of the month. A civilian car and police jeep collided, two citizens were injured and claimed the police jeep hit them purposefully. When Police Chief, Colonel Issa Hijo, was tasked to relieve tensions, he was attacked by dozens. After four days a number of citizens were detained, with eight remaining arrested. Three were minors and one an elected member of the Al Khader Municipality and Principal of the Husan Secondary School. more.. 4 Million Direct Agricultural Losses in Khan Younis City WAFA - Palestine News Agency 9/24/2006 KHAN YOUNIS, September 24, 2006 (WAFA) - Khan Younis Governor,Dr. Usama al-Farra, announced Sunday that the total direct agricultural losses estimated about US $ 4 Million in the wake of the recent Israeli incursions in the southern Gaza Strip (GS) city of Khan Younis during July 2006. In a statement, issued by the Governorate Information office, Al-Farra pointed out that 5500 trees of olive,citrus trees and fruit were uprooted , in addition to 800 palm trees, 300 Dunums of irrigated vegetables, and 30 dunums agricultural greenhouses. He added that IOF damaged irrigation systems used to feed about 800 Dunums of arable lands, and destroyed nearly 7 of poultry farms, while the razed and burned lands reached 1350 Dunums. While more than 505 farmers were affected due to Israeli incursion. more.. Palestinian radio journalist abducted in Gaza City Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Gaza -- Unidentified gunmen abducted Palestinian journalist Salim Abu Amro from the radio station where he works in Gaza City on Monday. Some fifteen armed forced Abu Amro to go with them under threat of weapons. They took him to a Volkswagen car that was waiting for them under the building and he was taken away to an unknown destination. Abu Amro was working at Al Hurriyah (meaning ''Freedom'') local radio station. Palestinians say this is the first time that a Palestinian local journalist was kidnapped. Eyewitnesses said that the police forces arrived on the scene after the man had been kidnapped. It is believed that he was kidnapped for family reasons, not because he worked in the media. [end] UAE, Lebanese Army ink pact to de-mine South The Daily Star 9/26/2006 BEIRUT: A new agreement was signed Monday between the Lebanese Army and the United Arab Emirates to remove mines and unexploded bombs left by Israeli troops in South Lebanon. The agreement was signed during a conference held at the UAE Embassy in Beirut, in the presence of Ambassador Mohammad Sultan Soueidi, army representative Lieutenant Colonel Hassan Faqih and UN representative Kerry Clarks. The Emirati ambassador said the agreement "falls within the UAE Program to support and rebuild Lebanon." Soueidi added that the UAE armed forces would remove mines and unexploded bombs from the areas south of the Litani River, in cooperation with the British ArmorGroup. more.. Israeli troops to leave South by ''end of week'' The Daily Star 9/26/2006 Israeli troops are still occupying 10 areas in South Lebanon from which they are due to withdraw completely by the end of the week, a senior United Nations official said on Monday. They remain in place in 10 zones stretching from Yarin in the eastern sector to Kfar Kila in the central area, said French Major Philippe Lebrat, military assistant to the commander of the United Nations Interim Force In Lebanon (UNIFIL). The announcement comes on the eve of a meeting between UNIFIL, Lebanese and Israeli officials which is due to finalize the complete Israeli pullout from the border areas it has occupied since the month-long hostilities ended on August 14 with a UN-brokered cease-fire. Lebrat said the Israeli positions were located from between 1 and 3 kilometers deep inside South Lebanon. more.. IDF: Sorties will continue over Lebanon YNet News 9/25/2006 By end of week, last IDF soldier will leave south Lebanon. Local army forces are already deployed in western south Lebanon, and IDF is satisfied with their performance -- The IDF said that following the departure of all of its soldiers from Lebanese territories, aerial sorties will continue in Lebanese skies. Israel will reserve its right to continue to carry out the flights, aimed at gathering intelligence on developments in southern Lebanon, especially in light of the fact that the two kidnapped soldiers – Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser – are still in captivity. The IDF is preparing to pull its last forces from south Lebanon, and it is estimated that the maneuver will be complete by the end of the week, in accordance with a government decision. more.. Israel Navy eyeing new US warship Jerusalem Post 9/25/2006 The Israel Navy inched a step closer to receiving a next-generation coastguard vessel over the weekend when Lockheed Martin