3 Killed in Northern Gaza During Exchange of Fire with Israeli Military

Thursday February 17, 2011 10:04 by Circarre Parrhesia - IMEMC & Agencies

Agence France-Presse are reporting, on Thursday, that three Palestinians have been killed during clashes with the Israeli occupation forces in the north of the Gaza Strip.

Quoting medical sources, AFP reported that the three men were killed at approximately 3 a.m. near the Erez Crossing, north of Beit Lahiya, during an exchange of gunfire with Israeli military personnel. At the time of publication, no information has been released on the individuals killed, and the Israeli military has not released any comment on the event.

IOF troops arrest five Palestinians in the West Bank

[ 18/02/2011 - 11:44 AM ]
WEST BANK, (PIC)--

IOF troops arrested on Friday four Palestinians from the villages of Beit Awwa and Sair near the southern West Bank city of al-Khalil and one Palestinian from Ramallah.

Palestinian sources told PIC that IOF troops raided the village of Beit Awwa to the south west of al-Khalil and arrested 75-year-old Mahmoud al-Fahoush and his 33-year-old son Muhammad and took them to an unknown place.

The sources also said that the two minors Mahmoud Jaradat and Ma’moun Jaradat were arrested in the village of Sair to the north of the city of al-Khalil.

A fith Palestinian was arrested in Ramallah during a night raid of a house in the city.

Yediot Ahronoth said that the arrested person is wanted for the IOF and that his interrogation started immediately after the arrest.

The West Bank is witnessing nightly IOF raids of villages and towns in full coordination with Abbas’s militia.

IOF troops round up 11 Palestinians, storm Al-Khalil villages

[ 17/02/2011 - 11:09 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed five villages in Al-Khalil and the city itself in pre-dawn raids on Thursday and searched many homes, locals reported.

They said that the IOF soldiers concurrently stormed the villages of Dhaheria, Sa'eer, and Halhul along with the refugee camps of Arub and Edhna and erected road barriers, scrutinized IDs, and searched vehicles.

Meanwhile, the IOF soldiers rounded up 11 Palestinians in various West Bank areas at dawn Thursday at the pretext of being wanted for suspicion of launching attacks against the Israeli occupation.

The IOF command claimed that a Palestinian was arrested in Tamon village, Tobas region, after finding a locally made weapon in his house along with ammunition.

Palestinian sources reported that a big number of IOF soldiers broke into and searched homes in several West Bank towns and villages, forcing civilians out of their homes at gunpoint.

Two Workers Wounded In Gaza

Wednesday February 16, 2011 19:06 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian medical sources in the Gaza Strip reported, Wednesday evening, that two day-laborers were wounded after an explosive dropped by the Israeli army in a previous invasion detonated near them.

The two suffered mild injuries and were moved to al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The incident took place East of Gaza city, with sources stating that the two are 21 and 14 years old. The number of workers who were wounded in similar incidents since March 2010 now stands at 127. Due to the ongoing siege on Gaza and the resulting sharp shortages in construction materials, Palestinians tend to collect rubble and debris of bombarded buildings and structures in an attempt to recycle the rubble and use it for construction work.

Bulldozers Raze Palestinian Land in Sheikh Jarrah

Friday February 18, 2011 16:10 by Ramona - IMEMC & Agencies

The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reports that Israeli bulldozers cleared a tract of Palestinian land in Sheikh Jarrah yesterday.

Landowner Khalil Abu Taa’ has been fighting a lengthy legal battle for the land since 1978 and has since been issued several orders by the Israeli Magistrates Court prohibiting him from using the one dunum of land in question, which is used for planting fruit trees.

Abu Taa possessed both Turkish and Jordanian deeds to the land, yet he has found it impossible to convince authorities of his case.

“We have received several orders from the Israeli courts prohibiting my family and I from working the land,” he says. “This culminated in the demolition of a room that had stood on the land since 1940 and 50 olive, cypress, almond and apricot trees. A 9 meter-high wire fence demarcating the land from the Government House was also removed.”

The removed fence was built in 1995 as part of a Magistrates Court decision to enable the family to use the land. Then in 2008 they were prevented from accessing the area when the land was fenced with a new barbed wire barrier.

This one dunum is the one remaining part of what was originally 33 dunums belonging to several local Palestinian families, the rest of which has all been confiscated for government building construction.

Abu Taa’ has called on legal institutions to intervene to stop these illegal attacks on his land.

Army Demolishes A Mosque Near Tubas

Friday February 18, 2011 05:47 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli soldiers demolished on Thursday a mosque located in Khirbit Yirza, near the West Bank city of Tubas, and also removed 10 tents used by farmers and shepherds in the area.

Local sources reported that several Israeli military jeeps invaded the village and demolished the mosque for the second time in six months.

After demolishing the mosque and the tents, soldiers also handed orders for the demolition of three homes and animal sheds.

Also, army bulldozers demolished ten tin-houses in Bardala area, near Tubas. This is the second attack of its nature against the village.

The ten tin-houses were initially demolished by the army several weeks ago, and the residents rebuilt them.

The area in question is in the Jordan valley, a main target to the construction of Jewish settlements due to the fertile nature of the lands and the sensitive geographical location.

Al-Arakib Demolished For The 18th Time

Thursday February 17, 2011 15:49 by David Steele - 1 of International Middle East Media Center Editorial Group

JNF (Jewish National Fund) bulldozers re-entered the village of al-Arakib this morning and destroyed buildings that were put up after yesterday's destruction.

This is now the 18th time that al-Arakib has been destroyed in a matter of months. The last occasion was yesterday. The Alternative Information Centre reports that police, riot police and Special Forces were involved in the operation, which occurred in the early hours of this morning. Residents were barricaded into the cemetery where they had fled for safety after yesterday's destruction and were sleeping.

Later on, residents from the nearby city of Rahat came to al-Arakib and demonstrated in support of the villagers. They were blocked from entering the village and riot police opened fire with rubber bullets and tear gas. They were chased for approximately 2 kilometers and seven were arrested, including two children.

Al-Arakib is a Bedouin village which pre-dates the state of Israel. Although residents have tax receipts and deeds of ownership dating back to the Ottoman years, the Israeli authorities do not consider these valid and have not recognized the village. As part of Operation Blueprint Negev, the JNF intends to plant a forest over the area presently occupied by the village.

Israeli military invades houses in Hebron

Thursday February 17, 2011 13:35 by Sandy Khair - IMEMC& Agencies

The Israeli military erected, on Thursday morning, many checkpoints in the town of Hebron, southern West Bank, and searched several houses.
Security sources reported to Palestine News Agency ‘WAFA’, that the Israeli soldiers invaded the town of al-Dahiriya, southwest of Hebron and several houses, including the house of Iyad al-Amiri and Ra’ed al-Amiri.

Furthermore, the Israeli army invaded the city of Hebron and surrounding towns, including Beit ‘Awa, Ethna, Halhoul, Sa’er, al-Shoyokh and al-Fawar Refugee Camp; stopped vehicles and checked the passengers identities; causing severe obstruction to traffic.