Israeli occupation forces invade Palestinian cities, terrorizing the population, kidnapping 22 people, provoking confrontations with resistance fighters

Israeli occupation forces strike West Bank cities, kidnapping 22 Palestinians

Date: 18 / 10 / 2007 Time: 10:42

Nablus – Ma'an –

Israeli occupation forces kidnapped 22 Palestinians throughout the West Bank early Thursday morning.

An invading Israeli force detained eight activists affiliated with Hamas and Fatah in the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp.

Israeli forces entered the city after midnight, storming house after house. A Palestinian military group engaged the Israeli force inside Balata camp.

Israeli occupation forces seized 14 other Palestinians during raids in Tulkarem, Nablus, Ramallah, and Hebron, Israeli Army radio reported.

The Israeli army claimed to have uncovered weapons caches.

In the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya, the Israeli occupation forces kidnapped five Palestinians after storming several houses.

Palestinian fighters fired on the Israeli occupation force, but no injuries were reported.

The troops also broke into the home of Islamic Jihad leader Abdul-Fattah Al-Khuzaimi and Popular Resistance Committees leader Qussay Nazzal. The soldiers demanded that the families turn over the two activists or face assassination.

***Updated at 12:13 local time

Israeli occupation forces kidnap Fateh and Islamic Jihad leaders in Tulkarem

Date: 18 / 10 / 2007 Time: 11:38

Tulkarem – Ma'an –

Israeli occupation forces stormed the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Thursday morning, kidnapping a political leader in the Islamic Jihad movement an activist affiliated with Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades.

Islamic Jihad's Abdul-Nasser Suwais and the Al-Aqsa Brigades' Bilal Rajab were detained.

Suwais's wife said Israeli soldiers pelted the family's house with stones before breaking in an abducting her husband.

Rajab's brother said that the Al-Aqsa activist had been granted amnesty by Israel last summer as a part of a deal between Fateh and the Israeli government. He said Rajab works in the Palestinian intelligence services and had signed a pledge to renounce violence, as required by the amnesty agreement.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades claim attacks on Israeli occupation forces

Date: 18 / 10 / 2007 Time: 10:27

Jenin – Ma'an –

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the Armed wing of Fateh, announced that they fought with Israeli occupation troops on a road south of the West Bank village of Anza, near the city of Jenin, Wednesday night.

The Brigades issued a statement claiming that their fighters planted a decoy bomb on the road, and fired on the Israeli occupation soldiers when they stopped to examine the bomb.

The statement said one Al-Aqsa Brigades fighter was injured.

Israeli occupation paratroopers landed near Jenin later on Thursday to search for the fighters.

In a separate incident on Wednesday, Al-Aqsa Brigades claimed to have fired a rocket-propelled grenade at an Israeli occupation forces tank in the Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis.

***Updated at 11:10 local time

Israeli occupation army attacks several areas of the West Bank

Thursday October 18, 2007 10:47 by Nisreen Qumsieh - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group nisreen at imemc dot org

The Israeli occupation army attacked a house in the village of Beit Fajar, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Security sources report that a number of military vehicles, backed by reinforcements, subjected the village to tight security measures and positioned themselves in the center, from where they attacked a dwelling. No abductions were reported.

In a separate operation, Israeli occupation forces invaded the village of Tayaser, near the northern West Bank city of Tubas. Troops carried out house-to-house searches. The operation is continuing.

In another part of the West Bank, Israeli occupation forces invaded the city of Al-`Bireh and the village of Qarawat Bani Zaid, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Security sources say that a number military vehicles invaded several parts of Al-Bireh, but no abductions were reported.

The same sources report that troops invaded the village of Qarawat Bani Zaid, searched homes and issued warrants summoning local people to Israeli intelligence for questioning.

Israeli occupation army attacks Hebron district;one Palestinian abducted

Thursday October 18, 2007 10:19 by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News nisreen at imemc dot org

The Israeli occupation army attacked the southern West Bank town of Yatta, in the district of Hebron, in the early hours of Thursday morning. A Palestinian from the town was kidnapped and several houses were damaged as soldiers launched a wide-scale search in several parts of the town center.

Security sources in Yatta report that Israeli soldiers backed up by seven military patrols and an ambulance invaded parts of the town center and began a campaign of ransacking. Several houses were attacked and Issa Sanayda, 31 was kidnapped.

The same source described the operation as very aggressive with soldiers causing huge damage to houses, terrifying local people and subjecting them to interrogation.

Israeli occupation forces invade Qabatiya and Tulkarem, kidnapping 6 Palestinians

Thursday October 18, 2007 09:52 by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News nisreen at imemc dot org

The Israeli occupation army carried out military operations in the northern cities of Qabatiya and Qalqilia in the early hours of Thursday morning.

In Qabatiya, in the district of Jenin, the army kidnapped four Palestinians.

Security sources report that troops invaded the area, conducted a ransacking operation on houses in the area and kidnapped Yasser Zakarneh,25, Mou'tasem Zakarneh, 24, Aysar Zakarneh, 22 and Omar Araby, 22.

In the same operation the Israeli army invaded the town of Araba, near Qalqilia, patrolled the area, searched homes and attacked residents.

Local sources report that the southern part of Jenin district witnessed an Israeli paratroop operation. Troops spread throughout the area and conducted a wide-scale search operation.

In Tulkarem, the Israeli army carried out an attack on the area in the early hours of Thursday morning. Two Palestinians were kidnapped and taken to an unidentified detention center. The men were later named as Bilal Rajab, 30 and Abed Al Naser Suwees,48.

Earlier, on Wednesday in a number of attacks in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army abducted at least 25 Palestinians.

Israeli occupation army invades Nablus, 7 Palestinians abducted

Thursday October 18, 2007 09:02 by Ameen Abu Warda - IMEMC News nisreen at imemc dot org

Israeli occupation forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the surrounding areas in the early hours of Thursday morning, carrying out attacks and a wide-ranging search of the area.

Eyewitnesses reported that the Israeli occupaiton army invaded several areas in Nablus, including the Balata refugee camp, searching for wanted Palestinians.

Local sources reported that the army abducted at least seven Palestinians who were later identified as Sayef Al Nejmy,16 Ali Al Taweel,23, Raed Abu Rmeilla,27 and the brothers Ihab and Ihsan Al Mathbouh, Khalil Al Khalili, Mohammad Ayash.

Translated by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News

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