9 apr 2008
Four Palestinians, including 3 children were killed when Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a car in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
Ma'an's reporter said Israeli warplanes and tanks fired several missiles at Palestinian houses across the Gaza Strip resulting in a number of casualties.
Director of the Ash-Shifa medical centre in Gaza City Dr Ra'id Areini said that the centre received three dead bodies including two children, as well as six wounded, four of them children.
Ma'an's reporter said Israeli warplanes and tanks fired several missiles at Palestinian houses across the Gaza Strip resulting in a number of casualties.
Director of the Ash-Shifa medical centre in Gaza City Dr Ra'id Areini said that the centre received three dead bodies including two children, as well as six wounded, four of them children.
Two Israelis were killed on Wednesday when Palestinian fighters entered the Gaza Strip's Nahal Oz crossing point and began shooting at the workers, Israeli media reported.
Abu Mujahid, the spokesperson of the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, claimed that three Israeli soldiers were killed in the raid. He said that the aim of the operation was to abduct Israeli soldiers.
Israeli officials said that no Israelis were abducted.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a group of Palestinian fighters in a car in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Fierce fighting is also taking place between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops east of Gaza City.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, also claimed responsibility for the shooting near Nahal Oz.
Nahal Oz terminal is the Gaza Strip's main crossing point for liquid fuels.
Earlier on Wednesday, one Hamas fighter and one Israeli soldier were killed after Israeli soldiers invaded the Gaza Strip near the city of Khan Younis.
Abu Mujahid, the spokesperson of the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, claimed that three Israeli soldiers were killed in the raid. He said that the aim of the operation was to abduct Israeli soldiers.
Israeli officials said that no Israelis were abducted.
Meanwhile, Israeli warplanes launched a missile at a group of Palestinian fighters in a car in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City. Fierce fighting is also taking place between Palestinian fighters and Israeli troops east of Gaza City.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, also claimed responsibility for the shooting near Nahal Oz.
Nahal Oz terminal is the Gaza Strip's main crossing point for liquid fuels.
Earlier on Wednesday, one Hamas fighter and one Israeli soldier were killed after Israeli soldiers invaded the Gaza Strip near the city of Khan Younis.
Israeli president proposes resuming direct occupation of Gaza Strip
Israeli President Shimon Peres called on Wednesday for the Israeli military to reoccupy the Gaza Strip in order to stop barrages of homemade projectiles fired by Palestinian fighters into neighboring Israeli towns.
Israeli radio reported that Peres remarked, in a meeting with European diplomats, that he does not believe that Palestinians are interested in peace, and that direct occupation will stop Palestinian projectiles.
"Ongoing peace talks with the Palestinian leadership will last very long as the Palestinians are not seriously seeking an agreement with Israel," Peres added.
Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza's streets in as a part of the 1994 interim agreement, but maintains control over the territory's borders, airspace, territorial waters, and tax system. In addition Israeli forces frequently invade the Strip.
Peres also said that the return of Palestinian refugees displaced during the creation of Israel in 1948 would result in "demographic suicide" because it would render Israel a non-Jewish majority state.
Israeli President Shimon Peres called on Wednesday for the Israeli military to reoccupy the Gaza Strip in order to stop barrages of homemade projectiles fired by Palestinian fighters into neighboring Israeli towns.
Israeli radio reported that Peres remarked, in a meeting with European diplomats, that he does not believe that Palestinians are interested in peace, and that direct occupation will stop Palestinian projectiles.
"Ongoing peace talks with the Palestinian leadership will last very long as the Palestinians are not seriously seeking an agreement with Israel," Peres added.
Israel withdrew its forces from Gaza's streets in as a part of the 1994 interim agreement, but maintains control over the territory's borders, airspace, territorial waters, and tax system. In addition Israeli forces frequently invade the Strip.
Peres also said that the return of Palestinian refugees displaced during the creation of Israel in 1948 would result in "demographic suicide" because it would render Israel a non-Jewish majority state.
Israeli forces seized 41 Palestinians during raids in the West Bank on Wednesday morning, Palestinian witnesses and security forces reported.
Israeli troops detained 25 Palestinians in the city of Nablus in one of the largest arrest raids in months.
Twenty-four of those arrestees were affiliated to Fatah, and one to Hamas, local sources said.
Palestinian security sources told Ma'an's reporter in Nablus that more than 30 Israeli military vehicles stormed Nablus and neighboring Askar refugee camp from the east and west at 2am. Israeli troops raided numerous Palestinian homes before seizing 25 young Palestinian men.
In the village of Shawawra, east of Bethlehem, Israeli forces seized two men who Palestinian security forces say are Islamic Jihad activists.
Separately, Israeli forces seized four Palestinians in the West Bank city of Qalqilia.
Palestinian security sources said that dozens of Israeli military vehicles raided the city and Israeli troops stormed the Al-Quds Open University, the Islamic Club and the Qalqilia public library as well as several mosques in the city.
Israeli forces also seized a 20-year-old Palestinian woman named Su'ad Zraiqat in the town of Taffuh, west of the city of Hebron, witnesses said.
Local sources said the woman was a student at the branch of Al-Quds Open University in Hebron, and the Israeli forces arrested her after ransacking her family home.
Israeli forces also seized nine Palestinians from the northern West Bank village of Saida, north of the city of Tulkarem.
Local sources said that the arrestees were affiliated to Fatah and Islamic Jihad and that one of them was a disabled ex-prisoner.
Israeli troops detained 25 Palestinians in the city of Nablus in one of the largest arrest raids in months.
Twenty-four of those arrestees were affiliated to Fatah, and one to Hamas, local sources said.
Palestinian security sources told Ma'an's reporter in Nablus that more than 30 Israeli military vehicles stormed Nablus and neighboring Askar refugee camp from the east and west at 2am. Israeli troops raided numerous Palestinian homes before seizing 25 young Palestinian men.
