Israeli Occupation Forces Invade Tulkarem, Hebron, Nablus, Northern Gaza Strip, Terrorizing Communities, Kidnapping Palestinians

Israeli occupation forces invade Tulkarem and Hebron, kidnap 9 Palestinians across West Bank, storm Hebron mosques

West Bank - Ma'an - The Israeli forces invaded the West Bank cities of Tulkarem and Hebron on Wednesday at dawn. In Tulkarem, the Israeli forces said they were searching for Islamic Jihad operatives; two men were arrested. In Hebron, the forces targeted mosques and a deaf association; two other men were arrested.

Israeli sources reported that nine West Bankers were arrested in total on Wednesday morning.

Palestinian security sources in Tulkarem reported that a large Israeli military force invaded Tulkarem refugee camp and the Thabaneh district in west Tulkarem. The Israeli occupation army kidnapped Yousef Shteiwi, a 21-year-old Islamic Jihad activist, and Muhanad Badran, 17; the two young men were taken to an unknown destination.

Israeli occupation soldiers also stormed the house of Jamal Hadaideh, who is the office manager of the Tulkarem branch of the Palestinian Legislative Council. He is considered to be a Hamas supporter. The Israeli forces searched his home but failed to arrest him.

The Israeli forces also broke into the house of Muhammad Quzah, a member of the Fatah-affiliated Al Aqsa Brigades.

Both Hadaideh and Quzah have been wanted by the Israeli forces for some time; the soldiers asked their families to tell them to surrender.

It had been reported that the Israeli forces stationed at the entrances to Tulkarem had been preventing all Palestinians under the age of 35 from leaving the city for the last two days.

In particular, at the Jbarah checkpoint, just south of the city, and at the Anabta checkpoint, east of Tulkarem, there were reports of maltreatment.

Our Tulkarem correspondent reported from eyewitnesses that the Israeli soldiers at the two checkpoints had humiliated people trying to cross and delayed them.

Eyewitnesses told our correspondent that the soldiers at the checkpoints are young and are inexperienced in dealing with people, especially the very young and old. They complained of being forced to wait long hours in the sun before being allowed to pass.

Israeli occupation forces broke into three mosques and the 'Al Amal' deaf association in the West Bank city of Hebron on Wednesday morning and arrested two Palestinians in the region.

A local security sources told Ma'an that the Israeli troops broke into Al-Haras mosque in the Ain Sara area of the city. The soldiers broke down the gates and confiscated books and documents. The forces also stormed the Al Sharabaty mosque in the Ras Al Joura area, and the Shahin mosque in the area of the transportation department.

The army also stormed the 'Al Amal' deaf association. A member of the association's management, Wael Hzaji, condemned the operation, saying, "This is a charitable organization that cares for deaf kids who can barely talk; we help them and provide them with some of their personal needs until the age of 14."

The Israeli soldiers apprehended Muhammad Ar Rujoub from Dura, a village southwest of Hebron, and Muhammad Ad Dudeh, from Halhul, just north of Hebron. They were taken to an unknown destination.

This incursion came after the Israeli forces shot dead a 15-year-old boy, Ahmad Skafi, in Hebron city on Tuesday as he was holding a toy gun that resembled a M16.

According to Israeli sources, nine Palestinians were arrested by the army in the West Bank on Wednesday and they were sent to interrogation centres.

Israeli sources reported that the troops operating in Nablus, in the northern West Bank, came under fire without any casualties reported.

The Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fatah, however earlier claimed responsibility for detonating a roadside bomb next to Israeli military vehicles in Nablus; they claimed that there were Israeli losses.

The military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, the An Nasser Brigades, along with the military wing of Islamic Jihad, the Al Quds Brigades, clashed with an Israeli occupation special force, which penetrated eastern Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, on Wednesday morning.

The brigades detonated a landmine and launched a rocket-propelled grenade at the Israeli jeeps. An armed confrontation ensued, which lasted for half an hour.

The brigades issued a joint statement, announcing that Israeli military back-up quickly arrived at the scene to rescue the soldiers, under cover of apache helicopters.

Invading Israeli forces terrorise farmers in northern Gaza Date: 04 / 07 / 2007 Time: 10:21

Israeli occupation undercover forces on Wednesday morning penetrated into the Al-Qubtaniyya area and the industrial estate compound east of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip, reported eyewitnesses.

The witnesses said that the Israeli troops opened fire at Palestinian farmers in the area and forced them from their land.

A cacophony of bangs was heard coming from the area seemingly as a result of shells and grenades being lobbed into the fields.

Wednesday July 04, 2007 11:12 by Ameen Abowarda - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group nisreen at imemc dot org

For the second consecutive day, a massive Israeli occupation force invaded the old City of Nablus in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Local sources reported that the army wreaked much destruction in the city, destroying shops and infrastructure, and kidnapping 4 Palestinians. The men were identified as Adnan Khashana, 15, Munthir Al Kakhan, 30, Marwan Brake, 30, and Kamal Calbouna, 25.

Eyewitnesses reported that Israeli army opened fire on the street lights in the city and on the commercial center, with Israeli bulldozers also damaging the streets.

In the same operation, the army invaded Ibrahim Fatouh's home, an officer in the preventative security force who was kidnapped in Tuesday’s invasion of Balata Refugee camp. The army searched the home, confiscated some property and interrogated family members.

Palestinian resistance clashed with the army during their withdrawal, with fighters firing homemade shells at military vehicles. No injuries were reported.

Nine Palestinians were kidnapped in Tuesday and Wednesday’s invasions of Nablus, with the Israeli occupation army claiming that all are so-called "wanted Palestinians.”

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