Conflict..

Kidnapped British family freed in Gaza The Guardian 12/31/2005 The British family held hostage for three days after being kidnapped in Gaza were freed last night after 18 hours of secret negotiations. Following their release, shortly after 8pm, a previously unknown faction calling itself Brigades of the Mujahideen - Jerusalem, said they were responsible for the seizure of Kate Burton, 24, her father Hugh, 73, and mother Helen, 55. In a video released to media, a masked gunman read out a message standing next to Ms Burton, who appeared with her hands behind her back. "We have decided to pardon the three Britons as a gesture of goodwill in return for a seriousness in answering our demands," the gunman said. more.. Rafah border crossing reopens as PA police end standoff Ha''aretz 12/31/2005 The Gaza Strip''s border with Egypt reopened on Friday after the Palestinian Authority negotiated an end to an armed blockade by policemen angered at the death of a colleague in a clan clash, officials said. A spokesman for European Union security monitors at the main border crossing of Rafah said operations resumed at 3:15 P. M. The monitors had been temporarily withdrawn shortly after the standoff began on Friday morning. Several hours after the reopening of the border crossing, a 14-year-old boy died after being shot in the head in renewed clashes outside a police station in Gaza. more.. Army shells areas in the northern Gaza Strip International Middle East Media Center 12/31/2005 Israeli artillery shelled several Palestinian areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip; army claims that the shelled areas are uninhibited and are used by the resistance as launching pads for Qassam shells. A Palestinian official reported that soldiers fired at least 15 shells at several areas in the northern Gaza Strip. The official stated that tanks based at the northern borders also fired shells at Beit Hanoun, Jabalia and Beit Lahia; most of the shells detonated close to Palestinian security basis. The attacks are part of the Israeli offensive which was called “Blue Skies” which aims to reoccupy areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. more.. IDF, police forces dismantle three illegal outposts in West Bank Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 Israel Defense Forces troops dismantled three West Bank outposts early Friday that had been erected by settler youths earlier this week. An military spokeswoman said troops and police officers removed two makeshift outposts near Ramallah and another one outside the settlements of Shvut Rachel and Beit El before dawn. "The IDF will continue to act to enforce law and order in the West Bank," the IDF spokeswoman said. Settlers erected fourteen new outposts this week, each occupied by several dozen youths. more.. Settlers: We''ll continue to erect outposts YNetNews 12/30/2005 IDF, police, Civil Authority evacuate three illegal outposts Thursday night; settlers say they will continue to establish settlements throughout Hanukkah holiday -- Settlers pledged Friday to continue establishing illegal outposts throughout the Hanukkah holiday, after IDF forces, police and Civil Authority evacuated three illegal settlements Thursday in the West Bank. The three outposts established near Shvut Rachel, Beit El and Kiryat Arba were evacuated without any disturbances. Equipment, including barrels, tents and rolls of jute were dismantled by IDF troops. more.. Mofaz: Al-Qaeda trying to infiltrate YNetNews 12/30/2005 Defense minister says global terror network aims to set up cells in Israel, unsuccessfully thus far; addressing Qassam threat, Mofaz says IDF operations to curb rocket fire will bear fruit -- Al-Qaeda is attempting to infiltrate Israel and establish terror cells in the country, unsuccessfully so far, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz revealed Friday while touring the southern town of Ashkelon. "Al-Qaeda attempted to act in Israel in recent years, without success," Mofaz said. more.. Al Qaeda Establishing Base in Gaza Forward 12/30/2005 Experts Blame Iraq Invasion, Israeli Pullout -- WASHINGTON — Al Qaeda operatives are establishing a base in Gaza for launching attacks against Israel and neighboring pro-American Arab regimes, current and former Israeli security officials say. Officials in Jerusalem and Washington are following this development with concern, Israeli and American sources said. They see the move as part of Al Qaeda''s long-term plan to attack U.S. interests in the region. Using Gaza as a base of operations, Al Qaeda would be able to launch attacks against Israel, as well as against Egypt and Saudi Arabia, Israeli and American terrorism experts say. more.. Islamic Jihad claims Thursday''s West Bank suicide bombing Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 The Islamic Jihad militant group claimed responsibility Friday for a suicide bombing in the West Bank that killed one soldier and two other Palestinians. Islamic Jihad activists in the West Bank village of Atil, near Tul Karm, announced on loudspeakers that their bomber, Sohieb Ibrahim Yassin, 19, carried out Thursday''s attack. Army sources said the suicide bomber who killed an Israel Defense Forces officer and two Palestinians at an army checkpoint near Tul Karm Thursday was apparently planning to blow himself up at one of the many children''s events taking place in Tel Aviv during this week''s Hanukkah holiday. more.. Mofaz: Significant drop in terror from Gaza since disengagement Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Friday said the number of casualties in terror attacks that originated from the Gaza Strip dropped significantly since the disengagement, and while 61 suicide bombings emerged from Gaza in 2002, year 2005 saw only 5 such attacks. Speaking on a visit to the southern city of Ashkelon, Mofaz also said that al-Qaeda has been trying to gain a foothold in Jordan and Egypt and continuously works to establish terror cells inside Israel, but that these attempts have all failed so far. more.. IOF Wounds Citizen in Jenin, Arrests 5 Boys in Tulkarem WAFA 12/30/2005 JENIN, December 30, 2005 (WAFA) - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) wounded on Friday a citizen in the West Bank city of Jenin, medical sources said. The sources reported that the Israeli troops which stormed Jenin city and camp of refugees today opened fire at houses and citizens, wounding Mahmoud Abdullah. Last Night, Nidal Abu al-Haijaa was wounded with a bullet, when Israeli soldiers stormed Tammoun village west of Jenin. more.. Eight residents arrested in Atteel International Middle East Media Center 12/30/2005 Israeli soldiers supported by ten armored vehicles and jeeps, invaded Atteel village, north of the West Bank city of Tulkarem and arrested eight residents. A local source in Atteel reported that soldiers surrounded the village, before invading it, and broke into dozens of homes and searched them. The source stated that soldiers arrested Sameer Abu Al Haija, Moawiya Al Shalabi, Sa’id Abu Khazna, Mohammad Rizya, two brothers from the family of Abu Hasna, and two other brothers from the family of Abu Khaleel; most of the arrestees are students, and are said to be members of the Islamic Jihad. more.. Palestinian Cops Seize Gaza-Egypt Crossing The Guardian 12/31/2005 GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Palestinian policemen went on a rampage over the killing of a colleague and seized the Gaza-Egypt border crossing for several hours Friday, forcing European monitors to flee in the latest sign of growing mayhem in the coastal strip.... About 100 policemen stormed the Rafah border terminal in the morning, firing in the air and taking up positions at the crossing, security officials and witnesses said. The unarmed European observers - responsible for enforcing terms of the Israeli-Palestinian agreement that opened the border last month - took refuge in a nearby Israeli military base, forcing the terminal to halt operations. more.. 3 kidnapped Britons freed by Palestinian gunmen By Amira Hass, Ha''aretz 12/31/2005 A British aid worker and her parents were whisked out of the Gaza Strip by British diplomats early Saturday, hours after being freed from captivity by Palestinian gunmen who abducted the family two days earlier. Kate Burton, 25, a worker with the Al-Mezan human rights group in Gaza, was seized at gunpoint Wednesday with her parents, Hugh and Helen, in the southern town of Rafah. The parents had come to Gaza on vacation to visit their daughter, officials said. The kidnapping was the latest in a string of abductions of foreigners that have underlined the inability of Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas to impose order in the coastal strip since Israel''s withdrawal in September. more.. Gazan killed in clashes; crossing reopens YNetNews 12/30/2005 Clashes between Palestinian police and family members responsible for death of police officer erupt Friday resulting in death of Palestinian youth; angry PA police officers take over Rafah crossing Friday morning; European