launched the USS Freedom, which is slated to join the US Navy, at the Marinette Marine Shipyard in Wisconsin." It comes none too soon," said US Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael G. Mullen of the 115-meter Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). "Because there are tough challenges out there that only she can handle." Designed for speed, maneuverability and amphibious operations, the LCS was developed by Lockheed Martin according to US Naval specifications to operate as a "brown-water" ship in shallow coastal waters and where there are combined threats from land and sea. The Israel Navy has ordered a $5 million feasibility study from Lockheed Martin... more.. Hamas military members fire at an Israeli soldier in central Gaza Strip Ma''an News 9/25/2006 Gaza -- The Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, claimed responsibility for shooting at an Israeli infantry soldier east of Maghazi refugee camp in the centre of the Gaza Strip on Monday around noon. In a statement, the Brigades said that the shooting operation is "part of their confrontation with the Israeli occupation troops. [end] Tulkarem Refugees Call for Israel Boycott in Trade Fair WAFA - Palestine News Agency 9/25/2006 TULKAREM, September 24, 2006 (WAFA)- Tulkarem Refugees and other institutions called to boycott Israeli products, said Palestinian Grassroots Anti-Apartheid Wall Campaign. In trade fair that is taking place in Tulkarem city, Palestinian citizens and traders gathered in the refugee camp to buy and sell Palestinian products in a statement of boycott and resistance to the Israeli occupation. Goods produced in the camp itself were on sale, including carob energy drinks, children''s clothes and packaged cakes. Local people browsed the stalls while children from the camp entertained onlookers with drumming and dancing. The message of the meeting was to remind the population that boycott is a culture and a way of resisting occupation, the checkpoints and everything that the occupation is trying to impose on the Palestinian people. more.. Israel lifts closure on West Bank, Gaza after Jewish New Year holiday Ha''aretz 9/25/2006 Israel lifted a blanket closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Monday, after the Jewish New Year holiday ended, the Israel Defense Forces said. The three-day blockade prevented thousands of Palestinian laborers from entering Israel, and made it difficult for people and goods to travel between towns and villages in the West Bank. Movement of goods in and out of Israel was also blocked. The IDF imposed a closure Friday on the West Bank and Gaza Strip to prevent Palestinians from entering Israel during the Rosh Hashanah holiday weekend. Security forces imposed the closure and went on high alert in light of nonspecific warnings of terror attacks during the Jewish New Year, which began at sundown Friday. [end] Rafah Today: ''What''s wrong with public opinion?'' Rafah Today 9/22/2006 Includes photos: All those people are leaving Gaza / Demonstrations against hunger in Gaza / Medical workers in Rafah carrying an injured child / Not enough seats for the passangers at Rafah border / A Palestinian woman taking her baby into a bus at Rafah border, the only place to get out of the Gaza Strip. It is open only for 48 hours / Palestinian women sitting in the middle of their demolsihed houses in Rafah -- What makes today''s life in Gaza Strip different from yesterday? Of course, nothing, but the only thing is the number of people who were killed, people who were injured, number of houses being demolished, number of children becoming orphans and number of women becoming widows. All this is Gazan daily life under the Israeli Occupation. Sometimes, I''m wondering, what''s wrong with the public opinion... ? more.. Israel Pushes for New WB Settlements Palestine Chronicle/Arab News 9/22/2006 Amid all this Israel invited bids for construction of 164 new housing units in the occupied WB yesterday, the second expansion push in less than three weeks. -- GAZA - Five Palestinians, including a woman and three teenagers, were killed and several wounded by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip yesterday, as both Hamas and Israel cautiously welcomed the support from world powers for its participation in a Palestinian coalition government.... The Israeli Housing Ministry published s in the local press inviting the bids for 88 new units in Ariel in central West Bank, 56 units in Alfei Meache in the north and 26 units in Karnei Shomron, also in the north. The move was slammed by the Palestinian government and Israel’s anti-settlement Peace Now group. more.. Israel Pushes for New WB Settlements Palestine Chronicle/Arab News 9/22/2006 Amid all this Israel invited bids for