Israel fires missiles at Palestinian neighborhood in Rafah, injuring 4; Palestinians fire projectile

Monday June 15, 2009 02:58 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

At midnight Saturday, the Israeli airforce launched a number of air-to-surface missiles at a Palestinian neighborhood located near the Gaza-Egypt border. Local residents reported that four Palestinians were wounded in the attack.

Soon after the Israeli missile attack, a Palestinian resistance group in northern Gaza fired a homemade shell across the Gaza-Israel border. The shell, which was around 3 feet long and resembles a large bottle-rocket, landed in a field and caused no injuries or damage.

In addition, early Sunday morning, Palestinian resistance fighters placed an improvised explosive device near the As-Sureij Gate, east of Al-Qarara, near Khan Younis, in southern Gaza. No injuries were reported.

While the Israeli military spokesperson claimed that the missile attacks Saturday night were “in response to the continuous firing of rockets and mortar shells at Israeli Southern communities from the Gaza Strip”, all witness reports indicate that the Palestinian projectile fired Saturday night (after the Israeli missile strike) was the first projectile fired in four weeks.

Israeli military officials had made statements earlier this month indicating that they would launch an all-out assault on the Palestinian tunnel trade, which provides a lifeline for the Palestinian population living under siege in the Gaza Strip. Through tunnels under the Gaza-Egypt border, Palestinians in Gaza have been able to smuggle in small amounts of food, medicine and gas in order to keep from starving completely.

The neighborhood that was targeted by the Israeli airstrikes, known as the 'Brazil' neighborhood in Rafah, is quite near the border with Egypt and has a reputation of being a site for tunnel smuggling.

Israeli forces have, over the last eight years, completely flattened and razed an area of around 500 meters from the border with Egypt, destroying hundreds of Palestinian homes in southern Rafah in the name of 'security' and 'stopping smuggling tunnels'.

The Israeli occupation forces kidnap nine Palestinians during invasions in the West Bank

Monday June 15, 2009 15:15 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Nine Palestinian civilians were kidnapped on Monday by the Israeli occupation forces during pre dawn invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.

Palestinians sources said that the invasions took place in the city of Ramallah, in the central West Bank, and the cities of Nablus and Jenin in the north.

Local sources added that soldiers searched and ransacked homes before kidnapping the nine men and taking them to unknown detention camps.

The Israeli military announced that its troops found a hunting rifle and ammunition in one of the kidnapped men's house in Nablus.

Health Ministry: 3 patients die in Gaza due to the siege, death toll 343

Monday June 15, 2009 15:00 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Three Palestinian patients died on Monday due to the ongoing Israeli siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, the Health Ministry reported.

The Ministry stated that Huda Sha'ath, 7 months old, and Salem Matar, 45, died in Gaza hospitals, while Niven Al Mogharbi, 21, a mother of three, died in Egypt.

The Israeli military imposed a crippling siege on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, leaving the 1.5 million Palestinians living there without the needed basic supplies. Gaza hospitals arrived to a point where it can't treat patients.

Gaza patients have to endure a lot, in order for them to get life saving medical care they must go either to Israel or Egypt, but it is impossible to go there without a special permit. The process to obtain a permit takes a long time. Some people die waiting the approval. In other cases like the case of Niven Al Mogharbi, the patients arrive too late for treatment.

Israeli Court acquits a soldier who killed an Arab man in 2006

Monday June 15, 2009 13:29 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

An Israeli court acquitted on Monday morning an Israeli soldier who shot and killed an Arab man in Ar’ara area, near Um Al Fahim Arab town, in 2006.

The slain man, Nadim Milhim, 28, was shot dead while the army and border police were searching for weapons.

The soldier, Rubi Gal, claimed that as he and other officers arrived at the home of Milhim, and added that Milhim tried to escape while carrying a handgun.

Gal said that he fired one round into the air, followed by two more shots at the back and knee of Milhim after he did not heed to the calls of the soldiers.

Gal claimed he fired out of self-defense and that he had to shoot Milhim after he pointed his loaded gun to one of the soldiers.

 The judge said that the claim is believable, and dropped the charges.

 The family of Milhim said that the ruling proves that there is no justice in Israel.

His father stated that the soldier and his comrades lied to the court, and the court adopted this lie.

The family added that their son did not pose any threat, and that the verdict was based on racist policies against the Arabs.