monitors escape -- A Palestinian youth was killed in Gaza Friday after renewed clashes broke out between Palestinian police and members of the family responsible for the death of an officer. It is not yet clear whether the youth killed was a family member or a passerby. more.. Israeli Arab shot near Hebron YNetNews 12/30/2005 Police, IDF investigating shooting attack south of Mount Hebron where Israeli Arab was moderately injured; initial investiagtion reveals attack was carried out due to dispute between families in the area -- A 39-year-old Israeli Arab was shot and moderately injured Friday near the Yatir checkpoint south of Mount Hebron. He was treated by Magen David Adom rescue teams and was transported to Soroka Hospital in Be''er Sheba. An initial police investigation reveals that the shooting attack was carried out due to a dispute between families in the Hirbat Carmel area. more.. Video - IDF presents: Female reserve unit YNetNews 12/30/2005 Unusual scene: Dozens of female soldiers gather at IDF base as army prepares to set up new unit comprised entirely of female reserve troops -- (VIDEO) Woman power: Anyone who happened to be visiting the IDF''s northern Eliyakim base would have been witness to an unusual scene – the first training session ahead of the creation of an army reserve unit comprised entirely of female soldiers. more.. Gaza border reopens after protest BBC 12/30/2005 The Rafah crossing point between Egypt and the Gaza Strip has been reopened hours after a protest by Palestinian police officers forced it to close. The police, backed by gunmen from the Fatah party, had stormed the crossing, blocking access and forcing European Union monitors to leave. The monitors have now returned to the reopened border. The police were protesting at what they see as a lack of government support for their policing efforts in Gaza. On Wednesday, a UK human rights worker and her parents were kidnapped a short distance away. more.. Gaza militants prepare to fight as truce nears end ReliefWeb 12/30/2005 GAZA, Dec 30 (Reuters) - Crawling beneath bushes and planting bombs for practice attacks, Palestinian militants trained in the Gaza Strip on Thursday to resume fighting when a truce with Israel expires at year''s end. Most Palestinian armed factions agreed to halt attacks on Israel until the end of 2005 and follow a "period of calm" at the behest of President Mahmoud Abbas, but many say they want to resume the uprising fully after Dec. 31. Gunmen training in Gaza came from Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, part of Abbas''s Fatah, as well as the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella group that never backed the truce. more.. Israeli checkpoint bombing kills four AlJazeera 12/29/2005 A bomber has blown himself up at a military checkpoint in the northern West Bank, killing an Israeli army officer and two Palestinian bystanders. An Israeli army spokesman said three other Israeli soldiers were wounded, one seriously, in the attackon Thursday at the checkpoint near Tulkarem which had been set up to prevent the bomber from crossing into Israel and causing much greater carnage. "We know that in addition to the soldier and bomber, two Palestinian civilians were also killed," the spokesman said. The Palestinian victims were the driver of the taxi that the bomber had been travelling in and another passenger. more.. Deputy PM Olmert: No limitations in Sharon''s war on Qassams Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 Deputy Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, dismissing contentions that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon''s hands were tied in fighting Qassam rocket fire from the Gaza Strip, said Thursday that there were no limits to Sharon''s freedom of action, and that the disengagement had increased the military''s flexibility of response. The Israel Defense Forces shelled six Qassam rocket launch sites in the northern Gaza Strip before dawn Thursday morning, hours after senior military sources told Haaretz that despite the beefed-up Israeli response, the Qassam rocket fire is unlikely to stop. more.. Frantic search for aid worker and parents as gang fails to make contact The Guardian 12/30/2005 Relatives voice concerns over safety of missing trio · Growing anarchy in area after Israeli withdrawal -- Palestinian investigators and British consular officials were last night urgently trying to make contact with the Palestinian group who abducted a British aid worker and her parents in the Gaza Strip, more than 24 hours after they disappeared. Unlike previous kidnappings of westerners in Gaza, usually resolved within hours, the kidnappers made no contact with the authorities to make demands or arrange for the release of Kate Burton, 25, and her parents Hugh and Helen. more.. Israeli Settlers Start Wave of West Bank Outposts MIFTAH 12/28/2005 Efrat, West Bank - Jewish settlers set up 13 makeshift outposts in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday in a show of strength ahead of Israeli elections that could swing on the growing debate over the territory. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has vowed to keep major West Bank settlements but has said that some isolated communities may one day have to be dismantled as a way of ending decades of conflict with the Palestinians. more.. Mock Air Raids on Gaza Continued, 2 Citizens Arrested in WB WAFA 12/29/2005 GAZA, December 29, 2005 (WAFA)- Israeli F 16 jet- fighters resumed night mock air raids on the Gaza Strip, causing global damages to windows and shops as well as spreading a state of panic and fear among children and women.. Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes and artilleries continued, for the third running day their "Blue Skies" wide scale attack at the North of the Gaza Strip. Two missiles were dropped near Palestinian security police, west of Beit Lahiya town and a third missile on Al-Berak area opposite to Balsam hospital. more.. J''lem: Israeli stabbed, moderately injured YNetNews 12/29/2005 Initial investigation reveals man was stabbed by Palestinian while waiting at bus stop; stabber flees scene; large police forces launch search -- A Palestinian stabbed an Israeli at the Atarot industrial zone, near Jerusalem. The Israeli sustained moderate injuries to the neck in the stabbing, which police believe was a terror attack. According to the initial investigation, the Palestinian lunged at the Israeli as he was waiting at a bus stop. more.. PA fears large scale IDF response to suicide attack Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 Security sources reported the Palestinian Authority fears a large scale Israel Defense Forces retaliation in Tul Karm following Thursday''s suicide attack in which an IDF officer and two Palestinians were killed. The sources said the PA and its Fatah party closed its offices in Tul Karm early ahead of a possible IDF response. Palestinian police officers that were uniformed before the attack reportedly changed to civilian clothes. The three victims were killed Thursday morning when a suicide bomber blew himself up at an IDF checkpoint set up in the West Bank in response to warnings of an impending terrorist attack. more.. Mofaz orders police, IDF, Shin Bet probe of felled olive trees Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Thursday called for the establishment of a panel to investigate the felling of olive trees owned by Palestinians in the West Bank. The team will be comprised of officials from the police, Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service. The announcement comes in the wake of several incidents over the past month in which more than a thousand olive trees were cut down, mainly from areas near Jewish settlements adjacent to the northern West Bank city of Nablus. more.. Suicide bomber was planning attack at kids'' Hanukkah party Ha''aretz 12/30/2005 The suicide bomber who killed an Israel Defense Forces officer and two Palestinians at an army checkpoint near Tul Karm yesterday was apparently planning to blow himself up at one of the many children''s events taking place in Tel Aviv during this week''s Hanukkah holiday, army sources said. Had the bomber not been stopped at the checkpoint, the attack would have been far more deadly, said the sources. Three soldiers and seven Palestinians were wounded in the bombing. more.. IDF shells northern Gaza as it imposes buffer zone Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 The Israel Defense Forces shelled two Qassam rocket launch sites in the northern Gaza Srip before dawn Thursday morning, hours after senior military sources told Haaretz on Wednesday night that despite the beefed-up Israeli response, the Qassam rocket fire is unlikely to stop. According to the sources, until now, the defense establishment has had trouble when it comes to deterring Islamic Jihad, which is responsible for most of the rocket fire. Unlike Hamas, the sources said, Islamic Jihad is not in the habit of considering the consequences of its actions on the lives of the Palestinian