In the village of Shawawra, east of Bethlehem, Israeli forces seized two men who Palestinian security forces say are Islamic Jihad activists.
Separately, Israeli forces seized four Palestinians in the West Bank city of Qalqilia.
Palestinian security sources said that dozens of Israeli military vehicles raided the city and Israeli troops stormed the Al-Quds Open University, the Islamic Club and the Qalqilia public library as well as several mosques in the city.
Israeli forces also seized a 20-year-old Palestinian woman named Su'ad Zraiqat in the town of Taffuh, west of the city of Hebron, witnesses said.
Local sources said the woman was a student at the branch of Al-Quds Open University in Hebron, and the Israeli forces arrested her after ransacking her family home.
Israeli forces also seized nine Palestinians from the northern West Bank village of Saida, north of the city of Tulkarem.
Local sources said that the arrestees were affiliated to Fatah and Islamic Jihad and that one of them was a disabled ex-prisoner.
One Palestinian, one Israeli killed in Israeli incursion in Khan Younis
One Hamas fighter was killed and another injured on Wednesday morning during fierce fighting with undercover Israeli forces who raided Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, witnesses said.
One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in the clashes, the Israeli army said. The wounded soldiers were treated at Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.
Palestinian medical sources identified the dead Palestinian fighter as 23-year-old Muhammad Shamiyya, an activist with the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli forces withdrew at 6:30am, ending the fighting.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Qassam Brigades said their fighters involved in fierce clashes with the invading Israeli forces firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at those forces.
The Al-Quds Brigades said that guards noticed an undercover Israeli force attempting to enter the eastern edge of Khan Younis near Al-Qarara areas. The guards fought with those forces launching three RPGs at them when they took up position in a deserted house.
For their part, the Al-Qassam Brigades said their fighters involved in fierce clashes with undercover Israeli forces which penetrated at Al-Qarara, launching 15 RPGs at the invading soldiers.
One Hamas fighter was killed and another injured on Wednesday morning during fierce fighting with undercover Israeli forces who raided Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, witnesses said.
One Israeli soldier was killed and two others injured in the clashes, the Israeli army said. The wounded soldiers were treated at Soroka hospital in Be'er Sheva.
Palestinian medical sources identified the dead Palestinian fighter as 23-year-old Muhammad Shamiyya, an activist with the armed wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades.
The Israeli forces withdrew at 6:30am, ending the fighting.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades and the Al-Qassam Brigades said their fighters involved in fierce clashes with the invading Israeli forces firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPG) at those forces.
The Al-Quds Brigades said that guards noticed an undercover Israeli force attempting to enter the eastern edge of Khan Younis near Al-Qarara areas. The guards fought with those forces launching three RPGs at them when they took up position in a deserted house.
For their part, the Al-Qassam Brigades said their fighters involved in fierce clashes with undercover Israeli forces which penetrated at Al-Qarara, launching 15 RPGs at the invading soldiers.
Schools and orphanages in Hebron still threatened with closure
Israeli forces set up new checkpoint near Nablus
PFLP fighters 'launch projectile' at Sderot
Israel imposes additional checkpoints around Jerusalem due to bombing fears
Israeli forces set up new checkpoint near Nablus
PFLP fighters 'launch projectile' at Sderot
Israel imposes additional checkpoints around Jerusalem due to bombing fears
8 apr 2008
RAM-FM's Jerusalem Office Raided
By Marian Houk
The Jerusalem office of the Ramallah-based English-language radio station RAM-FM was raided by Jerusalem Police and officials of the Israeli Ministry of Communications on Monday afternoon, and its staff members were detained, and equipment confiscated, on charges that it has been operating a small transmitter in Jerusalem "without the necessary broadcasting permit in Jerusalem".
Seven of its staff members have spent the night in jail, and are still awaiting a court appearance, RAM-FM reported in the second story on its 11 am regular news bulletin (the top news story concerned the 10:00 am alarm sounded as part of a country-wide test of Israel's civil defense preparedness).
The detained staff include the station manager, Maysoun Odeh-Gangat, a Palestinian, as well as three other Palestinian staff plus three internationals. They are due to appear in Jerusalem District Court shortly.
A news banner on RAM-FM's website (www.ramfm.net) saying that "The station maintains that it's operating within the parameters of the law", and also that "The legalities of Monday's detention of staff members and seizure of equipment are being examined by the station's legal team".
The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel has just sent out a public protest, demanding the immediate release of the RAM-FM staff (the FPA wrote in its protest that eight RAM-FM staff are still being held).
The FPA protest stated that "Notwithstanding the merits of the charges brought by the Ministry of Communications against RAM FM, the FPA strongly deplores their continued detention in police custody and calls on those holding them to pursue the matter through routine channels rather than through this absurd imprisonment - now approaching a full 24 hours in jail".
The FPA protest became RAM-FM's top news story at 12:00 noon.
Ministry of Communication spokesperson Yechial Shavi told this reporter that the main problem is that the station has been working without permission. "We have no problem with their working from the area of the Palestinian Authoritiy. But if they want to do it here, they have to submit to competitive bidding for the frequency, and do a test, and they didn't do it. So, they are breaking the law. I can say they are like criminals ... A lot of other stations also want the opportunity to work here."
Shavi said "It doesn't matter if they are ultra-orthodox Jewish, or Arabs, or Russian immigrants. This is the law, and we try to work within the law".
It is unclear how RAM-FM could have operated the Jerusalem transmitter for the past six months without being previously noticed by the Israeli authorities.
Shavi said that the Ministry of Communication's duty was to transmit the information to the police, and that the police decide the schedule, when to go in to stop the broadcasting, and whether to arrest or not.
Israeli officials were quoted in news reports Monday saying that RAM-FM's transmission might have caused interference with control tower operations at Ben Gurion's Airport, which is closer to Tel Aviv than Jerusalem. RAM-FM's more powerful transmitter in Ramallah would have been more likely to reach Ben Gurion.
