26 Palestinians kidnapped across the West Bank

Wednesday March 05, 2008 10:14 by IMEMC staff - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group

Israeli occupation forces invaded several parts of the West Bank in the early hours of Wednesday morning and kidnapped at least eight Palestinians, among those 11 from the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Sources reported that at least 20 military vehicles invaded Jenin city and ransacked several civilian homes in different neighborhoods of the city.

Sources added that the Palestinian resistance clashed with the invaded troops during the operation, but no causalities were reported. Most of the abducted Palestinians are Hamas affiliated, said the sources.

The army also invaded al-Ymoun town and kidnapped two, one is a member of the al-Aqsa brigades, the armed wing of Fatah named as, Iyad Hosheya.

Also in the northern part of the West Bank, mainly in Qalqilia city, several military vehicles invaded the city, ransacked several neighborhoods and kidnapped four Palestinians. Among the abducted were, Mohamad Khalaf,20 and Mahdi J'eidi,20 and they were moved to an undisclosed detention center.

Elsewhere, the army kidnapped a Palestinian from al-Fare'ah refugee camp, near Nablus after invading and searching the area.

The remaining abductees are from different areas of the West Bank and there is still no further information from the sources.

Translated by Nisreen Qumsieh- IMEMC New.

Israeli jet fighters carry out three air strikes on Gaza while Palestinian resistance shells Israel

Wednesday March 05, 2008 13:31 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli army jet-fighters carried out three air raids targeting several areas in the northern part of the Gaza strip on Wednesday at dawn.

Palestinian security sources reported that three air attacks targeted open areas in the towns of Beit Hannoun and Beit Lahiyia; damage to farm lands were reported but no injuries.

The Israeli army said that the morning attacks targeted launching-pads used by Palestinian resistance to fire home made shells at Israeli towns near the coastal region.

Several Palestinian resistance groups announced today that they fired home made shells at southern Israel; Israeli media reported damage but no injuries.

On Tuesday night Israeli troops backed by tanks and bulldozers invaded the town of Khan Younis and surrounded the house of a Palestinian resistance fighter.

Tanks shelled the home and nearby houses killing Yousuf Al-Sumairy, from the Al Quds brigades the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad and Amira Khaled Abu 'Assr, 2 weeks old.

Israeli Media reported on Wednesday that the Israeli Prime Minister Ehod Olmert will meet with his cabinet today to discus the next level of the ongoing military operation on Gaza.

The Israeli attacks on Gaza, which escalated last Wednesday and continued through to this Wednesday morning, have left 128 Palestinians dead and over 300 injured. Of those killed during the six day long offensive, at least 95 were civilians.

According to the Israeli radio the Israeli Prime Minister had ordered all concerned agencies in Israel to come up with different plans to attack Gaza. Olmert did not exclude the possibility of a wide scale military offensive against the Palestinian coastal region.

Israeli forces devastate Palestinians properties in al-'Aroob refugee camp in Hebron

Wednesday March 05, 2008 10:34 by Nisreen Qumsieh - IMEMC News

On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces renewed their vandalizing operations for the third consecutive day in al-'Arroob refugee camp, eastern of the West Bank city of Hebron, but no abductions have been reported.

The operation caused a large amount of damage to the civilian properties as troops used random and heavy gunfire during the attack. Troops detained large numbers of civilians and badly assaulted them.

Residents reported that reinforcements with military vehicles renewed the attack on Wednesday at dawn and terrifying civilians.

During the operation troops used sound and tear gas bombs, caused damages in properties and searched homes claiming that the objective of the operation was to search for wanted Palestinians.

Israeli troops open fire at a taxi near Ramallah, injure driver

Wednesday March 05, 2008 16:33 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli soldiers opened fire on Wednesday at midday at a Palestinian taxi in the village of Rantis, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah, injuring the driver.

Joudat Shaloudah, 43, was driving his taxi behind a convoy of three Israeli army jeeps when a soldier opened the back door of one of the vehicles and shot rubber-coated steel bullets at his car, Shaloudah stated.

One bullet hit Shaloudah in his neck, injuring him lightly. Villagers from Rantis report that the Israeli army invades the village on a daily basis and regularly attacks civilians.

Jewish fanatics desecrate historical mosque
[ 05/03/2008 - 10:11 AM ]

YAFFA, (PIC)--

Jewish fanatics on Tuesday broke into and ransacked the yards of the historical Hassan Bek Mosque in Yaffa north of Palestine occupied in 1948, the Aqsa Foundation reported.

The AF, which caters for Islamic holy shrines in occupied Palestine, described as "serious" the "sinful attack" especially when this particular Mosque was the target of several attacks in the past.
It noted that many other Islamic holy places were targeted by Jewish fanatics, describing the attacks as "racist".

The Foundation condemned the attack and held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for the incident and all similar incidents.