population. more.. Video: IDF bombards northern Gaza YNetNews 12/29/2005 Air Force hits six northern Gaza access roads leading to Qassam rocket launching sites overnight; earlier, army launches operation ''Blue Skies'', bombards targets in newly established buffer zone -- (VIDEO) Operation “Blue Skies” underway: The Air Force struck at six northern Gaza access roads leading to Qassam rocket launching sites early Thursday. Army officials said the raids were meant to hamper ongoing rocket attacks on Israeli targets. more.. Gunmen fire at Abbas'' Gaza home as PA policeman is killed Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 GAZA - Gunmen fired at the Gaza house of Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday. Palestinian police later said that the shooting was not the result of fighting and that the gunfire had died down. A Palestinian official said Abbas was in Jordan. Police said shooting erupted near Abbas''s home during the funeral for a policeman who was killed in clashes earlier on Thursday. The police officer and a civilian were killed during a shootout that erupted between two rival families. more.. Al Qaeda claims missile attack on Israel YNetNews 12/29/2005 Al Qaeda in Iraq says in Islamic website statement it had launched missiles at Israel from Lebanon. ‘The lion sons of al Qaeda launched... A new attack on the Jewish state by launching 10 missiles... From the Muslims'' lands in Lebanon on selected targets in the north of the Jewish state,’ statement says -- Al Qaeda in Iraq said it had launched missiles at Israel from Lebanon as part of a "new attack" on the Jewish state, a statement posted on the Web said on Thursday. more.. Iraq al Qaeda claims Tuesday''s missile attack on northern Israel Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 Sources in the Israel Defense Forces said it was difficult to determine the announcement''s reliability. -- Al Qaeda in Iraq said it had launched missiles at Israel from Lebanon as part of a "new attack" on the Jewish state, a statement posted on the Web said on Thursday. "The lion sons of al Qaeda launched... a new attack on the Jewish state by launching 10 missiles... from the Muslims'' lands in Lebanon on selected targets in the north of the Jewish state," said the statement, attributed to al Qaeda and posted on an Islamist Web site. It did not give the date of the attack. more.. Army seals the southern entrance of Jenin International Middle East Media Center 12/29/2005 The Israeli army sealed, on Thursday, the southern entrance of the West Bank city of Jenin, and installed four military checkpoints at Jenin-Nablus road and Arraba road junction, south of Jenin, local sources reported. Troops installed several checkpoints in Jinat area and Al Shouhada'' area, south of the city, and barred the residents and vehicles from crossing. Also several military armored vehicles closed the entrance of Borqeen village, near Jenin, and stopped dozens of residents. [end] more.. Army invades Jenin International Middle East Media Center 12/29/2005 The Israeli army invaded, on Thursday, the West Bank city of Jenin, local sources reported. Troops entered the city backed up by several military armored vehicles, and closed the road between the city and the West Bank city of Nablus. Also, soldiers searched several vehicles, which led to a traffic jam, the source added. No arrests were reported. [end] more.. Three residents, including a child, injured in Beit Lahia, Jabalia International Middle East Media Center 12/29/2005 An Israeli helicopter fired a missile, on Wednesday evening, at a group of residents in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, one resident was injured. One child and two residents were also injured in a previous shelling carried out by the army Beit Lahia and the Jabalia refugee camp. The Palestinian News Agency, WAFA, reported that a military helicopter fired at least one missile at residents near Al Shaima’ school, in Beit Lahia, injuring one resident. The injured resident was transferred to Kamal Adwan Hospital, in Beit Lahia. In a Separate incident, one child was moderately injured when a military apache fired a missile at an area in Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. more.. PNIC: Five Killed, 32 Wounded and 98 Arrested by 46th Week of Ceasefire International Press Center 12/29/2005 GAZA, Palestine, December 29, 2005 (IPC) - - A report prepared by the State Information Service (SIS) revealed that Israeli forces have killed five Palestinians among were one extra-judicially assassinated and wounded 32 others as well as committing 746 violations of the ceasefire declared on 8 February after Sharm Al Sheikh summit. The report, released by the SIS'' Palestinian National Information Center (PNIC) asserted that between December 20 and December 26, 2005 Israeli forces shot 5 Palestinians dead, injured 32, arrested 98 others, and carried out many violations varying between house shelling, raids, incursions, land bulldozing and curbing of free movement. PNIC showed that Israeli forces committed 87 shooting incidents and 32 arrest campaigns in which 98 residents were arrested during 55 raids, as well as establishing 121 mobile roadblocks and closing roads and military checkpoints 244 times. more.. Army arrests two in Hebron International Middle East Media Center 12/29/2005 Israeli soldiers arrested two residents from the West Bank city of Hebron; one of the residents is from Al Fawwar refugee camp, in Hebron, while the other is from Al Thahiriyya village south of the city, local sources reported on Thursday. Troops stationed at a military checkpoint near Doura village arrested on late Wednesday night Ayyoub Abu Awad, 30, from Al Fawwar refugee camp in the city. more.. Israel bombards Gaza buffer zone AlJazeera 12/28/2005 The Israeli army bombarded an uninhabited area of the northern Gaza Strip with artillery as a deadline expired for Palestinians to leave a new security zone, witnesses and the army said. An army spokeswoman confirmed that troops on Wednesday had opened fire in open fields in the so-called "no-go zone" after a missile was fired from the area shortly before the 1600 GMT deadline came into effect. "It''s in direct response to that," said the spokeswoman, describing the artillery fire as "slightly larger scale" than previous bouts of firing. more.. Israel air raids target Palestinians in Lebanon, Gaza Middle East Online 12/28/2005 Israeli warplanes on Wednesday bombed Palestinian militant targets near Beirut and in the Gaza Strip in response to a series of rocket attacks in the north and south of the Jewish state. At least two members of the PFLP-GC, a radical pro-Syrian faction headed by the veteran Ahmed Jibril, were wounded in the air strikes to the south of the Lebanese capital although there were no reported casualties in Gaza. Both were injured in a missile strike "which blew a hole in a concrete armoured protection wall in Noueyma," south of Beirut, Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command spokesman Anur Raja said. more.. New outposts for Hanukkah holidays Palestine Monitor 12/28/2005 Israeli army radio broadcast today that the Israeli right-wing activist group called ‘Teens of the Hill’ set up 8 new outposts in West Bank and intends to build a total of 25 by the end of the Hanukkah holidays on 2 January 2006. According to the Israeli publication Yediot Ahronot, these settlers want to set themselves up near existing settlements to help their expansion. The newspaper said the group vow to put up a better fight than that in Gush Katif, and quoted one of the activists as saying “If Sharon wants withdrawal from the West Bank, he should remove the Palestinians, not the Israelis. ” more.. Palestinian resistance shells a military post east of Beit Hanoun International Middle East Media Center 12/28/2005 Palestinian resistance fired, on Wednesday, three RBJ shells at a military post east of Beit Hanoun area in the Gaza strip. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, clamed responsibility for the attack in a press release that was circulated in the strip. The brigades also stated in the press release that its activists shelled the army post with two RBJ shells hitting an armored personal carrier and third one at military jeep. No injures but damage to the post were reported. [end] more.. Army invades Ertas village near Bethlehem International Middle East Media Center 12/28/2005 Israeli Army units with invaded the village of Ertas south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem. Troops broke into several homes in the village and searched them. Among the owner of the attacked homes, the following names were reported; Maher Jaber, Mahmoud Shahin, Jamal Ayish, Jameel Ayish, Ahmad Rabaiah Mohamed Jaber and Mahmoud Shahin, no arrests were made or damage to the houses, local sources reported. more.. PMG Special Report: Israeli and Palestinian Attacks in the Gaza Strip, 12 - 19 December 2005 (PDF) Palestine Media Center 12/21/2005 Between 08:00 12 December and 08:00 19 December, the Israeli military carried out 96 separate airand ground attacks against Palestinian targets in the Gaza Strip, including firing 45 missiles from F16combat aircraft, 5 missiles from UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), over 95 tank shells, and opening firewith live ammunition on 25 separate occasions. 