For months, Israeli officials have complained that settler radio stations operating from the West Bank - in areas much closer to Ben Gurion Airport than is Jerusalem -- have caused interference with air traffic control operations, and there have been work slow downs by controllers to protest the dangerous situation.
But, Shavi indicated Tuesday afternoon that he didn't think the problem had anything to do with the issue of interference with air traffic control at Ben Gurion.
The main transmitter of the station is in Ramallah, and it broadcasts on 93.6 FM using a powerful 5 K, which is heard in both Ramallah and Tel Aviv, and in fact in all areas of Israel between Haifa in the north and Ashkelon in the south, as well.
Gaza is not in the target area, its news director Mark Kluesner said at a meeting with journalists in Jerusalem last Thursday afternoon - Kluesner is one of those now being detained.
But, because there had been transmission interference in Jerusalem itself, RAM-FM set up the second transmitter there, broadcasting on a second frequency, 87.7 for its Jerusalem listeners.
This was not a secret. The second transmission in Jerusalem was announced regularly on air for the past six months or more, and is also posted prominently on RAM-FM's website.
A story by the Associated Press's Karen Laub from Ramallah on 26 March said that "After a year on the air, the music station with studios in Jerusalem and the West Bank has attracted a diverse audience, from Israeli soldiers and Palestinian students to West Bank villagers, English speaking immigrants and foreign diplomats".
RAM-FM operates on a license granted from the Palestinian Authority, as does another but non-commercial Israeli-Palestinian radio station, All For Peace Radio, whose main transmitter is also located in Ramallah. But, at 1K in power, All For Peace's signal is much less powerful that the 5 K transmitter used from Ramallah by RAM-FM.
RAM-FM is entirely in English, and has a mainly music format, while All for Peace Radio broadcasts in Hebrew and Arabic, and has much less music content.
All for Peace does have a 5K transmitter that it tried to import into Israel, but it was seized by Israeli customs at Ashdod port, where it has remained stuck for the last 5 years, on the grounds that it is "too powerful".
RAM-FM apparently had help from the South African Representative office in Ramallah to bring in its 5K transmitter, which is still on the air.
Raf (Rafique Gangat), one of RAM-FM's top personalities, hosts a three-hour morning show with a one-hour current affairs interview and call-in program, and who is also the husband of the detained station manager Maysoun, is a former South African ambassador to the Palestinian territories, AP reported.
RAM-FM was started by South-African based Jewish businessman Issy Kirsh, and the venture is viewed very favorably by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
"Modeled after a South African station that provided a venue for reconciliation after apartheid, RAM-FM wants to create a safe place for Israelis and Palestinians to talk - and make money in the process", AP reported.
RAM-FM has been on-air for just over a year, since late February 2007, and has funding to take it through another two years, Mark Kluesner told journalists in Jerusalem last Thursday.
It has launched a major advertising campaign in Ramallah and neighboring areas of the West Bank and in Israel as well, with billboards advertising a slogan saying that "Music has no boundaries".
The AP report says that "While it was common a decade ago to encounter Palestinians at an Israeli beach, or run into Israelis eating hummus at a West Bank restaurant, they're now separated by Israeli travel bans meant to keep Palestinian militants out and Israeli citizens safe. Such divisions have forced RAM-FM to set up two studios, one in Jerusalem and the second in the West Bank city of Ramallah. It's the only way to invite both Israeli and Palestinian guests".
By Marian Houk
The Jerusalem office of the Ramallah-based English-language radio station RAM-FM was raided by Jerusalem Police and officials of the Israeli Ministry of Communications on Monday afternoon, and its staff members were detained, and equipment confiscated, on charges that it has been operating a small transmitter in Jerusalem "without the necessary broadcasting permit in Jerusalem".
Seven of its staff members have spent the night in jail, and are still awaiting a court appearance, RAM-FM reported in the second story on its 11 am regular news bulletin (the top news story concerned the 10:00 am alarm sounded as part of a country-wide test of Israel's civil defense preparedness).
The detained staff include the station manager, Maysoun Odeh-Gangat, a Palestinian, as well as three other Palestinian staff plus three internationals. They are due to appear in Jerusalem District Court shortly.
A news banner on RAM-FM's website (www.ramfm.net) saying that "The station maintains that it's operating within the parameters of the law", and also that "The legalities of Monday's detention of staff members and seizure of equipment are being examined by the station's legal team".
The Foreign Press Association (FPA) in Israel has just sent out a public protest, demanding the immediate release of the RAM-FM staff (the FPA wrote in its protest that eight RAM-FM staff are still being held).
The FPA protest stated that "Notwithstanding the merits of the charges brought by the Ministry of Communications against RAM FM, the FPA strongly deplores their continued detention in police custody and calls on those holding them to pursue the matter through routine channels rather than through this absurd imprisonment - now approaching a full 24 hours in jail".
The FPA protest became RAM-FM's top news story at 12:00 noon.
Ministry of Communication spokesperson Yechial Shavi told this reporter that the main problem is that the station has been working without permission. "We have no problem with their working from the area of the Palestinian Authoritiy. But if they want to do it here, they have to submit to competitive bidding for the frequency, and do a test, and they didn't do it. So, they are breaking the law. I can say they are like criminals ... A lot of other stations also want the opportunity to work here."
Shavi said "It doesn't matter if they are ultra-orthodox Jewish, or Arabs, or Russian immigrants. This is the law, and we try to work within the law".
It is unclear how RAM-FM could have operated the Jerusalem transmitter for the past six months without being previously noticed by the Israeli authorities.
Shavi said that the Ministry of Communication's duty was to transmit the information to the police, and that the police decide the schedule, when to go in to stop the broadcasting, and whether to arrest or not.
