The Israeli occupation army kidnaps one civilian in Hebron

Monday August 25, 2008 13:10 by Rula Shahwan - IMEMC News

The Israeli occupation army troops invaded Beit Ola village south of the West Bank city of Hebron on Monday midday, local sources reported.

Troops searched and ransacked the house of Tareq Sarahna, 35 and left damages behind, local sources said.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that the Israeli military administration kidnapped Sarahna as he was detained he was summoned for an interview at an Israeli military administration headquarters.

The Israeli occupation army claims that he is wanted for allegedly being member of the Palestinian armed resistance.

The Israeli occupation army kidnap 9 Palestinians in the West Bank

Monday August 25, 2008 11:04 by Rula Shahwan - IMEMC News

Israeli occupation army troops invaded the West Bank cities of Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jenin and Tubas on Monday morning and kidnapped 9 civilians, local sources reported.

A number of Israeli occupation troops accompanied by 15 military vehicles invaded the town of Beitunia south of Ramallah. Troops launched a wide scale house-to-house search and confiscated some of the residents belongings and ransacked their homes, local sources reported, adding that the soldiers took prisoner four civilians and led them to an unknown location.

Also in Ramallah, Israeli occupation troops invaded Al-Jalazoan refugee camp and shot a number of concussion grenade in residential areas. Troops randomly searched and ransacked several houses in the camp and kidnapped two civilians.

In The West Bank city of Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers raided Dar Salah village, east of the city. Soldiers spread through out several neighborhoods and ransacked houses, and kidnapped 3 civilians and took them to an unknown destination.

Moreover, troops invaded the West Bank city of Tubas and the nearby refugee camps. The soldiers setup several road blocks at the refugee camps entrances restricting the movement of civilians.

Meanwhile In Jenin area, troops invaded several villages, and deployed in the streets and shot extensive random gunfire and concussion grenades and ransacked houses, before they left the area. The reason behind this invasion remains unknown.

Israel releases 199 Palestinian political prisoners

Monday August 25, 2008 12:17 by Rula Shahwan - IMEMC News

The Israeli occupation government has released 199 Palestinian political prisoners on Monday morning ahead of a visit to the region by Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state. Palestinian sources reported.

(Note: The overwhelming majority of the 11,500 Palestinian political prisoners have been kidnapped from their homes by Israeli occupation forces for no reasons other than being political activists. The overwhelming majority of them have never participated in any military actions).

The Israeli cabinet had approved a list of 199 detainees for release describing it as a "goodwill" gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

The prisoners left their tents in the early morning and were put on busses that will take them to the Beitounya checkpoint, near the West Bank city of Ramallah heading to Abbas' presidential compound in Ramallah for an official celebration.

Palestinian Minister of Prisoners Affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami said this release is different as Israel eased its conditions on releasing Palestinian prisoners who have killed Israelis. Two of the released prisoners, were spending life terms for being involved in killing Israeli soldiers and settlers during resistance operations.

On the other hand, leader of the Israeli opposition Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the Israeli government for this release saying the government should not release Palestinians "with blood on their hands," while Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is still held in the Gaza Strip.

As Israel ocasionally release a number of Palestinian prisoners, the number of the currently imprisoned Palestinians continue to grow. There are over 11,500 Palestinian prisoners currently held in Israeli detention centers, among them around 85 women and children in varying stages of health.

As of writing this report, 130 Palestinians have been taken prisoner In the month of August, alone and 313 in July.

Israel occupation government releases 198 Palestinian prisoners, including 32-year detainee

Date: 25 / 08 / 2008  Time:  09:58
Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed 198 newly liberated Palestinian prisoners at his headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Monday.

The scene at the Muqata'a was one of pronouncedly mixed emotions: jubilation at the release of the prisoners, and sadness for the 11,500 Palestinians still in Israeli occupation jails. One Sunday night alone, Israeli occupation forces kidnapped six more Palestinians during a raid in Ramallah.

"We'll never feel comfortable unless all prisoners are freed and prisons are cleared. There will be no peace without releasing all the prisoners," said Abbas, speaking to the assembled prisoners, families, and PA officials.

Addressing women prisoners who are still imprisoned, he said, "Your turn will come."

Turning to the political issues at stake in his negotiations with Israel, he asserted that the status of "Jerusalem, settlements, refugees and borders either can be solved together, at once, or we will not accept other solutions. "

Most prominent among the freed prisoners is Sa'id Al-Atabah, who spent 32 years in jail. Another senior prisoner released on Monday is Abu Ali Yatta, who spent 28 years in jail, as well as senior Fatah leader Husam Khadir who served six years.

The Prisoners lined up and entered the Muqata'a to shake hands with President Abbas. Security officers worked hard to regulate the flow of hundreds of supporters who flocked to the Muqata'a. The freed prisoners then visited the grave of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat before returning to the embrace of their families.

Al-Atabah, the longest-serving prisoner and a member of the leftist Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palesinte (DFLP), laid flowers and recited verses from the Qur'an at the grave of Yasser Arafat.

The Israeli cabinet had previously approved a list of 199 detainees for release as a "goodwill gesture" to Abbas, with whom the Israeli government is negotiating a peace deal. At the last minute, Israeli authorities removed one prisoner from the list, on the grounds that he is a criminal, not a "security prisoner" like the others.

The spokesman of Palestinian prisoners at Israel's Ofer prison, Nabil Abu Qbeitah, said that the inmates left their tents in the early morning and were put on busses that will took them to the Beituniuya checkpoint, near Ramallah, where they were released.

The Israel Prison service had transferred the men to Ofer, a facility inside the West Bank, near Ramallah, from various prisons.

Palestinian Minister of Prisoners Affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami said the gesture represented a breach of Israel's usual conditions for the release of prisoners. During a press conference in Ramallah Sunday, Al-Ajrami said that since the Oslo Accords, Israel has not released any long-term prisoners who were captured before Oslo.

Right-wing Israeli opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu slammed the government's decision to release the prisoners, especially those "with their hands soaked in blood" while Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit is still detained in the Gaza Strip.

The prisoner release the Palestinian prisoners coincides with arrival of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Israel and the Palestinian territories on Monday. Rice is in the region in an attempt to reinvigorate stalled peace negotiations.

Israeli forces raided Ramallah overnight and seized 6 Palestinians. Eyewitnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces also arrested Palestinians imposing a curfew on the village of Dar Salah village in the Bethlehem district in the southern West Bank.

***Updated at 12:32 local time