1 The majority of these attacks occurred in the NorthernGaza Governorate. 2 During the same period, Palestinian individuals carried out a total of 24 attacksagainst Israeli targets, including firing 31 unidentified mortars towards the Green Line. more.. PA forces step up search for three Britons abducted in Gaza Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 Palestinian security forces set up roadblocks throughout the southern Gaza Strip on Thursday as they stepped up a search for three British citizens abducted by Palestinian gunmen, the latest in a wave of kidnappings of foreigners in the chaotic area. Kate Burton, a 25-year-old worker at the Palestinian rights group Al Mezan, was showing her visiting parents around the chaotic southern border town of Rafah when they were kidnapped by gunmen on Wednesday afternoon. Around seven kidnappers, armed with automatic rifles, intercepted a car the three Britons were traveling in, pulled them out and pushed them into a white vehicle that sped away. more.. Three Britons kidnapped in Gaza amid poll tensions The Guardian 12/29/2005 Tense negotiations were under way last night to try to secure the release of a British human rights worker and her parents, who were abducted in the Gaza Strip. The 25-year-old woman, identified as Kate Burton, was showing her parents around the town of Rafah near the Egyptian border when they were bundled into a car and driven off. Foreigners have frequently been kidnapped in Gaza, but they have never been harmed or held for more than a couple of hours. Police sources said officials were in touch with the kidnappers in the hope of securing an early release. more.. It''s a Katyusha that doesn''t make a lot of noise - but hits hard Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 ... Ella and David Goldfeld walk among the ruins of their kitchen and living room, still amazed that they have survived without a scratch. In the stairwell, the neighbors are analyzing the performance of the Katyusha. "It''s quieter but more destructive than the old kind," says one man authoritatively. "Notice the small entry hole in the roof. It''s a Katyusha that doesn''t make a lot of noise but causes more damage," another adds.... "The major general doesn''t give answers," adds Yossi Hamo. "What could he say to my wife this morning? She''s afraid to leave the house. " more.. Analysis / Collision course in the north By Amos Harel, Ha''aretz 12/29/2005 Iran''s potential to create a nuclear bomb and Palestinian Qassams top the political agenda, and too little time is being spent on another threat. Under certain circumstances it might have greater impact on the elections in Israel: Katyusha rockets coming from Lebanon. The bombardment of Kiryat Shmona and Shlomi on Tuesday are worrying reminders. The launchers were assumed to be Palestinian (and the Israel Air Force retaliated by attacking a base of Ahmed Jibril''s Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) but there is almost no doubt that the real perpetrator was Hezbollah. more.. Towns in north hit by rocket fire from Lebanon Ha''aretz 12/28/2005 At least four Katyusha rockets were fired from Lebanon late Tuesday night at Israeli communities on the northern border, causing a direct hit on a house in Kiryat Shmona and damaging two others in the town. A barrage of three Katyushas landed in Kiryat Shmona, and three residents were treated for shock. The rockets also wounded a dog in one of three homes hit in the attack. The rocket fire caused a power outage in the area. Power was restored after half an hour. Municipal officials used megaphones to call on the residents to get into bomb shelters or sealed rooms. more.. Israel attacks base in Lebanon AlJazeera 12/28/2005 The Israeli air force has said it carried out an air strike against a training base belonging to a Palestinian resistance group in Lebanon, hours after a northern Israeli town was hit by rocket fire. The army said the base, south of Beirut, belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a small group that has waged a decades-long fight against the Jewish state. "This is in response to the firing of projectile rockets last night toward Israeli communities," the army said early on Wednesday. It said it viewed such attacks with "extreme severity" and held Lebanon responsible. more.. Settler youths erect 14 illegal outposts in W. Bank Ha''aretz 12/28/2005 Hundreds of settler youths erected 14 illegal outposts in the West Bank yesterday as part of a campaign to show their strength after Israel''s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, a spokeswoman for the group said. Datya Yitzhaki, a spokeswoman for the Land of Israel Faithful, said that a total of 25 new outposts, all of which would eventually become permanent communities, would be standing by the end of the Hanukkah holiday..... "We intend to expand and build on these; we will build on what has been destroyed and show that settlement activity will resume," she said. more.. IAF hits Brigades offices in Gaza Ha''aretz 12/28/2005 The Israel Air Force fired missiles at Al-Aqsa Martyrs'' Brigades offices in the northern Gaza Strip yesterday and attacked a bridge near the Gaza town of Beit Hanun in response to ongoing Qassam rocket fire. There were no injuries. Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz said yesterday that at this stage, the army does not plan to launch a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces said the bridge that was attacked had been used by Qassam-launching cells to reach the evacuated settlements of Elei Sinai, Dugit and Nisanit and fire rockets toward Ashkelon. The IAF also attacked six roads in the region. more.. Army shells Gaza, demands the residents to evacuate International Middle East Media Center 12/28/2005 Israeli war jets shelled several areas, on Wednesday shortly after midnight, in Al Nusseirat refugee camp, in the central Gaza strip, and demanded the residents of the northern Gaza strip to evacuate their homes before shelling them. The Israeli army demanded the residents of Beit Hanoun, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip to evacuate their homes within two hours. Army planes dropped leaflets calling the residents to evacuate, “or bare the consequences of not evacuating”. Several loud explosions, which shook dozens of homes, were heard in the northern part of the Gaza strip. more.. Jihad rejects Abbas call to halt attacks AlJazeera 12/28/2005 Palestinian resistance group Islamic Jihad has rejected a call from Mahmoud Abbas to halt rocket attacks on Israeli towns, dealing a new blow to the Palestinian president. Abbas had travelled to Gaza on Tuesday for talks with resistance groups to urged them to halt rocket attacks on Israeli towns. Saeb Erikat, a top Palestinian negotiator and participant in the meeting, said Abbas urged all Palestinian groups to honour a ceasefire reached with Israel in February. "We demand everyone be committed to the truce," Erikat said. "We consider the truce of high national interest. " more.. IAF attacks Palestinian militant base in Lebanon Ha''aretz 12/28/2005 The Israel Air Forces attacked before dawn on Wednesday a Palestinian militant training base south of Beirut, in retaliation for the barrage of rockets fired from Lebanon at Israel late Tuesday night. The attack targeted a training base operated by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, a small, Syrian-backed group that has been waging a decades long fight against the Jewish state. There was no immediate information on casualties or damage. The strike was the deepest in Lebanon since June 2004. more.. Rockets from Lebanon hit Israel BBC 12/28/2005 At least four rockets fired from Lebanese territory have hit Israeli towns close to the border without causing casualties. Three of the Katyusha rockets slammed into Kiryat Shmona, directly hitting one house and knocking out electricity, while a fourth hit the town of Shlomi. Israeli army sources blamed Lebanon''s Hezbollah group but there was no confirmation from the militants. The border zone has been tense since Israel left south Lebanon in 2000. more.. Israeli Occupation Forces Wound Two Citizens and Arrest Three Others in Nablus City International Press Center 12/28/2005 WEST BANK, December 27, 2005 (IPC + WAFA) - - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) wounded Today two citizens and arrested three others in West Bank (WB) city of Nablus. Local sources said that the IOF soldiers stationed at a military spot on Jirzeem mountain, southern Nablus city opened heavy fire towards Balata refugee camp and wounded Citizens Abdullah Abu Leil and Osama Selah. They were taken to Hospital. Eyewitnesses said that IOF soldiers moved into Baita Town south -east Nablus, opened fire arbitrarily and carried out a