Israeli officials were quoted in news reports Monday saying that RAM-FM's transmission might have caused interference with control tower operations at Ben Gurion's Airport, which is closer to Tel Aviv than Jerusalem. RAM-FM's more powerful transmitter in Ramallah would have been more likely to reach Ben Gurion.
For months, Israeli officials have complained that settler radio stations operating from the West Bank - in areas much closer to Ben Gurion Airport than is Jerusalem -- have caused interference with air traffic control operations, and there have been work slow downs by controllers to protest the dangerous situation.
But, Shavi indicated Tuesday afternoon that he didn't think the problem had anything to do with the issue of interference with air traffic control at Ben Gurion.
The main transmitter of the station is in Ramallah, and it broadcasts on 93.6 FM using a powerful 5 K, which is heard in both Ramallah and Tel Aviv, and in fact in all areas of Israel between Haifa in the north and Ashkelon in the south, as well.
Gaza is not in the target area, its news director Mark Kluesner said at a meeting with journalists in Jerusalem last Thursday afternoon - Kluesner is one of those now being detained.
But, because there had been transmission interference in Jerusalem itself, RAM-FM set up the second transmitter there, broadcasting on a second frequency, 87.7 for its Jerusalem listeners.
This was not a secret. The second transmission in Jerusalem was announced regularly on air for the past six months or more, and is also posted prominently on RAM-FM's website.
A story by the Associated Press's Karen Laub from Ramallah on 26 March said that "After a year on the air, the music station with studios in Jerusalem and the West Bank has attracted a diverse audience, from Israeli soldiers and Palestinian students to West Bank villagers, English speaking immigrants and foreign diplomats".
RAM-FM operates on a license granted from the Palestinian Authority, as does another but non-commercial Israeli-Palestinian radio station, All For Peace Radio, whose main transmitter is also located in Ramallah. But, at 1K in power, All For Peace's signal is much less powerful that the 5 K transmitter used from Ramallah by RAM-FM.
RAM-FM is entirely in English, and has a mainly music format, while All for Peace Radio broadcasts in Hebrew and Arabic, and has much less music content.
All for Peace does have a 5K transmitter that it tried to import into Israel, but it was seized by Israeli customs at Ashdod port, where it has remained stuck for the last 5 years, on the grounds that it is "too powerful".
RAM-FM apparently had help from the South African Representative office in Ramallah to bring in its 5K transmitter, which is still on the air.
Raf (Rafique Gangat), one of RAM-FM's top personalities, hosts a three-hour morning show with a one-hour current affairs interview and call-in program, and who is also the husband of the detained station manager Maysoun, is a former South African ambassador to the Palestinian territories, AP reported.
RAM-FM was started by South-African based Jewish businessman Issy Kirsh, and the venture is viewed very favorably by the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority.
"Modeled after a South African station that provided a venue for reconciliation after apartheid, RAM-FM wants to create a safe place for Israelis and Palestinians to talk - and make money in the process", AP reported.
RAM-FM has been on-air for just over a year, since late February 2007, and has funding to take it through another two years, Mark Kluesner told journalists in Jerusalem last Thursday.
It has launched a major advertising campaign in Ramallah and neighboring areas of the West Bank and in Israel as well, with billboards advertising a slogan saying that "Music has no boundaries".
The AP report says that "While it was common a decade ago to encounter Palestinians at an Israeli beach, or run into Israelis eating hummus at a West Bank restaurant, they're now separated by Israeli travel bans meant to keep Palestinian militants out and Israeli citizens safe. Such divisions have forced RAM-FM to set up two studios, one in Jerusalem and the second in the West Bank city of Ramallah. It's the only way to invite both Israeli and Palestinian guests".
Senior Islamic Jihad Leader Muhammad Al-Hindi
Palestinian military groups will not plead for a ceasefire with Israel while it continues to operate in the West Bank in tandem with stipulating that the Palestinian military groups stop firing homemade projectiles at Israeli towns, senior Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad Al-Hindi said on Tuesday.
He told journalists in Gaza City that Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip has failed as did Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip in March. He added that Israel will not invade the Strip as they realize that an invasion will not stop Palestinian homemade projectiles being fired at Israeli towns.
The only choice Israel has is to consider the Egyptian suggestions for a ceasefire, he added.
He said that Egypt is facing a very embarrassing situation with the continuation of the crippling siege on the Gaza Strip. The situation may explode anew, leaving the Egyptians with one of two choices - either to open their borders or to open fire on Gazan citizens at the borders. "Continuation of the siege is a stigma of disgrace in the face of the Arab countries," he said.
"Israel will need to face the possibility that projectiles continue to land in its territories even after their incursions in the Gaza Strip because both the Palestinian president and the Arab countries will refuse to take control of the Strip following an Israeli invasion," Al-Hindi explained.
With regards to the inter-Palestinian crisis and disagreement, Al-Hindi expects that it will not last long as the Palestinians will sooner or later overcome the crisis. He highlighted the fact that other Palestinian factions have failed to achieve reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah because those factions are partners in the Palestinian question rather than mediators.
Palestinian military groups will not plead for a ceasefire with Israel while it continues to operate in the West Bank in tandem with stipulating that the Palestinian military groups stop firing homemade projectiles at Israeli towns, senior Islamic Jihad leader Muhammad Al-Hindi said on Tuesday.
He told journalists in Gaza City that Israel's siege on the Gaza Strip has failed as did Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip in March. He added that Israel will not invade the Strip as they realize that an invasion will not stop Palestinian homemade projectiles being fired at Israeli towns.
The only choice Israel has is to consider the Egyptian suggestions for a ceasefire, he added.
He said that Egypt is facing a very embarrassing situation with the continuation of the crippling siege on the Gaza Strip. The situation may explode anew, leaving the Egyptians with one of two choices - either to open their borders or to open fire on Gazan citizens at the borders. "Continuation of the siege is a stigma of disgrace in the face of the Arab countries," he said.
