Palestinian wounded by Israeli terrorist forces naval fire in northern Gaza

Date: 17 / 03 / 2009  Time:  10:17
Gaza – Ma’an –

A Palestinian was wounded after Israeli terrorist forces warships opened fire at civilians and fishermen in Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza on Tuesday morning.

The head of Ambulance and Emergency Services in Gaza's Health Ministry, Mu’awiya Hassanain, reported that the boats targeted residents on the coastal road, where civilian Deeb Al-Anttah was wounded and then transferred to Kamal Udwan Hospital for treatment.

Three Palestinians injured in IOF, settlers' attacks

[ 17/03/2009 - 09:45 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Two Palestinian citizens were injured on Monday evening when Israeli occupation terrorist forces (IOTF) fired at their car's tires that turned turtle and injured both of them in Jabal (mountain) Al-Khalil.

The Hebrew radio reported that the Israeli border policemen fired at the car when it ignored orders to stop.

In Al-Khalil (Hebron) city, Jewish settlers threw stones at a 23-year-old young Palestinian woman east of the city.

Medical sources said that Ayat Al-Ja'abari was hospitalized with injuries in her head.

IOTF soldiers at dawn Tuesday rounded up 16 Palestinians from various West Bank areas, and roamed the streets of Jenin city and three nearby villages.

Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers kidnap 16 Palestinians in Ramallah and Hebron

Tuesday March 17, 2009 09:17 by IMEMC News & Agencies

 Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers kidnapped 16 Palestinians in the Ramallah district, in the central West Bank, and in Hebron district, in the southern part of the West Bank on Monday night.

Illustration Photo; AFP/Getty Images

Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers invaded the villages of Rantis and Silwad near Ramallah, breaking into and searching dozens of homes before taking nine residents prisoner.

Also, troops invaded the villages of Ithna and Yatta, near Hebron, and kidnapped several residents.

In related news, Israeli soldiers invaded Atteel, north of the West Bank city of Ramallah, and conducted military searches of homes.

Local sources in Atteel reported that several military jeeps invaded the village at approximately 3 a.m, breaking into and searching several homes.

The residents were forced out of their homes while the soldiers conducted their search.

 Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers set up military checkpoint at traffic circle in Jenin

Date: 17 / 03 / 2009  Time:  11:27
Jenin – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers put up a military checkpoint at the Muthalath Al-Shuhada (Martyrs Triangle) in the southwest of the city of Jenin on Tuesday morning.

Security sources reported seeing two Israeli patrols set up the checkpoint, and noted that Palestinian vehicles were prohibited from accessing the area for fifteen minutes.

The troops then withdrew for no apparent reason.

Israeli terrorist soldiers take six from Silwad

Date: 17 / 03 / 2009  Time:  11:46
Ramallah – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation terrorist soldiers took six Palestinians from the village of Silwad before sunrise on Tuesday. The men, aged 17-35, were loaded into a van and transported to an unknown location.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing troops enter the village, which is east of Ramallah, and break into several homes. They identified those taken as:

Othman Rasem Hamid 20, Mujahed Ayed Hamid, 18, Malik Ibrahim Hamid, 17, Abdullah Ismael Hamid 35, Abdullah Ziyad Hamid and Mahmoud Abdel Karim.

Delegation visits residents protesting East Jerusalem demolitions

Date: 17 / 03 / 2009  Time:  17:35
Jerusalem – Ma’an –

A delegation visited a Jerusalem sit-in tent erected in protest of house demolitions in the Al-Tour neighborhood overlooking the Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday.

Led by Sheikh Dr. Akremah Saed Sabri, the delegation met residents of the neighborhood and the owners of 55 homes served with demolition orders.

Delegates also listened to a detailed explanation regarding a map issued by the Israeli municipality, which shows that Palestinians are banned from building houses in the neighborhood.

Sheikh Sabri expressed solidarity with the neighborhood’s residents and praised their “steadfastness and their loyalty to their lands and houses,” condemning practices committed by the Israeli municipality.

The delegation also visited the Al-Abasiyah neighborhood and met with the residents whom are also threatened to lose their houses. The delegation expressed its solidarity and called for a freeze and an “end to such humiliating decisions against residents in Jerusalem.”

Israeli occupation government demolish Palestinian-owned apartment in Jerusalem

Tuesday March 17, 2009 15:43 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC news

Bulldozers belonging to the Israeli occupation government municipality demolished a Palestinian-owned apartment, located in Beit Safafa neighborhood in Jerusalem city.

Palestinian owned home demolished in Jerusalem – file 2008

The apartment is part of a seven story building owned by Abu Khalaf, a Palestinian from Jerusalem.

Israeli troops arrived in Beit Safafa on Tuesday morning and surrounded the building. Shortly afterwards, soldiers forced everyone out of the building and demolished the seventh floor.

The Israeli municipality says the home was built without a constriction permit.

Home owner Suha Abu Khalaf told IMEMC, "For several months they have wanted to demolish the flat, but gave no date. It is difficult because they do not give us licenses to build homes, and we have no place to live in. They talk about peace, and then they come and demolish our homes."

The number of Palestinian-owned homes in Jerusalem that Israel intends to demolish had reached 179 since the beginning of 2009.

The Jerusalem municipality handed out demolition orders to 96 Palestinian families in the first week of March.

In February, demolition orders were issued for 88 homes in the Al-Bustan neighborhood, located immediately south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem's old city.

Thousands of Palestinians could become homeless. Local activists fear that yet more orders will be issued in the near future.

During her visit to the region last month, US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, deemed the decision "unhelpful" to peace efforts, and a violation of past agreements.

Since Israel occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967, the authorities have rarely given Palestinian residents permission to build homes.

The Israeli government has continued to build Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank, an act which violates the international law and all peace agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

Demolition policy escalated since Barakat took office

[ 17/03/2009 - 05:00 PM ]

OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)--

The Israeli army radio reported Monday that right-wing mayor of occupied Jerusalem Nir Barakat has issued 34 orders of demolishing Palestinian homes in eastern Jerusalem since he took office three months ago which indicate that there will be a significant increase in demolition orders this year compared to last year.

The radio also said that since Barakat started his tenure only three months ago, more than 100 indictments have been filed on a daily basis by his municipality against Palestinian citizens in eastern Jerusalem demanding the demolition of their homes at the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Barakat claimed in an interview conducted by the army radio that he does not discriminate between the citizens of eastern and western Jerusalem and is not biased against Palestinians, while the radio itself noted that there are difficulties in issuing building permits for all Palestinians in eastern Jerusalem.

The radio quoted an Israeli police source as saying that there is information that the Palestinians in Jerusalem intend to organize angry protests in the Palestinian neighborhoods in the holy city against the policy of demolishing Palestinian homes.