Israeli occupation forces kill two Hamas fighters in Gaza

Published today (updated) 01/09/2009 21:12

 Gaza – Ma’an –

Two Hamas fighters were killed on Tuesday evening by Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip, according to sources in the costal territory.

A source in the Al-Qassam Brigades said Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells at a group of fighters affiliated near the Martyrs Cemetery east of the city of Jabaliya, in the northern Gaza Strip.

The same source said the two gunmen, Faraj Al-Najjar and Ismat Muhra, were carrying out a “jihad” mission when they were killed.

An Israeli spokesperson said the military was investigating the report.

The report from Gaza was the second violent incident in 24 hours. Late on Monday night Israeli occupation soldiers shot a 15-year-old Palestinian dead near Al-Jalazoan Refugee Camp near Ramallah. According to the Palestinian Center for human rights, the teenager was unarmed and did not provoke the shooting.

Young Palestinian man shot to death shot to death by Israeli officer

Tuesday September 01, 2009 09:29 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli sources reported that a young Palestinian man was shot and killed by an Israeli officer on Tuesday at dawn, in Kfar Bin Noon area, south of Al-Ramla Arab town, north of the country.

The sources added that the officer chased the youth and another man after claiming that they were trying to steal a car in the area. He opened fire at them killing one.

The officer claimed that the two managed to break into a parked vehicle and that by the time he arrived in the area, they drove into a one-way road.

He said that the two stepped out of the vehicle and ran towards him, and that he “felt that his life was in danger, and opened fire at them”.

So far, the identity of the slain youth remains unknown. 

Kfar Bin Noon is a Jewish settlement built on the ruins of the Al-Qubaiba Arab village that was depopulated and ruined by the Israeli forces during the 1948 war.

Last yet, the Israeli Knesset passed a new law, known as Dromi Law, which absolves the criminal responsibility of any person who kills in an intruder who break into home, business, farm or any sort of property.

The new law is named after Shai Dromi, an Israeli settler from the Negev who shot and killed an Arab youth in January 2007 after claiming that the youth attempted to infiltrate into his farm. Dromi was acquitted and released.

Israeli Occupation Army official: "Hebron man killed in cold blood, soldiers were never charged"

Monday August 31, 2009 23:49 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

An Israeli occupation forces official confirmed the story of the family of Yasser Tmeizy, from the southern West Bank City of Hebron, who said that Israel soldiers killed their son in cold blood, but Israel never filed charges against them. 

Odi Ben Moha, an Israeli military commander in charge of the Hebron district, stated that it is a scandal that no charges were filed against the soldiers especially since the crime took place on January 13 this year. 

Tmeizy, 35, was working in his olive orchard, close to the annexation Wall in Ithna town, near Hebron. Israeli soldiers approached him and started hitting him before they forced him into their jeep.

Ben Moha stated that according to army investigation, the soldiers approached Tmeizy was he was working in his land, and that his six-year old son was with him when the soldiers kidnapped him and left the child alone in the orchard. 

He added that the soldiers took Tmeizy to Tarqoumia military base, and that he was blindfolded and handcuffed. 

A soldier was standing guard next to him; Tmeizy started asking about his son, as he was worried about what happened to his child who was left alone in the field. Ben Moha said that Tmeizy made a sudden move, as he was worried about his son, and the soldier guarding him fired three rounds at the cuffed and blindfolded man; one of the bullets hit Tmeizy in the chest.

The army never filed charges against the soldier, and never investigated the soldiers involved in the whole incident. 

Soldiers tried to allege that Tmeizy attempted to snatch a weapon from one of them, but Tmeizy was cuffed and blindfolded, an issue that pushed Moha to discredit the claims. 

The soldiers even claimed that the man allegedly “became violent in the jeep, managed to free his hands and tried to steal a weapon from one of the guards”.

The soldiers also claimed that Tmeizy, who was working in his own field and accompanied by his child, has no identification card and that they had to arrest him.

Israeli occupation forces kidnap Bil'in teenager

Published 01/09/2009, 21:04

 Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation forces kidnapped a young Palestinian early on Tuesday from the West Bank village of Bil’in, known for its vibrant nonviolent protests against Israel’s separation wall.

According to the village’s Popular Committee, four Israeli military jeeps, a truck, and some 50 soldiers entered the village shortly after 3am.

The soldiers raided three houses simultaneously, detaining Abdul Basset Muhammed Abu Rahmah, 19.

In the second house, the soldiers tried to arrest Yaseen Muhammed Ali Yaseen ,21, but he was not at home, according to the popular committee. The soldiers left a military order for him to turn himself in by 9am the next day.

The committee also said that international activists confronted the soldiers, filming and photographing the raid. The soldiers responded to this activity with tear gas and stun grenades, and trained a laser beam on the activists “as a means of intimidation.”

According to the committee, the soldiers withdrew at 4am. The committee released photos and a video of the raid on its website.

Bil’in is well known for its weekly demonstrations against the separation wall Israel is building on the village’s land. The Israeli military has launched a series of arrest raids in the village over the past several months, apparently targeting demonstrators and organizers.

Young boy kidnapped in overnight Israeli raid

Published today (updated) 01/09/2009 18:58

Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Israeli occupation forces kidnapped two residents of Qalqiliya and Nablus and took them to undisclosed location on Tuesday, according to Palestinian police report obtained by Ma'an.

Over the past 12 hours, soldiers overran Quseen village, southwest of Nablus, and detained 13-year-old Muhammad Ghassan Sadek there. The other resident reportedly seized from Qalqiliya was not immediately identified.

Israeli forces kidnap Hebronite at dawn

Published today (updated) 01/09/2009 21:02

 Hebron – Ma'an –

 Israeli occupation forces overran Hebron on Tuesday at dawn, eventually kidnappng one man, according to his family.

52-year-old Azzam Azmi Hassouna was detained by an Israeli occupation force of nine patrols which, according to his parents, broke into and damaged several homes, before finally taking Hassouna.

Hassouna's brother Khader said that during the course of their search, Israeli troops stole 4,000 shekels from the home.

Jerusalem resident beaten by Israeli occupation soldiers

Published today (updated) 01/09/2009 20:32 [MaanImages-Archive] Jerusalem - Ma'an -

An 18-year-old Jerusalem resident, Jihad Arar, was severely beaten by Israeli occupation soldiers on Monday night, according to Ma'an's correspondent there.

The reporter said a dispute was sparked by the arrival of police Damascus Gate, where they proceeded to dismantle several tables being operated by vendors. When Jihad complained, the troops attacked him, according to our correspondent.

Jihad was taken to a police station before being eventually transferred to Hadassa Hospital, our reporter said.

Gaza fishing boat bombed by Israeli navy

Monday August 31, 2009 17:01 by IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli occupation forces navy attacked Palestinian fishing boats off the shores of northern Gaza on Monday morning. One boat caught fire after it was bombed by several Israeli shells.

The Israeli army confirmed the attack, as well as the damage to the fishing boat, saying the boat went beyond the northern boundary of the Strip. The Israeli navy regularly attacks Palestinian boats that are fishing off the Gaza shores.

In January 2009 Israel imposed tight regulations on the Palestinian fishing sector declaring waters more than 3 kilometers off the shore a no-fishing zone. Ever since Israel imposed its blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007, fishing has been one of the few remaining sources of income.