"Israel will need to face the possibility that projectiles continue to land in its territories even after their incursions in the Gaza Strip because both the Palestinian president and the Arab countries will refuse to take control of the Strip following an Israeli invasion," Al-Hindi explained.
With regards to the inter-Palestinian crisis and disagreement, Al-Hindi expects that it will not last long as the Palestinians will sooner or later overcome the crisis. He highlighted the fact that other Palestinian factions have failed to achieve reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah because those factions are partners in the Palestinian question rather than mediators.
Israeli tanks killed a 35-year-old member of the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, Awad Tahrawi, during an incursion in Jabalia, in the northern Gaza Strip on Tuesday.
Palestinian fighters fought Israeli forces who had entered the area on Tuesday morning.
The director of Kamal Udwan hospital said that Tahrawi's dead body appeared to have wounds resulting from a tank shell.
Another fighter was mildly injured in the battle.
The military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have fired 19 mortar rounds at invading Israeli forces in Jabalia and the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza city.
Earlier on Tuesday, Thirty Israeli military vehicles advanced towards Jabalia, stopping 100 meters from a Palestinian residential neighborhood, witnesses said.
Jabalia residents said the Israeli forces have fired heavily towards the Palestinian houses.
In late February Israel launched a five-day invasion in Jabalia that left more than 120 Palestinians dead, half of them unarmed civilians.
On Monday, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians in the Khuza'a area, east of the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli troops shot 65-year-old Uthman Abu Rock and then abducted him, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian military groups fired barrages of mortar shells and homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip.
The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, said their fighters fired three mortar rounds at Netiv Ha'asara, north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.
Separately, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed responsibility for firing two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Tuesday.
Palestinian fighters fought Israeli forces who had entered the area on Tuesday morning.
The director of Kamal Udwan hospital said that Tahrawi's dead body appeared to have wounds resulting from a tank shell.
Another fighter was mildly injured in the battle.
The military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, claimed to have fired 19 mortar rounds at invading Israeli forces in Jabalia and the Tuffah neighborhood of Gaza city.
Earlier on Tuesday, Thirty Israeli military vehicles advanced towards Jabalia, stopping 100 meters from a Palestinian residential neighborhood, witnesses said.
Jabalia residents said the Israeli forces have fired heavily towards the Palestinian houses.
In late February Israel launched a five-day invasion in Jabalia that left more than 120 Palestinians dead, half of them unarmed civilians.
On Monday, Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians in the Khuza'a area, east of the city of Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip. Israeli troops shot 65-year-old Uthman Abu Rock and then abducted him, witnesses said.
Meanwhile, Palestinian military groups fired barrages of mortar shells and homemade projectiles at the southern Israeli towns bordering the Gaza Strip.
The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An-Nasser Salah Addin Brigades, said their fighters fired three mortar rounds at Netiv Ha'asara, north of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning.
Separately, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), claimed responsibility for firing two homemade projectiles at the Israeli city of Ashkelon on Tuesday.
An Israeli settler bus ran over a 15-year-old Palestinian shepherd named Sharif Shtaya on a bypass road near the West Bank city of Nablus late on Monday afternoon, witnesses said.
Witnesses said the bus "deliberately" struck the boy while he was attempting to cross the road with his flock of sheep. Ten sheep and a donkey were also killed. The bus was passing through the Palestinian village of Salim on the way to the settlement Elon Moreh.
Palestinian medics said the Israeli military handed over Shtaya's corpse to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Settler bypass roads, some reserved for Israeli use exclusively, crisscross the occupied West Bank, connecting Israeli settlements with one another and with Israel.
Witnesses said the bus "deliberately" struck the boy while he was attempting to cross the road with his flock of sheep. Ten sheep and a donkey were also killed. The bus was passing through the Palestinian village of Salim on the way to the settlement Elon Moreh.
Palestinian medics said the Israeli military handed over Shtaya's corpse to the Palestinian Red Crescent.
Settler bypass roads, some reserved for Israeli use exclusively, crisscross the occupied West Bank, connecting Israeli settlements with one another and with Israel.
Israeli forces seize 17 Palestinians in West Bank raids
Israeli forces seized 17 Palestinians during raids across the West Bank early on Tuesday morning, Palestinian and Israeli sources reported.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops invaded the city of Nablus and the nearby village of Burqa, ransacking several houses before arresting six teenagers and a 30-year-old man.
Israeli media reported that Israeli forces raided Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron, detaining Palestinians in each location.
Israeli forces seized 17 Palestinians during raids across the West Bank early on Tuesday morning, Palestinian and Israeli sources reported.
Palestinian witnesses said Israeli troops invaded the city of Nablus and the nearby village of Burqa, ransacking several houses before arresting six teenagers and a 30-year-old man.
Israeli media reported that Israeli forces raided Jenin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron, detaining Palestinians in each location.
7 apr 2008
The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) plans to approve a new law on Monday enabling the Palestinians to try Israeli war criminals, PLC officials said.
The PLC's legal committee has started drafting the bill to submit before the PLC for ratification.
Several lawmakers, attorneys and international law experts, and humanitarian activists took part in a session during which the new rule was been discussed.
The PLC's legal committee has started drafting the bill to submit before the PLC for ratification.
Several lawmakers, attorneys and international law experts, and humanitarian activists took part in a session during which the new rule was been discussed.
Palestinian military groups in the Gaza Strip have agreed among themselves to hold their fire of homemade projectiles at nearby Israeli towns fearing a major Israeli incursion, Hamas sources told the Lebanese daily newspaper Al-Akhbar on Monday.
"The agreement does not mean unilateral ceasefire, rather it is meant to annul any Israeli pretext to undertake more aggressive actions against the Gaza Strip," a Hamas official said.