widespread search campaign into several houses, arresting two citizens and leading them to an unknown place. more.. Israeli warplanes hit Gaza AlJazeera 12/27/2005 Israeli occupation forces have launched numerous air strikes in Gaza, saying it is in response to Palestinian rocket fire. Aljazeera''s correspondent in Gaza reported that Israeli warplanes launched five air strikes inside the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The first attack targeted an uninhabited area while the second hit an office of Fatah in the city of Bait Lahiya, north of the Gaza Strip, causing serious damage. The third strike struck east of the Gaza Strip, the fourth targeted the northern Salah al-Din street while the fifth one hit the city of Bait Hanun causing infrastructural damage. No casualties were reported. more.. West Bank settlers to build 25 new outposts YNetNews 12/27/2005 West Bank youngsters plan on building new outposts alongside established settlements during Hanukkah holiday. ‘If Sharon is thinking about implementing a second disengagement here, he should implement it on the Arabs,’ one organizer tells Ynet -- Ynet exclusive: After settler youths set up six illegal outposts throughout the West Bank during the Sukkot holiday, they now plan on erecting 25 more during the Hanukkah, 15 of which will apparently be set up within the next 24 hours, Ynet has learned Tuesday. more.. Settlers build new West Bank outposts AlJazeera 12/27/2005 Jewish settlers have set up 13 makeshift outposts in the West Bank in a campaign to show their strength after Israel''s withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, a settler spokeswoman says. Israel is meant to remove dozens of settler outposts in the occupied West Bank not formally authorised by the government under a US-backed plan for peace with the Palestinians, but has failed to do so. Datya Yitzhaki, a former Gaza settler and spokeswoman for the settler group called the Land of Israel Faithful, said on Tuesday, hundreds of youths had begun building wooden and stone houses and pitched tents at sites close to a dozen older settlements. more.. Israel to notify Gaza Strip residents before strikes Ha''aretz 12/27/2005 The Israel Defense Forces intends to drop flyers from IAF planes warning residents before striking Gaza Strip targets as it begins enforcing a buffer zone to prevent Qassam rocket fire into its territory. The notices will be scattered around areas from which militants launch Qassam rockets into Israel. They will call on Palestinian police officers to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, and will state that the responsibility for potential civilian casualties in Israel Air Force strikes lies with the Qassam launchers. more.. Palestinian ministry denies receiving Israeli warning to evacuate posts ReliefWeb 12/27/2005 GAZA, Dec 27, 2005 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- The Palestinian Interior Ministry denied on Tuesday that it had received Israel''s warning to evacuate Palestinian security forces posts in the northern Gaza Strip where Israel decided to set up a buffer zone to halt rocket attacks. Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfik Abu Khousa told reporters that the ministry had not received any Israeli warnings, adding that the ministry had issued firm instructions to Palestinian security forces and police to stay in their outposts and not to leave under any circumstances. more.. Two Molotov Cocktail bombs hurled at Israeli jeep in Tulkarem International Middle East Media Center 12/27/2005 A Palestinian resistance group hurled ,on Sunday at night, two Cocktail Molotov bombs at Israeli jeep near Anabta village in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, no injures were reported. Also, resident Ala Al Zoubidi, 18, from Anabta village, was shot an injured while allegedly trying to throw a Cocktail Molotov bomb at an army vehicle invading the village, local sources reported. [end] more.. Gunmen take over governor’s office in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/27/2005 A group of gunmen broke into and took over, on Tuesday morning, the governor’s office in northern Gaza, took positions inside the building, and demanded employment. Twenty-to-thirty gunmen, members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fateh, broke into the building and situated themselves inside it and on its balconies and rooftop, a Palestinian security source in Gaza reported. Several similar incidents took place in Gaza recently, in addition to incident of abduction against foreigners and Palestinian officials in an attempt to pressure the Palestinian Authority to give the fighter jobs and fold them into the security devices. more.. Israeli warplanes enforce Gaza buffer zone ReliefWeb 12/27/2005 GAZA, Dec 27 (Reuters) - Israeli helicopter gunships hit targets in the Gaza Strip early on Tuesday as Israel followed through on a threat to enforce a buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip to stop militant rocket fire into Israel. Helicopter gunships slammed missiles into two offices in Gaza which the army said were used by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed group in President Mahmoud Abbas''s Fatah faction, to recruit members and plan attacks. Later, a warplane dropped a bomb on a road in northern Gaza, blasting a massive crater into the ground. more.. IOF Arrests a Disabled Person in Bethlehem WAFA 12/27/2005 BETHLEHEM, December 27, 2005 (WAFA)-Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Tuesday a disabled citizen in the West Bank (WB) city of Bethlehem, sources said. WAFA correspondent revealed that Emad al-Hathoa 46, disabled person, was arrested when he protested against the Israeli bulldozers demolition of his land for the sake of establishing the Apartheid Wall in the area of Beit Jala. He added that Israeli soldiers led Emad to an unknown place. Meanwhile, Israeli military court "Salem" ruled two Palestinian detainees for different periods, while extended the detention of eight others. more.. Army confiscates 231 Dunams in Hebron Area International Middle East Media Center 12/27/2005 Israeli army issued three military orders to confiscate 231 Dunams from the West Bank cities and villages of Al Thahiriyya, Al -Sammou'' and Yatta, south and south west of Hebron on Monday. Abdul-Hadi Hantash Palestinian, an expert of maps and settlements at the Palestinian Authority, said that Israeli army issued three military orders numbered T/185/05, T/186/05 and T/187/05 to grab 231 Dunams of the Palestinian farmlands in the south of the of Al Thahiriyya, Yatta and Al- Sammou'' village for the construction of the Separation Wall. more.. Israel hits back to halt Palestinian rocket attacks The Guardian 12/28/2005 Army shells Gaza after missile lands near nursery · Stay home to avoid being targeted, residents told -- The Israeli armed forces shelled and bombed the Gaza Strip yesterday in an effort to prevent the firing of Qassam rockets at Israel. This week Israel intends to declare a large part of northern Gaza "a security zone" where residents are told to stay indoors or risk being shot or bombed on suspicion of firing rockets. Palestinian factions have continued to fire the rockets since Israel''s withdrawal from Gaza in August, in what they say is retaliation for acts of Israeli violence in the West Bank. more.. Katyusha rockets fired at northern town YNetNews 12/28/2005 House in Kiryat Shmona sustains a direct hit -- Residents of Kiryat Shmona report damage to local houses, helicopters dispatched to locate origin of fire; explosions heard in western Galilee community of Shlomi; IDF estimate Palestinian group behind attack -- Six Katyusha rockets were fired at the northern town of Kiryat Shmona Tuesday evening, three landing in town and another three in an open field. One of the rockets hit the staircase of a three-storey building, lightly injuring two people. more.. Tenders issued for 228 West Bank dwellings Ha''aretz 12/27/2005 The Housing and Construction Ministry yesterday released tenders for the construction of 228 housing units in the West Bank: 150 units in Beitar Illit and 78 units in the Givat Hazait neighborhood in Efrat. The bureaucratic process for building these homes began five years ago, under the previous government, said Ra''anan Gissin, an adviser to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. He said the houses would be within the boundaries of existing settlements that are part of the major blocs Israel wants to retain. "This was planned a long time ago," Gissin said. "These are the large settlement blocs, they will be strengthened. " more.. Army invades Nablus, search several houses International Middle East Media Center 12/27/2005 The Israeli army invaded, on Monday at dawn, the West Bank city of Nablus and conducted wide scale search in the city. Troops searched several houses including the house of Hassan Al-Shakhshiri and turned it into a military post. Troops broke into the homes of Qadri family and Ahmad Abu Ie''mah and detained the families until morning, local