Israeli Aggression Against the Palestinian People: Raids, Attacks, Injuries, Kidnapping, on July 12, 2008

The Israeli army conducted 14 invasions and erected 4 military checkpoint in the West Bank

Saturday July 12, 2008 13:37 by Rula Shahwan - IMEMC News

Local sources reported that the Israeli army conducted 14 invasions at several cities of the West Bank and erected 4 military checkpoints

Israeli army

The national security media office reported on Friday that the Israeli invasions started on Saturday and lasted till 8:00a.m.this morning.

Local Sources reported that the Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Jenin and had intensive gun fires, moreover it surrounded and raided some of the homes of residents for a couple of hours . No kidnappings were reported.

Local sources also reported that the Israeli army invaded the West Bank city of Tulkarem at several areas and ransacked some residences of Rabee' Ammar, Amer Jaber and Muhammad Ammar from the Palestinian national security in town.

Moreover the Israeli army invaded Der Astia town in Sealift city and imposed curfew on the city, banning civilians from getting outside their homes. In addition to that the Israeli army erected 2 checkpoints at the nearby villages.

Local official sources reported that the Israeli army closed the D.C.O border in Jericho banning any entrance in or out. Moreover it closed the road leading to al Husan village near Bethlehem city. They also invaded the West Bank city of Hebron , shot gun fires and sound bombs in addition to ransacking the home residents of Alaa' Tubasi, and Ibrahim al Soos.

Israeli army apprehends medical team at the entrance to Ni'lin
Date: 12 / 07 / 2008 Time: 14:43
Ramallah – Ma'an – The Israeli army apprehended a medical team from the Palestinian Medical Relief Society and the Committee of Physicians for Human Rights in the early hours of Saturday morning at the entrance of the village of Ni'lin.

Secretary General of the Palestinian Natioanl Intiative and member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, Dr Mustafa al Barghuthi denounced the Israeli act of apprehending the medical team in a statement and affirmed that "the Israeli procedure is a form of punishment… [for] steadfastness in the face of settlement expansion."

He added that Israeli soldiers apprehended the medical team while they were trying to reach Ni'lin to offer treatment to residents who had been under a strict curfew.

The team was barred entry into the town, and was not able to transfer in the medications that they had brought with them.

Israeli forces raid Al-Yamun near Jenin
Date: 12 / 07 / 2008 Time: 12:44
Jenin – Ma'an –

Israeli forces raided the northern West Bank town of Al-Yamun on Saturday, in addition to nearby neighborhoods. No arrests have been reported.

Palestinian security sources stated that Israeli military vehicles stormed Al-Yamoun west of Jenin and patrolled streets in the town's center firing into the air and detonating sonic bombs.

The sources added that Israeli forces stationed themselves in the areas between the towns of Kafr Dan, Al-Yamun and Al-'Araqa.

At the north end of the Jordan valley, Palestinian security sources said that Israeli forces ordered the closure of several small fruit and vegetable stands. According to reports, Israeli forces have destroyed and closed several stands twice during the past year and a half.

Israeli forces try to arrest pardoned Fatah activist

Date: 12 / 07 / 2008 Time: 12:02
Jenin – Ma'an –

Israeli forces stormed the northern West bank refugee camp of Jenin at 2:00 am on Saturday with the aim of arresting a pardoned activist from Fatah's Al-Aqsa Brigades.

Palestinian security sources said that invading Israeli forces besieged a four-storey building while they searched for Mahmoud Amarna.

Amarna is an Al-Aqsa Brigades activist who was pardoned by Israeli authorities as part of a deal between Israel and the Palestinian authority. The soldiers spoke to residents of the building via loudspeakers, and demanded that they evacuate the building.

After six hours of searching the soldiers were unable to find Amarna.

According to Al-Aqsa Brigades' sources, Amarna was visiting a friend, Hatim Ararawi when the Israelis attempted to arrest him. They affirmed that he spent 8 months in Palestinian custody as the amnesty deal stipulated, and he left on Friday for a social visit.