"The Palestinian de facto government learned from reliable western sources that Israel plans to assassinate prominent Hamas and Islamic Jihad military leaders so as to provoke the military groups to launch barrages of homemade projectiles at Israeli towns which will give enough justification for a major Israeli invasion into the Gaza Strip," he added.
The Hamas source accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of knowing about the Israeli assassination plot in order to facilitate the return of Fatah's security forces to power in Gaza.
Palestinian military groups claimed responsibility for launching seven homemade projectiles at Israeli targets on Monday morning.
"The agreement does not mean unilateral ceasefire, rather it is meant to annul any Israeli pretext to undertake more aggressive actions against the Gaza Strip," a Hamas official said.
"The Palestinian de facto government learned from reliable western sources that Israel plans to assassinate prominent Hamas and Islamic Jihad military leaders so as to provoke the military groups to launch barrages of homemade projectiles at Israeli towns which will give enough justification for a major Israeli invasion into the Gaza Strip," he added.
The Hamas source accused Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of knowing about the Israeli assassination plot in order to facilitate the return of Fatah's security forces to power in Gaza.
Palestinian military groups claimed responsibility for launching seven homemade projectiles at Israeli targets on Monday morning.
The Army of Islam target Israeli soldier east of Al-Qarara
Israeli military vehicles dig up agricultural land in Beit Hanoun
Fatah and DFLP fighters 'fire' five projectiles at Ashkelon, Netiv Ha'asara
Two Palestinian military groups fire two projectiles at Sufa crossing
Israeli military vehicles dig up agricultural land in Beit Hanoun
Fatah and DFLP fighters 'fire' five projectiles at Ashkelon, Netiv Ha'asara
Two Palestinian military groups fire two projectiles at Sufa crossing
6 apr 2008
The body of five-year-old Abdullah Bhar
Shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell killed a five-year-old Palestinian child and injured two others in Al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon, witnesses and medics said.
Palestinian medical sources identified the deceased child as Abdullah Bhar.
Witnesses said that Israeli military helicopters are flying over the central Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 35-year-old Palestinian farmer in the northern Gaza Strip.
Shrapnel from an Israeli tank shell killed a five-year-old Palestinian child and injured two others in Al-Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Sunday afternoon, witnesses and medics said.
Palestinian medical sources identified the deceased child as Abdullah Bhar.
Witnesses said that Israeli military helicopters are flying over the central Gaza Strip.
On Saturday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed a 35-year-old Palestinian farmer in the northern Gaza Strip.
An Israeli military officer was injured during an incursion in the West Bank town of Qabatiya near Jenin on Saturday, the Israeli army announced.
According to the Israeli army, the officer was shot during a gunbattle with Palestinian fighters in Qabatiya. They said the officer only mildly wounded.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, said their fighters clashed with invading Israeli forces and injured one officer.
The Israeli forces invaded Qabatia on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians suspected of political or military activity. Residents of the town said the Israeli troops damaged furniture in the houses they searched. No arrests have been reported.
According to the Israeli army, the officer was shot during a gunbattle with Palestinian fighters in Qabatiya. They said the officer only mildly wounded.
The military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al-Quds Brigades, said their fighters clashed with invading Israeli forces and injured one officer.
The Israeli forces invaded Qabatia on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians suspected of political or military activity. Residents of the town said the Israeli troops damaged furniture in the houses they searched. No arrests have been reported.
5 apr 2008
Ra'fat Mansour's funeral in Jabaliya refugee camp on Saturday
Israeli forces shot and killed a 35-year-old Palestinian farmer named Ra'fat Mansour and injured another Palestinian man during an ongoing attack on the area near the cemetery in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said.
Medical sources added that Mansour was dead when he arrived at Al-Awda hospital. The other man, Muhammad Mansour, is reported to be injured mildly.
Mansour is the second farmer, and the third unarmed Palestinian civilian to be killed by Israeli forces near Gaza's border wall.
The Israeli military recently enlarged the "Buffer Zone" inside the Strip along the border with Israel. Palestinians are now forbidden from approaching within 800 meters of the border. Israeli soldiers routinely shoot at Palestinians, including farmers tending their land, who enter the border zone.
Israeli forces shot and killed a 35-year-old Palestinian farmer named Ra'fat Mansour and injured another Palestinian man during an ongoing attack on the area near the cemetery in the northern Gaza Strip, medics said.
Medical sources added that Mansour was dead when he arrived at Al-Awda hospital. The other man, Muhammad Mansour, is reported to be injured mildly.
Mansour is the second farmer, and the third unarmed Palestinian civilian to be killed by Israeli forces near Gaza's border wall.
The Israeli military recently enlarged the "Buffer Zone" inside the Strip along the border with Israel. Palestinians are now forbidden from approaching within 800 meters of the border. Israeli soldiers routinely shoot at Palestinians, including farmers tending their land, who enter the border zone.
Israeli forces raid Qabatiya
Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, on Saturday, raiding houses and searching for "wanted" Palestinains, local sources said.
A source in the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed that it confronted the Israeli soldiers, throwing homemade bombs at their vehicles.
Israeli forces invaded at dawn today the vallage of Qabatia, south of Jenin, where it raided and thoroughly searched houses under the name of searching for wanted citizens.
Witnesses added that Israeli forces wrecked the interiors of several houses while shooting and detonating sonic bombs. No arrests or injuries were reported.
Israeli forces invaded the West Bank town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, on Saturday, raiding houses and searching for "wanted" Palestinains, local sources said.
A source in the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad, claimed that it confronted the Israeli soldiers, throwing homemade bombs at their vehicles.
Israeli forces invaded at dawn today the vallage of Qabatia, south of Jenin, where it raided and thoroughly searched houses under the name of searching for wanted citizens.
Witnesses added that Israeli forces wrecked the interiors of several houses while shooting and detonating sonic bombs. No arrests or injuries were reported.
