IOF air raid kills two Palestinian fighters

[ 15/11/2008 - 11:04 AM ]

BEIT LAHIA, (PIC)--

An Israeli occupation forces warplane on Saturday fired a missile at a unit affiliated with the popular resistance committees killing its two members, PIC correspondent reported.

He said that the missile killed Abdullah Hussain instantly while Fawzi Hamad sustained a very serious injury and was later proclaimed dead in hospital.

The report said that the two were trying to fire home made missiles at Israeli targets adjacent to the Gaza Strip in retaliation to the Israeli occupation forces' crimes.

More than 10 members of the Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Movement, were killed in similar IOF raids over the past week.

Israeli airstrike leaves Palestinian gunman dead in north Gaza

Date: 15 / 11 / 2008  Time:  11:51
Gaza – Ma’an –

The Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees in the Gaza Strip announced on Saturday that one of its resistance fighters was killed and another was critically injured in an Israeli airstrike.

The reported attack occurred near the Hammuda gas station east of the city of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.

An Israeli occupation forces spokesperson denied that Israeli forces had launched any strikes against the northern Gaza Strip. He claimed that what had happened there was internal explosion.

A spokesperson of Al-Nasser Brigades, the militant wing affiliated with the Popular Resistance Committees, Abu Al-Ataya, said the two gunmen were on an exploratory mission, but not carrying projectiles. He accused the Israeli occupation forces of targeting them and threatened to retaliate.

***Updated 12:10 Bethlehem time

 Two protesters wounded in a nonviolent demonstration at an evacuated illegal Israeli settlement

Friday November 14, 2008 17:49 by George Rishmawi

Two Palestinian civilians were wounded as they tried to enter the evacuated illegal Israeli settlement of Homesh near Nablus.

Hundreds of Palestinians from the villages of Bazaria and Burqa accompanied by International peace activists marched to the settlement to protest the return of six Israeli families to the defunct illegal Israeli settlement which was evacuated in September 2005 when Israel pulled out from the Gaza Strip.

A spokesperson of the popular committee against the settlements said the protests will continue in peaceful means.

Israeli occupation soldiers operating in that area fired a number of tear gas canisters and concussion grenades to prevent the protestors from entering the evacuated settlements. One of the wounded was identified as Ra’ed Hamad, 40 and he sustained wounds and burns in his leg.

The illegal Israeli settlement of Homesh was evacuated by Israel in September 2005 as part of the unilateral disengagement plan, through which Israel pulled out its settlers and soldiers from the Gaza Strip and four small illegal  settlements in the West Bank. The evacuated land remains under Israeli occupation forces military order and illegal  Israeli settlers often attempt to reoccupy these lands to re-establish illegal settlements on them.

  Israeli occupation soldiers attack nonviolent protestors in Bethlehem

Friday November 14, 2008 17:57 by George Rishmawi

Israeli occupation soldiers assaulted nonviolent anti-wall protest in the West Bank village of Al-Ma’asara near Bethlehem.

The protest was also to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the declaration of independence by the Palestinian National Council.

Mohammed Brejiyah spokesperson of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements said troops severely beat the nonviolent protestors causing them bruises and wounds.

The villagers of Al-Ma’asara, together with International and Israeli peace activist protest on weekly basis against building the wall on the villages land, which is the main source of income for most of the families of the village.

  Israeli occupation soldiers wound four nonviolent protestors in Bil’in

Friday November 14, 2008 18:12 by George Rishmawi - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group

At least four nonviolent protestors were wounded in the weekly nonviolent protest in Bil’in west of the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Dozens of the villagers accompanied by International and Israeli supporters marched after the Friday prayer and went through the village in an attempt to reach the land confiscated for the construction of the wall.

The protest this week was dedicated to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the death of the late President Yasser Arafat and the 20 anniversary for the Palestinian declaration of independence.

Israeli occupation soldiers fired rubber-coated steel bullets and tear gas canisters at the protestors to prevent them from going through the gate in the wall to their land.

The four were identified as, Ahmed Jabarin, Ahmad Saleh, Adib Abu Rahma and Abdul Majeed Nasser.

Israeli occupation army prevents Nil'in anti-wall demonstration

Date: 14 / 11 / 2008  Time:  22:00
Nil’in – Ma’an –

The Israeli occupation army soldiers turned way demonstrating Palestinian, international and Israeli activists from a planned march against the Israeli built West Bank separation barrier on Friday.

Ma’an’s correspondent on the scene reported that soldiers declared the area a “closed military zone,” presenting a Hebrew document and non-specific map as evidence.

Members of the press were turned away, as well, despite that at least one reporter presented press credentials to the officer on duty.

Barak approved settlement expansion in recent months

[ 14/11/2008 - 09:03 PM ]

NAZARETH, (PIC)--

The Israeli Haaretz news paper revealed, in an article published on Friday, that the Israeli occupation government war minister Ehud Barak "has approved dozens of (illegal settlement) construction projects in the West Bank in recent months, contradicting Israel's commitments to the Road Map".

It was also revealed in the article that some of these projects were in illegal Israeli settlements that lie east of the Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall being built  by the occupation on West Bank lands creating facts on the ground ahead of reaching a final settlement with the Palestinians.

"Some of the permits for construction projects were granted in settlements to the east of the separation fence," the article read and noted that the constructions contravene Israel's road map obligations.

The report also reveals that Barak has authorised the construction and marketing of hundred of housing units and plots in various West Bank settlements since April this year.