sources reported. Soldiers searched several shops in the city, damage was reported, army troops searched the house of Zouhier Jadallah, in an attempt to arrest him but he was not at home. Soldiers detained the family through the night outdoors. more.. Israel fires missiles into Gaza AlJazeera 12/27/2005 Israeli helicopter gunships fired three missiles at targets in Gaza City and in the northern Gaza Strip, witnesses said, as Israel began enforcing a buffer zone to prevent rocket fire into its territory. Palestinian witnesses early on Tuesday said one missile hit an unknown target in Gaza City and another slammed into an office belonging to the Fatah faction in northern Gaza. The third hit an empty field, they said. There were no reports of casualties. The Israeli army said it fired two missiles at buildings used by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a militia within Fatah faction. more.. Rocket lands near kindergarten YNetNews 12/26/2005 Chanukah miracle? Qassam rocket fired at Israeli kibbutz Monday afternoon lands near preschool during party; no injuries reported, but local residents upset at government inaction -- A Chanukah party attended by kindergarten children and their parents in kibbutz Sa''ad was disrupted Monday after the activation of the "Red Dawn" alert system was followed by an exploding Qassam rocket nearby. No injuries were reported in the latest rocket attack. Another Qassam landed Monday afternoon south of Ashkelon. more.. Palestinian: Settlers uprooted 120 trees YNetNews 12/26/2005 Police launch investigation into cutting of 120 olive trees in West Bank Palestinian village. Residents claim settlers were behind crime; police say villagers may have caused damage to get compensations -- The police forensics unit and investigators set out for the West Bank village of Borin Monday, after villagers claimed Jewish settlers cut down 120 olive trees in an orchard belonging to local farmers. Police officials visited Borin in a bid to asses and document the damage caused to the orchard, and to collect testimonies from the residents. more.. IDF raises alert on northern border fearing abductions Ha''aretz 12/26/2005 The Israel Defense Forces announced this week that it was resuming a level of high alert along Israel''s northern border with Lebanon, following intelligence reports that the Lebanese militant organization Hezbollah has plans to abduct IDF soldiers. According to the intelligence report, Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah is planning to kidnap IDF soldiers to avenge the imprisonment of Lebanese militants in Israel. Among the militants imprisoned in Israel is Samir Kuntar, who murdered several members of a single Naharia family. more.. Four Gazans hurt when PA forces open fire at former settlement Ha''aretz 12/26/2005 Armed Palestinian guards at a greenhouse in the abandoned Gaza settlement of Netzer Hazani opened fire at a group of Palestinian laborers who approached the structure Monday, wounding four people, hospital officials said. The laborers approached the greenhouse overnight Monday after hearing rumors that the business'' owner planned to fire workers, officials said. Amed al-Masri, general director of the company that operates about 2,700 greenhouses in Gaza, said there were no plans to dismiss workers and accused unknown elements of trying to sabotage the buildings. more.. Army shells the northern Gaza Strip; homemade shells hit Sderot, Ashkelon International Middle East Media Center 12/26/2005 An Israeli military source reported that Israeli artillery fired several bombs at areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, after claiming the Palestinian resistance intended to fire homemade shells from these areas. The source stated that two homemade shells were fired, on Monday at noon, at the Israeli Negev town of Sderot, no injuries were reported. 30 minutes later, two homemade shells were fired at Ashkelon; one shell landed south of Ashkelon, while the other shell hit a kibbutz in the area, no injuries were reported. more.. Gaza infighting gets serious International Middle East Media Center 12/26/2005 Security sources announced today that members of Hamas placed explosives in front of the home of police captain Abu Wael Saada from the Jala’ neighborhood in Gaza City late last night. The sources reported the explosion resulted in the destruction of the front door. Immediately afterwards, an exchange of fire took place between the Saada family and Hamas operatives. Palestinian Police, security forces, and explosive experts, arrived at the scene, and confirmed that the house had incurred damage, no injuries were reported. more.. Israel Enforces Off-limit Zone and Closure on Palestinian Territories. International Press Center 12/26/2005 GAZA, Palestine, December 26, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has approved on enforcing a new off-limit zone in the northern area of Gaza Strip to prevent the firing of rockets - A decision rejected by the Palestinian National Authority and factions, and considered it as a grave step that represents a re-occupation of Gaza Strip. Israeli sources said that the no-go zone will be 1. 5 miles deep and run along the northern and eastern edges of the Gaza Strip. Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said the no-go zone was part of Israel''s stepped up response to the rocket fire. more.. Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered senior defense officials yesterday to use all means at their disposal to stop the launching of Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip at communities in the Negev. Ha''aretz 12/26/2005 Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered senior defense officials yesterday to use all means at their disposal to stop the launching of Qassam rockets from the Gaza Strip at communities in the Negev. "I issued an unequivocal directive to the heads of the defense establishment that there are no restrictions on the means used to strike at the terrorists, members of the terror organizations, their equipment and their hideouts," Sharon said at yesterday''s weekly cabinet meeting. more.. Southerners still without fence YNetNews 12/25/2005 Residents upset over failure to complete security fence; State abandoned us, official says -- Southern Israel residents say they feel abandoned by the government, which has thus far failed to construct the promised West Bank security fence in their region. The State of Israel is abandoning us as long as the security fence has not been completed,” read a letter sent to Prime Minister Ariel Sharon by Omer regional council head Pini Badash. more.. IDF to boost artillery fire YNetNews 12/25/2005 Army to target sources of Qassam rocket fire as opposed to empty fields, targeted killing of terrorists to continue, following consultations between PM Sharon, security officials -- Tougher approach? Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held a meeting with security chiefs Sunday to discuss the ongoing Qassam attacks from Gaza and ordered a series of steps to deal with the rockets. These include a continuation of targeted killings, the de facto imposition of an ''aerial siege'' on areas of northern Gaza, and a go-ahead to the IDF to target sources of Qassam fire with artillery shells. more.. Israel Imposes Closure on OPT WAFA 12/25/2005 TEL AVIV, December 25, 2005 (WAFA) - Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) imposed tight closure on Palestinian territories throughout the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. Israeli Minister Shaul Mofaz said today that the closure will continue throughout Hanukkah due to the holiday events. Israel has also been delaying the opening of the convoy passage between Gaza and the West Bank, in spite of pressure by the U.S. to begin the convoy trial. The planned date for the trial was December 15, 2005. [end] more.. Two Palestinian policemen wounded by Hamas gunfire Ha''aretz 12/25/2005 A Hamas gunman opened fire on Palestinian policemen on Saturday evening, moderately wounding two officers, officials said. The shooting threatened to raise tensions between the Islamic group and the Palestinian Authority, and come just a month before Hamas and the ruling Fatah Party compete in parliamentary elections. Officials said the policemen stopped a group of armed Hamas members at a routine checkpoint in Gaza City. When they demanded the gunmen hand over their weapons, they opened fire and fled. more.. IAF fires three missiles at Gaza Strip buffer zone Ha''aretz 12/27/2005 Israel Air Forces helicopters fired three missiles at targets in Gaza City and in the northern Gaza Strip early on Tuesday as Israel began enforcing a buffer zone to prevent rocket fire into its territory, witnesses said. Palestinian witnesses said one missile hit an unknown target in Gaza City and another slammed into an office belonging to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas''s Fatah faction in northern Gaza. The third hit an empty field, they said. There were no immediate reports of casualties. more.. Expand