Israeli warships fire on Gaza fishing boats

Date: 09 / 06 / 2009  Time:  09:23
Gaza – Ma’an –

Israeli gunboats opened fire on Palestinian fishermen in two locations off the coast of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, causing no injuries.

Eyewitnesses said the fishermen came under heavy fire from Israeli navy vessels in the Mediterranean, off the coast of the Tal Sultan area, in southern Gaza, and As-Sudaniya, in the south. The fishermen were forced to interrupt their work and rush back to shore to avoid what was described as “random” shooting.

Meanwhile, early on Tuesday morning Israeli military vehicles invaded Gaza northeast of the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, in the southern Gaza Strip.

Eyewitnesses reported that they saw Israeli vehicles accompanied by bulldozers razing farmland, noting that there are no houses in the area. The bulldozers knocked down trees and plants to clear space for Israeli forces operating at the  crossing.

***Updated at 11:06am

Fighters disable an Israeli armored bulldozer east of Gaza

Tuesday June 09, 2009 12:33 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agecnies

Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported Tuesday morning that Palestinian fighter managed to disable an armored Israeli military bulldozer near the Nahal Oz Crossing, east of Gaza City.

Tanks Invading Gaza - File 2008

Eyewitnesses reported that the bulldozer was directly hit by an explosive device while the army was invading the area.

Israeli troops fired tank shells at areas surrounding the explosion site, and also fired rounds of live ammunition at dozens of homes.

So far, no Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the attack which came while the army was invading a number of areas in northern and southern Gaza.

Troops also uprooted farmlands and destroyed hothouses.

Israeli occupation Army conducts limited offensive in Gaza

Tuesday June 09, 2009 12:26 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agecnies

Palestinian sources in Gaza  reported on Tuesday morning that Israeli occupation forces navy ships and infantry brigades conducted  a limited offensive in the Gaza Strip. During the attack several armored vehicles and military bulldozers uprooted farmland  and destroyed hothouses.

An area of about 400m surrounding the military base at the Karm Abu Salem Crossing was flattened, transformed into free fire zone.

Israeli navy gunships  shelled Palestinian fishing boats in the northern and southern parts of the Gaza Strip; fishing boats were damaged , but there were no reported injuries.  Dozens of fishermen were turned back due to the navy's threats.

Israeli warships increasingly attack or obstruct fishermen making it very difficult for Gazans to obtain fish.  

On several occasions the warships harassed or destroyed fishing boats with international activists on board who sought to document the Israeli violations.

 Gazans also report that Israeli war ships appear more often and closer to shore than they did in the past.

Israel’s illegal assaults on Gaza are hindering the Palestinian ability to fish or farm, while the siege on the coastal region continues to claim the lives of hundreds of patients as Israel is preventing their treatment abroad since hospitals and medical centers in Gaza ran out of basic supplies.

IOF kidnaps 11 Palestinians, Israeli gov't plans expansion of settlements

[ 09/06/2009 - 09:45 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Israeli occupation forces violently quelled angry demonstrations by Palestinian citizens in Buwaira east of Al-Khalil and in Sa'ir town north of the city, media sources reported.

The sources said that citizens threw stones at the IOF troops who escorted bulldozers while demolishing water wells used by those citizens to irrigate their lands, which are threatened with IOF confiscation.

They said that the soldiers kidnapped five citizens including a lady for attempting to block the bulldozers from finishing their jobs.

In another similar incident the soldiers kidnapped four citizens including two minor brothers for confronting the IOF attempt to seize a house in Sa'ir town.

Witnesses said that the soldiers' excessive use of teargas led to the suffocation of many civilians while fire was started in one of the shops.

Two other Palestinians were kidnapped from Sorif town and Al-Khalil city.

At dawn Tuesday, the IOF command claimed that two Hamas operatives were detained in Al-Khalil and that a Kalashnikov rifle and bullets were found in their homes. In Ashdod, the Hebrew radio reported that Israeli police detained four Palestinian workers and their driver after claiming that they were working without permit.

Meanwhile, the Hebrew paper 'Ha'aretz' said that Israeli interior minister and leader of the Shas party Eli Yishai was planning to intensify settlement drive in the West Bank.

It said on Monday that the minister gave his orders to officials in his ministry to table proposals on means of increasing construction in those settlements.

Israeli court acquits settler after shooting Palestinians: The Israeli TV channel 10 reported that the Israeli high court decided to drop all charges against an Israeli settler who fired at two Palestinians as the IOF soldiers were evacuating him from a house in Al-Khalil.

The settler claimed that he was acting in self defense when he shot at the father and his son, who were wounded in the incident.

The judge said in justifying his ruling that opening investigations into those matters "harms Israel's security"!