construction of 164 new housing units in the occupied WB yesterday, the second expansion push in less than three weeks. -- GAZA - Five Palestinians, including a woman and three teenagers, were killed and several wounded by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip yesterday, as both Hamas and Israel cautiously welcomed the support from world powers for its participation in a Palestinian coalition government.... The Israeli Housing Ministry published s in the local press inviting the bids for 88 new units in Ariel in central West Bank, 56 units in Alfei Meache in the north and 26 units in Karnei Shomron, also in the north. The move was slammed by the Palestinian government and Israel’s anti-settlement Peace Now group. more.. As Israel prepares for Rosh Hashanah holiday, army imposes full closure in the Palestinian areas International Middle East Media Center 9/22/2006 Israeli forces imposes full closure on the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to prevent the entry of Palestinians into Israel as it celebrates the Jewish Rosh Hashanah (New year) holiday weekend. The closure also includes tightening the already imposed siege and restrictions of movement of Palestinians within the West Bank. Israeli sources reported that there are no “specific warnings” of any attacks during the Jewish New Year which beings on Friday at sunset. The closure will remain imposed until Sunday night. An Israeli army source said that only humanitarian cases, medical workers, teachers and lawyers might be allowed to cross given the condition that they receive a special permit. On the ground, thousands of security officers and troops were deployed in city centers, markets, malls, bus station and other public facilities,,, more.. As Israel prepares for Rosh Hashanah holiday, army imposes full closure in the Palestinian areas International Middle East Media Center 9/22/2006 Israeli forces imposes full closure on the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip to prevent the entry of Palestinians into Israel as it celebrates the Jewish Rosh Hashanah (New year) holiday weekend. The closure also includes tightening the already imposed siege and restrictions of movement of Palestinians within the West Bank. Israeli sources reported that there are no “specific warnings” of any attacks during the Jewish New Year which beings on Friday at sunset. The closure will remain imposed until Sunday night. An Israeli army source said that only humanitarian cases, medical workers, teachers and lawyers might be allowed to cross given the condition that they receive a special permit. On the ground, thousands of security officers and troops were deployed in city centers, markets, malls, bus station and other public facilities,,, more.. IAF bombs house of suspected Palestinian weapons dealer Ha''aretz 9/23/2006 RAFAH, Gaza Strip - An Israeli air strike late Friday demolished thehouse of a suspected Palestinian weapons dealer near the Gaza-Egypt border, the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian police said. The two-story house was brought down in back-to-back strikes, Palestinian security officials said. The IDF said the house had covered the entrance to a smuggling tunnel. There were no reports of injuries. The IDF routinely notifies owners of homes being targeted in air strikes to give residents a chance of leave. Thousands of Fatah supporters staged an anti-Hamas march [in Gaza] Friday amid growing tension between the political rivals. more.. IAF bombs house of suspected Palestinian weapons dealer Ha''aretz 9/23/2006 RAFAH, Gaza Strip - An Israeli air strike late Friday demolished thehouse of a suspected Palestinian weapons dealer near the Gaza-Egypt border, the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian police said. The two-story house was brought down in back-to-back strikes, Palestinian security officials said. The IDF said the house had covered the entrance to a smuggling tunnel. There were no reports of injuries. The IDF routinely notifies owners of homes being targeted in air strikes to give residents a chance of leave. Thousands of Fatah supporters staged an anti-Hamas march [in Gaza] Friday amid growing tension between the political rivals. more.. Israeli air force shells a house in Rafah International Middle East Media Center 9/23/2006 Israeli air force shelled on Friday at night a Palestinian house in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. At least one missile hit a house that belongs to Abu Jarad family, only a few minutes after the family was informed to evacuate. Eyewitnesses reported that the house was completely destroyed as a result of the blast, several neighborliness houses were damaged; no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, an Israeli