J''lem beyond the Green Line, panel urges Ha''aretz 12/27/2005 The Jerusalem committee of the Zionist Council in Israel recommended yesterday that an emphasis be placed on developing Jerusalem beyond the Green Line, toward the north, south and east. "The west can wait," Prof. Shlomo Hasson, head of the Floersheimer Institute for Policy Studies and a member of the Jerusalem committee, said at a press conference yesterday. Ma''aleh Adumim Mayor Benny Kashriel and two of the top researchers at the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, Dr. Yisrael Kimche and Dr. Maya Hoshen, called for the hasty construction of the area known as E-1, between Jerusalem and the West Bank settlement of Ma''aleh Adumim. more.. Army invades Bethlehem, one arrested International Middle East Media Center 12/27/2005 The Israeli Army invaded on Monday at dawn Aida refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and arrested one resident. Troops surrounded and invaded the house of Khader Odeh, 23 conducted a thorough search. Troops found nothing in the house, but arrested Odeh and took him to unknown destination, eyewitnesses reported. Troops also interrogated Odeh wife about a weapon allegedly hidden in their house, witnesses added. [end] more.. Israel to build new settler homes BBC 12/26/2005 Israel has announced plans to build 228 new homes in Jewish settlements in the West Bank, just outside Jerusalem. The move appears to breach commitments by Israel to freeze settlement activity in occupied territory, under the US-backed "road map" peace plan. A spokesman said the building would take place in settlements - Beitar Illit and Efrat - that Israel intends to keep under any peace deal. Palestinian officials condemned the move and urged the US to intervene. more.. Israel expands West Bank settlements AlJazeera 12/26/2005 Israel has said it will build more than 200 new homes in Jewish West Bank settlements. The latest settlement construction was revealed in newspaper advertisements published on Monday seeking bids from building contractors, and would violate Israel''s commitments under the US-backed road map peace plan. The plans include a total of 228 housing units in the settlements of Beitar Illit and Efrat. Both communities are just outside Jerusalem. The road map calls for a freeze on all settlement construction in the West Bank, which the Palestinians claim as part of a future independent state. Since accepting the plan in June 2003, Israel has continued to expand settlements. more.. Fatah: We have better missiles YNetNews 12/26/2005 Disturbing announcement: Senior al-Aqsa Martyrs'' Brigades figure says group possesses longer range missile that could hit southern Israel communities previously immune to rocket threat -- The military wing of the Fatah ruling party, the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, claimed Monday it possesses"Grad" missiles with a range of 25 kilometers (about 15 miles. ) If until today Sderot residents have become used to Qassam fire on a daily basis, it seems residents of Ofakim, Netivot and Kiryat Gat will now also be within range of rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. more.. IDF, Shin Bet set up joint team to hunt for Hebron terror cell Ha''aretz 12/26/2005 The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet security service recently set up a special joint investigative team in an effort to capture the Hamas cell responsible for murdering six Israelis in the southern West Bank over the past six months. The relatively rare measure was taken due to the difficulties they have had in tracking down the cell of shooters. The cell is responsible for three terrorist attacks along West Bank roads: the murder of two teenage boys at a hitchhiking stop outside the settlement of Beit Hagai near Hebron; the murder of two young women and a boy at a hitchhiking stop in Gush Etzion; and the murder of a Beit Hagai resident near the settlement 10 days ago. more.. Report: Givati commanders beat, kicked soldiers during training Ha''aretz 12/26/2005 Commanders in one company of the Givati infantry brigade beat and kicked their soldiers during the recruits'' advanced training program, even breaking sticks on their bodies as punishment, Israel Radio reported Monday. In one incident, a soldier smiled during inspection and his commanders beat and kicked him. In another case, a soldier talked when it was prohibited, and him commanders took him to the toilets where they kicked him until he collapsed, the report said. more.. IOF Arrests 3 Citizens in WB WAFA 12/26/2005 HEBRON, December 26, 2005 (WAFA)- Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) arrested Monday three citizens in the West Bank (WB) cities of Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus. WAFA reporter said that Israeli soldiers broke into Nidal Salah''s house in Hebron city, launched a search campaign, ravaged its contents and arrested Nidal, leading him into an unknown location. IOF also installed number of military checkpoints at Al-Birka area in Yatta town, south WB and held citizens'' vehicles and searched them. more.. Israeli Occupation Forces Assault Nablus City. International Press Center 12/26/2005 WEST BANK, December 26, 2005 (IPC ) - - The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) broke into Nablus City north of West Bank today dawn and carried out a widespread search campaign in several neighborhoods. IPC correspondents said that the IOF raided houses belong to the Citizens Hussein Sheikh-shear, Ahmed Abu Nema, and another several houses belong to Qadry, Joma''a and Abu Sharekh families in various neighborhoods of the City, transforming all the previous citizens houses into military caserns and watch points. more.. Israel plans Gaza ''aerial siege'' BBC 12/23/2005 Israel says it will impose an "aerial siege" along its border with Gaza to stop militants firing rockets from a new Israeli-declared buffer zone. Deputy Defence Minister Zeev Boim said Israel would give Palestinian police a map of the zone and drop explanatory leaflets over the area to warn people. Palestinian militants have stepped up their rocket attacks since Israel withdrew from Gaza in September. Israel''s decision followed an attack on Thursday that wounded four soldiers. more.. Palestinians: We''ll continue attacks YNetNews 12/23/2005 Palestinian activists unimpressed with Israeli threats to boost military operations in Strip in response to ongoing rocket attacks, vow to carry on with rocket launching; PA official says Israeli ''escalation'' impedes efforts to counter firing -- Regardless of the military actions Israel will take in Gaza, the Qassam fire will not stop, members of the Palestinian armed factions said Friday in response to Israel''s threats it will enhance operations in the strip. more.. Five injured in Qabatia International Middle East Media Center 12/23/2005 On Thursday evening, Israeli soldiers invaded Qabatia town, near Jenin, and clashed with dozens of residents; five residents were injured. The injured residents were identified as Osama Ibrahim, Bilal Kamil, Ahmad Abu Al Rob, and Ahmad Zakarna. Also, troops used several homes as military posts and monitoring towers. more.. Soldiers invaded Anza village, south of Jenin International Middle East Media Center 12/23/2005 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday at dawn, the village of Anza west of the West Bank city of Jenin. A local source in the village reported that soldiers, supported by armored vehicles, invaded the village, broke into dozens of homes and searched them. [end] more.. AL Aqsa Brigades: “Truce had officially ended as army resumed violations” International Middle East Media Center 12/23/2005 Ahmad Abu Ras, one of the prominent leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the military wing of Fateh movement, said that the Palestinian resistance sees itself unbound to the truce after the army resumed its assassination policy and escalated its military assaults. Abu Ras, from Balata refugee camp in Nablus, said that Israel sent a clear message to the Palestinians after it invaded Jenin and Nablus, and assassinated resistance fighters there. more.. Israel to enforce off-limits zone in northern Gaza Strip Ha''aretz 12/24/2005 Defense officials: IDF should target civilian areas in Gaza -- Israel will enforce a new off-limits zone in the Gaza Strip with artillery, helicopter and gunboat fire, its latest response to rocket attacks on Israeli towns, defense officials said. If enforced, the aerial barrage would mark some of Israel''s toughest military action in Gaza since it withdrew from the coastal strip in September. Deputy Defense Minister Zeev Boim said the no-go zone was part of Israel''s stepped up response to the rocket fire. more.. Israel to step up assassinations of Jihad men International Middle East Media Center 12/23/2005 The Israeli army decided to step up assassination of Islamic Jihad resistance group in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, Israeli sources reported on Friday. This comes after the group claimed responsibility