Israeli occupation soldiers shoot Palestinian man in Hebron

Published yesterday (updated) 26/08/2009 21:41

Bethlehem – Ma’an/Agencies –

Israeli occupation soldiers shot and lightly injured a young Palestinian man in the West Bank city of Hebron.

According to the Israeli army, the man pulled out a knife as if to stab a soldier, although this could not be immediately verified. No soldiers were reported injured. According to Israeli sources, the man was reportedly shot in the leg and treated on the scene.

Palestinian sources later identified the man as Maher Al-Qudsi, 26. Palestinian sources also said he was injured seriously, receiving gunshots to the leg and chest. They said the soldiers left him to bleed on the ground before medics rushed him to a local hospital.

The shooting took place at a military checkpoint on Al-Shuahada Street, in the center of Hebron, in the “H2” area which is under direct Israeli military control.

Israeli occupation forces kidnap four civilians from the West Bank

Wednesday August 26, 2009 17:36 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

The Israeli occupation forces  kidnapped on Wednesday at dawn four Palestinian civilians during invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.

Israeli soldiers kidnapping a Palestinian man near Hebron – Photo by IMEMC’s Ghassan Bannoura 2008

Local Palestinian sources reported that the kidnapping took place in Hebron city, southern West Bank, Ramallah, in central West Bank and Jenin city in the north. The Israeli military radio announced that the four men were taken to detention camps for questioning and they were on what the army calls “wanted list”.

Israeli occupation forces invade Qalqiliya-area village

Published yesterday (updated) 26/08/2009 21:19 [MaanImages - Archive] Qalqiliya – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation forces entered the West Bank village of Sanniriya, south of the city of Qalqiliya, on Wednesday evening.

Witnesses told Ma’an that soldiers spread out throughout the Old City of the village, taking up positions in abandoned houses for over two hours. No casualties or damage were immediately reported and the reason for the incursion remains unknown.

An Israeli military spokesperson however denied the report, saying that there was no military activity in the village. The spokesperson also said that there was a "routine" military patrol in the nearby village of Azzun.

Residents of Sanniriya have been angered recently by Israeli excavations in the area. Locals say the tomb of the village’s founder, Issa Al-Saniri was exhumed.

Sanniriya is flanked to the south by the Israeli Land-Grab, Apartheid Wall, which circles around the nearby illegal Israeli settlement of Ez Efraim.

Reporters Without Borders slams Israeli attack, closure, of Bethlehem 2000 Radio

Wednesday August 26, 2009 23:36 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Reporters Without Borders published a press release slamming the Israeli occupation army for attacking the Radio Bethlehem 2000 station, in Bethlehem, shutting it down and seizing its equipment.

The agency added that the attack is arbitrary, and violates the Freedom of Press.

Reporters Without Borders added that the Israeli army did not provide any explanation for shutting the station down, and urged the army to return the confiscated equipment and to let the station resume its broadcasting without delays.

 The station is based in Beit Jala, near Bethlehem; Israeli soldiers attacked it on Tuesday evening and ordered the technician to stop the broadcasting.

They did not present any warrants, but proceeded to confiscate the equipment and one of the soldiers ‘justified’ the attack by saying “We don’t want to heard Radio Bethlehem 2000 anymore”.

 George Qanawaty, the station manager, said that the station was not given any reason behind this attack and closure.

Radio Bethlehem 2000 was founded in 1996. Reporters Without Borders said that the station does not have politically sensitive programs, and only broadcast music and local programs.  

Israeli occupation army breaks into Radio Bethlehem 2000, confiscates its equipment

Wednesday August 26, 2009 08:46 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli occupation soldiers broke on Tuesday evening into the Radio Bethlehem 2000 station in Beit Jala, near the West Bank city of Bethlehem, and confiscated its equipment.

Station manager, George Qanawati, stated that the soldiers confiscated all broadcast equipment, putting the station off-air.

Qanawati slammed the Israeli attack and considered it an attempt to silence the media.

The radio broadcast was also online as well as onto airwaves. Right now, the Radio’s website has only a black screen with the following words written in Red: 

“We apologize, our broadcast has been halted as the occupation soldiers broke into our station and confiscated our equipment”.