Agriculture minister denounces continued IOTF shooting at fishermen

[ 14/02/2009 - 03:37 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Dr. Mohammed Al-Agha, the Palestinian agriculture minister in Gaza, has denounced the Israeli occupation terrorist  forces' (IOTF) continued shooting at Palestinian fisherman and their boats off the Gaza coasts.

Agha in a statement on Saturday said that the IOTF gunboats on Saturday morning opened intensive fire at fishermen damaging ten fishing boats and scores of fishnets, which were left behind by the fishermen after they were forced to jump into sea.

The minister said that the IOTF troops reduced the distance allowed to fishermen from six to three miles only in Gaza territorial waters.

The ministry will table its protest with the parties patronizing the former and coming calm agreements, Agha said, noting that the IOTF kept on pestering Palestinian fishermen and farmers before and during the previous agreement.

He stressed that any future calm should be fair for the Palestinian laborers and should allow entry of all kinds of goods in order to provide job opportunities for the biggest number of workers.

The minister expected the agricultural sector's losses in the latest war on Gaza to reach around half a billion dollars.

Israeli Terrorist Air Force and Navy shell Gaza

Saturday February 14, 2009 09:35 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli Terrorist Air Force and the Israeli Navy late on Friday at night bombarded three areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, including Gaza city and Rafah, causing several injuries and excessive property damage.

Local sources reported that four residents were wounded, and were moved to Kamal Adwan hospital, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, after the Israeli Terrorist Air Force fired at least one missile at a lumberyard near the Jabalia market.

The lumberyard, which belongs to the Al Sharafy family, was destroyed due to the shelling.

Furthermore, Israeli Navy gunships fired automatic rounds at open areas in the northern and western parts of Gaza city; no injuries were reported.

The Israeli Air Force also carried out a series of strikes at areas along the border in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip, several injuries were reported

The Israeli Terrorist Army said that the shelling targeted the “tunnels area”.

It is worth mentioning that one fighter from the Popular Resistance Committees was killed after the Israelis fired a missile at him while he was driving his motorcycle.

The Salah Ed Deen Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, said that the slain fighter was one of its members, and that two other fighters were wounded.

Israeli terrorist air strike kills a Palestinian in Khan Younis, wounds two others

Friday February 13, 2009 23:34 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

An Israeli terrorist air strike carried out on Friday evening led to the death of a Palestinian man driving a motorcycle in Abasan town, east of Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip.  Two other Palestinians were injured in the attack.

Eyewitnesses reported that an Israeli terrorist war jet fired at least one missile at the motorcycler, killing him and wounding two bystanders.  

Medical sources in Khan Younis said that one of the wounded residents suffered serious wounds, while the other is in a moderate condition.

Al-Nasser Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, said that the Israeli terrorist strike targeted its fighters in Khan Younis.

Also on Friday, the Israeli Air Force carried out a series of air strikes along the borders in Rafah, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; several injuries were reported. The Israeli Army stated that the strikes targeted “the tunnels area”.

Hamas: Israeli escalation aims to terrorize Palestinians, blackmail resistance

[ 14/02/2009 - 03:03 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Hamas on Saturday held the Israeli occupation authority fully responsible for any consequences of the "serious escalation" in attacks on the Gaza Strip.

Fawzi Barhoum, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, urged all parties that called for calm to pressure the IOA to stop its aggression and procrastination.

He added in a press release that the recent IOA escalation, which coincides with the approaching conclusion of a new calm agreement, aims to terrorize the Palestinian people and to blackmail the Palestinian resistance and Hamas to accept Israeli conditions.

Barhoum said that such intransigence reflects the IOA intention to put more hurdles before calm efforts, and asked the concerned parties to intervene to end such practice.

Resident of Jerusalem demolishes his own home after he was unable to pay fine

Sunday February 15, 2009 12:55 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

On Saturday, a Palestinian resident of Beit Hanina neighborhood in East Jerusalem had to demolish his own home built ten years ago after he was unable to pay a high fine imposed on him by the Jerusalem Municipality.

The Jerusalem municipality said that the home was built without a construction permit and imposed a 130.000 NIS fine.

Al-Shalloudi then decided to ask the court to allow him to rent bulldozers to demolish him home in order to avoid the high cost of the Jerusalem Municipality bulldozers and a 60-day imprisonment. The municipality agreed and gave him forty days to remove the rubble on his own expense or else he would have to pay a 14.000 NIS fine.

“I had to demolish my own home, I am a truck driver, I can’t pay the high fine, I have seven members in my family”, Al Shalloudi said, “We have lots of expenses, my children go to school, and one of them, 11 years old, goes to a school for children with special needs as he cannot hear of speak”.

Al-Shalloudi built his home in 2000, he lived in it with his five children, ages 10-16, and his wife; it was a 120 square/meter home with four rooms and bathrooms”.

He said that he paid a 48.000 NIS fine to the Jerusalem municipality after the municipality claimed that he built his home without a construction permit.   

He is currently living with his family in a tin-house but he said that the Jerusalem Municipality would most likely demolish it and the family would end up living in a tent.

“The Jerusalem Municipality does not want to see Palestinians living in peace in their own homes”, Al Shalloudi stated, “The municipality wants to expel the Palestinians out of the holy city”.

The Original Arabic report was written by Maisa Abu Ghazala – Palestine News Network

Deputy PLC speaker barred from leaving West Bank for second time

Date: 14 / 02 / 2009  Time:  18:17
Tulkarm – Ma’an –

The Israeli occupation terrorist government prevented the deputy speaker of the Palestinian parliament from leaving the West Bank on Saturday for the second time in three weeks.

Hassan Khureisheh, the deputy speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) was turned back at the Allenby Bridge (liking the West Bank to Jordan) by Israeli border guards.

Khreisheh told Ma’an that he was on his way to a conference in the Jordanian capital, Amman, on Gaza issues. The two-day conference was to be attended by government officials from various countries.

On 22 January, Khreisheh was barred from leaving the West Bank on his way to Cyprus for a conference on the future of political regime in Palestine with other Palestinian and Arab figures.

Khureisheh is an independent from the West Bank city of Tulkarem.

Israeli terrorist forces open fire on demonstrators in village south of Jenin

Date: 14 / 02 / 2009  Time:  17:42
Jenin – Ma’an –

Israeli terrorist forces raided the West Bank village of Misliya, south of Jenin, on Saturday afternoon.

Young Palestinian men threw stones at the invading soldiers, who responded with rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas, and sonic bombs. No injuries were reported.

According to Palestinian security sources, Israeli terrorist forces raided the house of Yousef Abu Na’im on the pretext that young men who threw stones were hiding in the building. Na’im was questioned but not arrested.

The Israeli forces later withdrew.

Israeli terrorist forces kidnap three Palestinians in Nablus, including a woman

Date: 14 / 02 / 2009  Time:  10:56
Nablus – Ma’an –

Israeli terrorist forces kidnapped three Palestinians from Nablus and the neighboring villages of Salem and Beit Wazan on Saturday morning.

Thirty-two-year-old Imad Abu Eisha from Beit Wazan reported the detentions, saying Israeli forces stormed his village at 3:00am and ransacked several homes before arresting a 23-year-old woman identified as Rima Abu Eisha, a student at Al-Najah National University in Nablus.

Local sources in the village of Salem east of Nablus told said Israeli forces arrested 24-year-old Ali Ishtayya from his home after they raided the village.

In Nablus, 22-year-old Abdullah Al-Ikir was seized on Asira Al-Shamaliyya street after several Israeli military jeeps stormed the city.