4 apr 2008
Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades activist injured in clashes
The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, announced on Friday that one of their fighters was injured on Thursday in clashes with Israeli special forces east of the town of Al-Qarara in the southern Gaza Strip.
The brigades told Ma'an that they will continue to resist Israeli occupation and respond to Israeli troops in the sector.
The military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, announced on Friday that one of their fighters was injured on Thursday in clashes with Israeli special forces east of the town of Al-Qarara in the southern Gaza Strip.
The brigades told Ma'an that they will continue to resist Israeli occupation and respond to Israeli troops in the sector.
Palestinian shot and injured by Israeli army
An 18-year-old boy was shot by the Israeli forces in the Jabal Johar area of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday.
Safwat Al-Ajlony was taken to Al-Ahli hospital for treatment. According to medical sources he was shot in the knee.
For their part, the Israeli army said that Al-Ajlony had tried to grab a weapon from one of the soldiers in the area.
An 18-year-old boy was shot by the Israeli forces in the Jabal Johar area of the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday.
Safwat Al-Ajlony was taken to Al-Ahli hospital for treatment. According to medical sources he was shot in the knee.
For their part, the Israeli army said that Al-Ajlony had tried to grab a weapon from one of the soldiers in the area.
Israeli organisation accuses Ma'an of using "hate language"
Al-Quds Brigades say they photographed blood of injured Israeli soldiers
3 apr 2008
Six Palestinian fighters have been injured, one seriously, in ongoing clashes with Israeli forces in Khan Younis on Thursday.
Palestinian medical sources said the seriously injured activist was taken to the European Hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and the other five were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
According to eyewitnesses, the clashes are still ongoing.
A statement from the Al-Quds Brigades explained that fighters affiliated to the Islamic Jihad targeted an Israeli undercover force with two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and five mortar shells before clashing with them for several hours.
Palestinian medical sources said the seriously injured activist was taken to the European Hospital in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and the other five were taken to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis.
According to eyewitnesses, the clashes are still ongoing.
A statement from the Al-Quds Brigades explained that fighters affiliated to the Islamic Jihad targeted an Israeli undercover force with two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and five mortar shells before clashing with them for several hours.
2 apr 2008
Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian vehicles
A group of Israeli settlers from the settlement of Qadumim east of Qalqilia threw stones at Palestinian vehicles on the main Qalqilia to Nablus road on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces closed the main road connecting Qalqilia and Nablus to Palestinian vehicles from the village of Funduq village to Jit village, east of Qalqilia.
A group of Israeli settlers from the settlement of Qadumim east of Qalqilia threw stones at Palestinian vehicles on the main Qalqilia to Nablus road on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli forces closed the main road connecting Qalqilia and Nablus to Palestinian vehicles from the village of Funduq village to Jit village, east of Qalqilia.
The Israeli forces conducted an inspection and apprehension campaign against Fatah activists in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Wednesday morning.
The soldiers raided the home of a captain in the Palestinian preventive security service 45-year-old Munthir Ikbariyya. His name had previously appeared in the amnesty list which Israel sent to the Palestinian Authority on 19th July 2007.
Ikbariyya told Ma'an that he has been 'wanted' by Israeli authorities since 2001 for his activism within the military wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Brigades. Since then, he has survived several assassination and apprehension attempts.
Standing opposite his damaged house in the Shuwaika neighborhood of Tulkarem, he said, "Long ago I stopped any military activity, and I do not even take part in any rallies. I just follow directives from the preventive security service and I have no weapons except the one I carry while on duty inside the headquarters."
"Despite the fact that I was pardoned according to the Israeli amnesty list, the Israelis always have the same pretext - he intended to attack Israeli targets," he added.
The soldiers raided the home of a captain in the Palestinian preventive security service 45-year-old Munthir Ikbariyya. His name had previously appeared in the amnesty list which Israel sent to the Palestinian Authority on 19th July 2007.
Ikbariyya told Ma'an that he has been 'wanted' by Israeli authorities since 2001 for his activism within the military wing of Fatah, the Al-Aqsa Brigades. Since then, he has survived several assassination and apprehension attempts.
Standing opposite his damaged house in the Shuwaika neighborhood of Tulkarem, he said, "Long ago I stopped any military activity, and I do not even take part in any rallies. I just follow directives from the preventive security service and I have no weapons except the one I carry while on duty inside the headquarters."
"Despite the fact that I was pardoned according to the Israeli amnesty list, the Israelis always have the same pretext - he intended to attack Israeli targets," he added.
Islamic Jihad leader 'survives assassination attempt' in Qabatiya
An Islamic Jihad fighter survived an assassination attempt in the West Bank town of Qabatiya, near Jenin, on Wednesday, Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades claimed.
"An undercover Israeli force infiltrated to the town at 9:30am and came unexpectedly upon an Al-Quds Brigades leader and began to shoot at him," the organization's spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the target of the reported attack had survived two previous assassination attempts, and had been seriously injured in one such attempt. The spokesperson said the leader's name would not be revealed, citing "security reasons."
An Islamic Jihad fighter survived an assassination attempt in the West Bank town of Qabatiya, near Jenin, on Wednesday, Islamic Jihad's military wing, the Al-Quds Brigades claimed.
"An undercover Israeli force infiltrated to the town at 9:30am and came unexpectedly upon an Al-Quds Brigades leader and began to shoot at him," the organization's spokesperson said.
The spokesperson added that the target of the reported attack had survived two previous assassination attempts, and had been seriously injured in one such attempt. The spokesperson said the leader's name would not be revealed, citing "security reasons."
Israeli forces raid Bethlehem and neighboring village, detain Palestinian civilian
Israeli forces seized a Palestinian man in a village near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and also raided the city center on Wednesday, Palestinian security sources said.