for firing some home-made shells at Israeli targets from the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The army has already imposed an "aerial siege" on the northern part of the Gaza Strip to prevent Palestinians from reaching the ruins of three settlements which Israel evacuated in September as part of the unilateral disengagement plan. more.. Troops invade the West Bank city of Tubas International Middle East Media Center 12/23/2005 Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday at dawn, the West Bank city of Tubas after closing its entrances. A local source in Tubas reported that soldiers closed several roads in the city and barred the residents from crossing, in addition to barring them from entering or leaving it; no arrests were reported. Also, soldiers installed a roadblock at the entrance of Tammoun village, near Tubas, and barred the residents from crossing. more.. Israel threatens to cut Gaza power AlJazeera 12/22/2005 Israel has threatened to cut power supplies to the Gaza Strip as more rockets were fired from the territory after troops killed three Palestinian fighters. Zeev Boim, the deputy defence minister, confirmed on Thursday that the idea of severing electricity supplies to Gaza has recently been discussed in the wake of the rocket attacks. All of Gaza''s electricity is supplied by Israel. "A serious escalation in violence on the part of the Palestinians could bring about this measure in the future, although I hope not," Boim told Israeli radio. more.. Army shells on Beit Hanoun International Middle East Media Center 12/22/2005 Israeli artillery resumed its shelling of Beit Hanoun northern part of the Gaza Strip, the Maan News Agency reported. The shells landed and detonated in open areas close to Beit Hanoun. An Israeli military source said that the shelling came in response to homemade shells which were fired at Israeli targets. According to the source, one Qassam homemade shell landed south of the Israeli city of Ashkelon, no injuries were reported. more.. 3 Palestinians killed in Nablus ambush: witnesses say army could have arrested instead Palestine Monitor 12/22/2005 In the early hours of Thursday 22 December, several Israeli army units and armored vehicles invaded the district of Jeened in Nablus, the biggest Palestinian town in the West Bank. Three men, Bashar Hanani, Ahmad Jayousi and Anas El Shikh, were shot in the head and chest at close range by Israeli snipers, in what looks like a shoot-to-kill policy. The Israeli army arrived at 2am, blocking off the area and occupying about 10 buildings next to the construction site where the men were taking refuge. The men, all in their twenties and carrying no automatic weapons, were shot in the head and chest while trying to escape. Witnesses say they heard no exchange of fire. more.. Mofaz orders air strikes in Gaza YNetNews 12/22/2005 Israel air force to continue strikes in Gaza, defense minister orders Thursday; security officials instruct military to target Qassam launching sites with artillery fire, sabotage bridges, infrastructure; however, no ground operation planned in meantime -- Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered the IAF on Thursday to continue air strikes deep into Palestinian territory in Gaza in response to ongoing Qassam attacks on Israel in recent days. The decision to carry on with the strikes was taken during a meeting Mofaz held with senior officials to evaluate the escalation in the security situation. more.. Rocket hits IDF base; 5 troops hurt YNetNews 12/22/2005 Qassam fire continues: Five IDF soldiers sustain light, moderate injuries after Qassam rocket lands in military base south of Ashkelon; army responds with artillery fire, one Palestinian reportedly killed -- Four IDF soldiers sustained light wounds and another soldier suffered light to moderate injuries after a Qassam rocket landed in a military base south of Ashkelon Thursday morning. The troops were hurt by shrapnel and will be taken to hospital for treatment. more.. One resident killed, one injured, in Gaza shelling International Middle East Media Center 12/22/2005 Israeli soldiers shelled with heavy artillery several areas in Tal Al Za’atar neighborhood, east of the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip; one resident was killed, while another resident was moderate injured. Dr. Moawiya Hassanen, head of the Emergency Unitat the Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the killed resident as Ibrahim Ahmad Al Na’na’, 21 years old. Dr. Hassanen added that Al Na’na died of his wounds while he was being transferred to the Kamal Adwan hospital, in Beit Lahia. more.. Israel plans to create “security strips” in Gaza International Middle East Media Center 12/22/2005 An Israeli source reported, on Thursday at night, that Israel is planning to create “security strips” in the Gaza Strip, in a move which is said to aid the army in stopping the firing of homemade shells at Israeli targets. One security strip would be placed in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, while the other will be installed in the southern part. Israeli Defense minister, Shaul Mofaz, gave the green-light for the army to continue strikes in Gaza, and to strike deep into the Gaza. more.. Sheetrit: Gaza must be bombed YNetNews 12/22/2005 Transportation minister visits Ynet forum, says IDF has duty to launch attack on Gaza in response to recent Qassam rocket attacks; Peres demands PA take strong action against rocket launchers -- The Gaza Strip must be attacked in retaliation to the recent Qassam rocket attacks aimed at the southern town of Ashkelon and neighboring bases, Transportation Minister Meir Sheetrit said Thursday. more.. Anger grows over Gaza kidnappings AlJazeera 12/22/2005 Students were relieved and parents up in arms after two foreign teachers were kidnapped and then released by armed gunmen north of Gaza City. After an eight-hour kidnap ordeal, Hendrik Taatgen, who is Ductch, and Brian Ambrosio, and Australian, were swept into the Palestinian presidential compound on Wednesday afternoon to be met by reporters and schoolchildren. The two men, the principal and vice-principal of a private international school, were the victims of the latest in a string of kidnappings to sweep Gaza.... Rabah Muhanna, a political leader in the PFLP, denied that his party was involved in the kidnapping, saying the gunmen were young men masquerading as PFLP who wanted a piece of the PA pay-off pie. more.. ''Messiah''s spokesman'' threatens to kill PM YNetNews 12/22/2005 Tiberias resident detained on suspicion of distributing letters stating he plans to kill Sharon; says he would murder PM without delay if instructed to do so by Messiah -- A Tiberias resident, who defines himself as the Messiah''s spokesman, was arrested Thursday on suspicion he distributed letters stating that he plans to murder Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. The suspect, 37-year-old Meir Baranes, said in one of the letters that "if I should receive an instruction from the Messiah to kill Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, I would do it immediately. " more.. IDF: No solution to Qassam fire YNetNews 12/22/2005 Military officials admit there is no substantial solution to rocket fire except for existing protective equipment and artillery fire aimed at Qassam-launching areas; Engineering Corps head tells Ynet ''IDF knows how to provide best possible defense'' -- There is no real solution to the recent Qassam fire and at present protective gear and artillery fire is the best solution, IDF officials said Thursday, after a rocket landed in a military base south of Ashkelon, injuring five soldiers. more.. Palestinians shot dead in Nablus BBC 12/22/2005 Three Palestinians have been shot and killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank city of Nablus, Palestinian medical sources say. The men were shot dead as they tried to flee a building that had been sealed off by Israeli troops, witnesses said. Meanwhile five Israeli soldiers were slightly wounded by a Qassam rocket fired from the Gaza Strip at their base in southern Israel, the army said. A Palestinian man was killed when the army responded by firing shells. Palestinian medical officials said Ibrahim Naana, 21, had been killed by shrapnel after a shell landed east of the Jabaliya refugee camp. more.. Three militants killed in Nablus raid, Mofaz okays new measures to curb Qassam fire in northern Gaza Ha''aretz 12/23/2005 Thursday morning, IDF troops killed three Palestinian militants in a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Israel Radio reported.... In the Nablus raid, witnesses identified one of the gunmen killed as Bashar Khalani, Nablus commander of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. -- Following a meeting with senior security officials, Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz on Thursday evening approved a series of new measures aimed at curbing Qassam fire from the northern Gaza Strip. According to the plans, Israel Defense Forces artillery would pre