Israeli tanks open fire at farmers in northern Gaza Strip

Tuesday December 29, 2009 16:21 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

A number of Israeli occupation forces tanks opened fire on Tuesday midday at Palestinian farmers near the northern Gaza Israeli borders.

The farmers told local media that tanks invaded their lands located near Biet Hannon and opened fire at them while bulldozers destroyed their crops.

The farmers said that a number of homes and lands sustained damage but reported no injuries.

Israeli tanks attacked the same area on Monday. On Sunday tanks shells killed two Palestinian civilians in Beit Hannon town.

A patient dies in the Gaza Strip; death toll due to the siege reaches 367

Tuesday December 29, 2009 16:00 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

A Palestinian patient was reported dead on Tuesday after he was unable to leave the besieged Gaza Strip for medical care.

48 years old Mohamed Jassier had hart condition, he needed life saving medical care out side the Gaza Strip but the Israeli army never gave him the permission to leave, medical sources reported.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in the Gaza Strip said that with Jassier dearth, the total number of patients who died because of the Israeli siege has reached 367.\

The Israeli occupation government started its siege of the Gaza Strip in June of 2007 rendering Gaza hospitals unable to provide basic health care for the 1.5 million Palestinians living there.

The Israeli military kidnaps five civilians from the West Bank

Tuesday December 29, 2009 15:51 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Five Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by Israeli occupation troops on Tuesday during pre dawn invasions targeting a number of west Bank communities.

Local sources reported invasions in the central West Bank village of Bil'in, were troops kidnapped two children. Another Israeli invasion was reported at the village of Burka near Nablus, northern West Bank, also two men were kidnapped during the attack.

Meanwhile one civilian was kidnapped by Israeli troops after searching homes at the village of Ithna near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

The Israeli military announced that all those kidnapped on Tuesday were moved to military detention camps for questioning.

Last week Israeli forces conducted at least 20 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those attacks soldiers kidnapped 23 civilians, including 7 children.

Troops Invade Bil’in, kidnap two children

Tuesday December 29, 2009 14:16 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli occupation soldiers invaded on Tuesday at dawn the village of Bil’in, near the Central West Bank city of Ramallah, and kidnapped two children after breaking into their homes.

Bil’in, reported that several Israeli military jeeps loaded with approximately 50 soldiers invaded the village and kidnapped Hamouda Imad Yassin, 16, and Ibrahim Khalil Yassin, 16.

Troops searched the homes of the two children and took them to unknown destinations after handcuffing them.

The FTJ reported that it has only been one month since Hamouda and Khalil were released from prison where they had been held for five months.

The village is Bil’in, the leading in nonviolent resistance against the illegal annexation Wall and illegal Jewish settlements. This invasion is the latest of a series of ongoing attacks carried out by the military for the last six months.

The army is trying to stop the villages and their supporters from conducting their weekly nonviolent protests against the Wall and settlements.