The Israeli troops detained Ali Rashayda, from the village of Ar-Rashayda, east of Bethlehem, after searching his home, the sources said.
Separately, the Israeli forces stormed As-Saf neighborhood of central Bethlehem and broke into the home of wanted Palestinian fighter Muhammad Kawamlah, telling his wife that Kawamlah should surrender to the Israeli security apparatus.
Witnesses said the soldiers, while inside the house, tore down photos of the four Palestinian fighters who were assassinated by undercover Israeli forces in Bethlehem on 12 March.
Israeli forces seized a Palestinian man in a village near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and also raided the city center on Wednesday, Palestinian security sources said.
The Israeli troops detained Ali Rashayda, from the village of Ar-Rashayda, east of Bethlehem, after searching his home, the sources said.
Separately, the Israeli forces stormed As-Saf neighborhood of central Bethlehem and broke into the home of wanted Palestinian fighter Muhammad Kawamlah, telling his wife that Kawamlah should surrender to the Israeli security apparatus.
Witnesses said the soldiers, while inside the house, tore down photos of the four Palestinian fighters who were assassinated by undercover Israeli forces in Bethlehem on 12 March.
Israeli forces shoot Palestinian man, seize another in Jenin refugee camp
Israeli forces stormed the northern West Bank refugee camp of Jenin arresting one Palestinian and shooting another on Wednesday morning, witnesses said.
Local sources that 28-year-old Ahmad Amur was arrested and 20-year-old Shuja' Al-Qurainy was shot in the stomach.
The invading forces conducted house-to-house searches, witnesses added.
Israeli forces stormed the northern West Bank refugee camp of Jenin arresting one Palestinian and shooting another on Wednesday morning, witnesses said.
Local sources that 28-year-old Ahmad Amur was arrested and 20-year-old Shuja' Al-Qurainy was shot in the stomach.
The invading forces conducted house-to-house searches, witnesses added.
Israeli troops and five military vehicles entered the Al-Amal neighborhood of the town of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.
The invading forces ransacked Palestinian houses for several hours before seizing three Palestinians, witnesses said.
Beit Hanoun residents said that all telecommunications, including cell phones, were shut down by the Israeli military during the incursion.
The invading forces ransacked Palestinian houses for several hours before seizing three Palestinians, witnesses said.
Beit Hanoun residents said that all telecommunications, including cell phones, were shut down by the Israeli military during the incursion.
Israeli Housing Ministry plans to build 1,900 new housing units across West Bank
Palestinian sniper recalls operation which left 10 Israelis dead six years ago
ICAHD founder Jeff Halper arrested for attempting to stop house demolition in Jerusalem
Israeli forces seize 18 Palestinians during early morning raids in the West Bank
Mash'al: Hamas not responsible for Jerusalem shooting attack
1 apr 2008
A Palestinian university student was killed by an Israeli settler at a hitchiking post on Route 60 near the Shilo Israeli settlement between Nablus and Ramallah in the northern West Bank on Monday, Israeli and Palestinian security sources said.
Palestinian security sources said 22-year-old Abdul-Latif Hurub from the southern West Bank town of Khras west of Hebron was shot and killed by an Israeli settler.
Local sources told Ma'an's reporter in Hebron that Israeli forces ransacked the victim's family house after his death.
Hurub was studying Business Administration at Birzeit University near Ramallah. On Tuesday, students from Birzeit University told Ma'an that Israeli forces broke into the student dormitory where Hurub had been living. They evacuated all the students and inspected the building.
For its part, Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed that one of their activists was killed as he attempted to grab a rifle from an Israeli soldier near the Shilo settlement.
Palestinian security sources said 22-year-old Abdul-Latif Hurub from the southern West Bank town of Khras west of Hebron was shot and killed by an Israeli settler.
Local sources told Ma'an's reporter in Hebron that Israeli forces ransacked the victim's family house after his death.
Hurub was studying Business Administration at Birzeit University near Ramallah. On Tuesday, students from Birzeit University told Ma'an that Israeli forces broke into the student dormitory where Hurub had been living. They evacuated all the students and inspected the building.
For its part, Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed that one of their activists was killed as he attempted to grab a rifle from an Israeli soldier near the Shilo settlement.
Tuesday's funeral for Abdullah Al-Barrak
Two Palestinian activists affiliated to Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades were killed and two others were injured on Tuesday morning when armed clashes erupted after an undercover Israeli force infiltrated into the area of Wadi as- Salqa near Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medical sources named the victims as Abdullah and Yahya Al-Barrak. The identity of the injured activists remains unknown. They were evacuated to hospital.
Two Palestinian activists affiliated to Hamas' Al-Qassam Brigades were killed and two others were injured on Tuesday morning when armed clashes erupted after an undercover Israeli force infiltrated into the area of Wadi as- Salqa near Deir Al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medical sources named the victims as Abdullah and Yahya Al-Barrak. The identity of the injured activists remains unknown. They were evacuated to hospital.
Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank town of Marda to the north of Salfit on Monday afternoon firing live ammunition, tear gas canisters and sonic bombs before imposing a curfew on the town.
Eyewitness Nasfat Al-Khafash said the Israeli troops closed the sole entrance to the town preventing the residents from moving in and out.
Other local eyewitnesses told Ma'an that the Israeli soldiers arrested 19-year-old Muhammad Hujair after they stormed a construction site where he worked.
Eyewitness Nasfat Al-Khafash said the Israeli troops closed the sole entrance to the town preventing the residents from moving in and out.
Other local eyewitnesses told Ma'an that the Israeli soldiers arrested 19-year-old Muhammad Hujair after they stormed a construction site where he worked.
Al-Aqsa Brigades fighters 'clash' with Israeli forces in Jenin
PFLP's military group fire at Israeli targets
Palestinian military groups fire projectile at Ashkelon
PFLP's military group fire at Israeli targets
Palestinian military groups fire projectile at Ashkelon