military source stated that the owner of the house is a “suspected weapons dealer”. The house is close to the Gaza-Egypt border. The two-story-house was leveled by the shells, the military spokesperson stated that the shelled house had covered the entrance of a tunnel used for smuggling arms and ammunition into the Gaza Strip. more.. Israeli air force shells a house in Rafah International Middle East Media Center 9/23/2006 Israeli air force shelled on Friday at night a Palestinian house in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. At least one missile hit a house that belongs to Abu Jarad family, only a few minutes after the family was informed to evacuate. Eyewitnesses reported that the house was completely destroyed as a result of the blast, several neighborliness houses were damaged; no injuries were reported. Meanwhile, an Israeli military source stated that the owner of the house is a “suspected weapons dealer”. The house is close to the Gaza-Egypt border. The two-story-house was leveled by the shells, the military spokesperson stated that the shelled house had covered the entrance of a tunnel used for smuggling arms and ammunition into the Gaza Strip. more.. A roadside bomb in Nablus injures seven Israeli soldiers Ma''an News 9/22/2006 Nablus -- Seven Israeli soldiers were injured when a roadside bomb exploded in a street in the West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli sources said that the soldiers sustained light and moderate injuries after a bomb planted by Palestinian fighters exploded in one of the streets of the city. In a telephone call to Ma''an, a group calling themselves ''The Knights of the Night'' (''Faris Al Lail") claimed responsibility for detonating the bomb. They said they are part of the Fatah-affiliated Al Alqsa Brigades. The sources added that the Israeli forces rushed to the area and started combing the area, searching for other bombs. The source said that the soldiers fired intensively at Palestinians in the area who the Israeli soldiers believed were fighters. The injured soldiers were transported to hospitals in Israel. more.. A roadside bomb in Nablus injures seven Israeli soldiers Ma''an News 9/22/2006 Nablus -- Seven Israeli soldiers were injured when a roadside bomb exploded in a street in the West Bank city of Nablus. Israeli sources said that the soldiers sustained light and moderate injuries after a bomb planted by Palestinian fighters exploded in one of the streets of the city. In a telephone call to Ma''an, a group calling themselves ''The Knights of the Night'' (''Faris Al Lail") claimed responsibility for detonating the bomb. They said they are part of the Fatah-affiliated Al Alqsa Brigades. The sources added that the Israeli forces rushed to the area and started combing the area, searching for other bombs. The source said that the soldiers fired intensively at Palestinians in the area who the Israeli soldiers believed were fighters. The injured soldiers were transported to hospitals in Israel. more.. Nablus: Soldiers injured by explosive device YNet News 9/22/2006 Locals throw bomb at IDF force operating in area; one soldier moderately injured, six others sustain light injuries. Troops evacuated to hospital. Several Tanzim, Fatah operatives nabbed in Ramallah -- An Israel Defense Forces soldier was moderately wounded and six other troops sustained light injuries after Palestinians hurled an explosive device towards them early Friday, during an arrest raid in Nablus. The force was operating at the Balata refugee camp in town when the device was thrown at the soldiers. The force responded with fire. The troops were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva and Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba. Earlier, IDF soldiers arrested two Tanzim activists and a Fatah operative in Nablus. A wanted woman was arrested in the Balata refugee camp. more.. Nablus: Soldiers injured by explosive device YNet News 9/22/2006 Locals throw bomb at IDF force operating in area; one soldier moderately injured, six others sustain light injuries. Troops evacuated to hospital. Several Tanzim, Fatah operatives nabbed in Ramallah -- An Israel Defense Forces soldier was moderately wounded and six other troops sustained light injuries after Palestinians hurled an explosive device towards them early Friday, during an arrest raid in Nablus. The force was operating at the Balata refugee camp in town when the device was thrown at the soldiers. The force responded with fire. The troops were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva and Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba. Earlier, IDF soldiers arrested two Tanzim activists and a Fatah operative in Nablus. A wanted woman was arrested in the Balata refugee camp.