Many injured or detained at Ni'lin march

Date: 12 / 07 / 2008 Time: 10:08
Ramallah – Ma'an –

As has now become custom, people in Ni'lin began marching on Friday afternoon in an effort to peacefully condemn the separation wall which has confiscated most of their lands and threatens their livlihoods.

Ni'lin's residents and farmers were joined by international solidarity groups showing support for their call to stop the wall.

The protest began with a prayer, participants spreading mats on the ground, and listening to Sheikh Mohammed Daoud speak about the necessity of popular struggle; against settlements, against the wall. When the prayers concluded, the protest turned into clashes with army troops that surrounded the site.

Mohammed Nazhi Hussein was injured and Mohamed Hussein Srur was detained.

As if in retaliation for the protest, Israeli troops burned lands in the southern area of Ni'lin near their military checkpoint.

Along with what was left of the village land on the east side of the wall, 50 olive trees were burned.

Clashes continued between army troops and the town's young men into the evening.

The Higher Committee to resist the wall organized a second march at six o'clock Friday evening.

The Coordinator of the Higher Committee to resist the wall Mr. 'Ahid Khawaja said that the marches were an important way to show support for the people living in Ni'lin.

In this time of truce, said Khawaja, when there many are killed it is most important to commit to this peaceful form of resistance and protest.

The Higher Committee to resist the wall called on people to the town on Saturday at 10:00 am where Physicians for Human Rights and Palestinian Medical Relief staff will be treating the sick in the city free of charge, in support of their steadfastness.

Live bullets shot at protesters during curfew

In the past month, the peaceful marchers of Ni'lin have been shot at, sound bombed and tear gassed. While most of the bullets were rubber-coated, three men have been hit with life bullets, and two of them have been admitted to the Ramallah hospital.

Jamil Srur is an electrician in Ni’lin and was not taking part to the demonstration on Monday, the fourth day of the curfew in the town. He did, however, watch the gathered crowd as they passed his front door. According to a press release from a representative of the protest organizers, as Srur watched the crowd, an Israeli sniper shot him in the belly.

The bullet lodged itself into Srur's back. Doctors are unable to remove the bullet, for fear that the damage to his spine will cause paralysis.

Mutia’ Amira, a 32-year-old construction worker from Ni'lin, was participating in the protest march Monday. He was protesting because the 9 dunums owned by his family will be cut off from the village according to the planned route of the wall.

During the protest a live bullet caught Amira in the knee. He remains in Ramallah hospital.

EU VP: "escalation of the Israeli raids is unacceptable"
Date: 12 / 07 / 2008 Time: 13:12

Vice President to the European Parliament
Luisa Morgantini, center
[Ma'anImagesArchive]
Bethlehem - Ma'an - Vice President to the European Parliament Luisa Morgantini released a statement Friday condemning the "ongoing raids, closures, arrests and confiscations actuated by the Israeli army against Institutions, associations and even schools in Nablus."

She stated that such actions are illegal, and represent "not only a clear violation of International law" but "a direct attack on the Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad's Government."

"The escalation of the Israeli raids is unacceptable."

Morgantini expressed full support for the efforts of Fayyad which, she said were being "undermined by the actions of the Israeli army." In her statement she called the recent shop closures in Nablus "illegal and invalid," and stands by Fayyad's denunciation of the orders.

Holding up Fayyad's call for Nablus "shopkeepers and residents to reopen their stores and to resist in a non-violent way," Morgantiti wondered how "we truly believe that Israeli Government is sincerely looking for a partner for peace and for the negotiations?"

She continued, saying that these sorts of actions represent "a direct attack to all opportunities for peace showing the arrogance of the Israeli occupation and the hypocrisy of the Israeli Government claiming to support the Palestinian leadership."

Morgantiti urges "the Quartet, the Arab countries, the EU, all the people who say that they believe in peace" to "act now and call on the Israeli Government to stop its illegal and inhuman practices against the Palestinian population."

The vice president's statement concluded saying that without a platform for indispensable negotiations, there will be no way to "reach the end of the occupation, [and establish] two people living in peace and security in two States, on '67 borders with Jerusalem as a shared capital."

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