Israeli occupation forces shoot Gaza man

Published yesterday (updated) 09/09/2009 21:47 Gaza – Ma’an –

 Israeli occupation forces shot a Palestinian man in the town of Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning.

Dr Muhammad Al-Sultan, the head of the emergency department at Kamal Edwan Hospital, said a man he identified as 23-year-old Maysara Al-Kafarnah arrived at the hospital after being shot in his right leg. The doctor described his condition as stable.

The occupation forces maintain a 300-meter-wide exclusion zone inside the Gaza Strip, along the Israeli border. Palestinians who approach this band are frequently shot.

The shooting follows two incidents reported by the militant wings of two Palestinian organizations which said they exchanged fire with Israeli occupation forces overnight. The Israeli military said it was not aware of any clashes.

In a statement from the Popular Resistance Committee's Al-Nasser Salahuddin Brigades, the group said their fighters exchanged machine gun fire with an undercover Israeli force entering the Beit Lahiya in the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday evening.

The Brigades reported no casualties, and said that the clash was in retaliation for ongoing “Israeli atrocities” against the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza.

A separate group, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Movement, also called the Al-Nasser Salahuddin Brigades, reported clashing with an Israeli force which entered the Burat Abu Samra area in north Gaza.

It was not clear if anyone was injured in the reported clashes.

Hamas fighters: We will answer Israeli bullets with bullets

Published yesterday (updated) 09/09/2009 17:27

 Gaza – Ma’an –

Al-Qassam brigades the military wing affiliated to Hamas said Wednesday that the reply to any Israeli attacks won’t be by words but will be by bullets and shells.

Qassam spokesman Abu Obaida said in a statement posted at Al-Qassam site:”the enemy just understands the language of force and we only have the choice of resistance against them and if anyone thinks that there is another choice not the resistance that is totally unacceptable.”

The statement was posted following the announcement of two clashes with Israeli occupation forces by armed groups in Gaza, who said forces invaded the Strip and provoked the violence. No injuries were reported and Israeli military spokespeople said they had no reports of attacks. Later Wednesday a young man was admitted to hospital and medics confirmed he was shot by Israeli fire.

Abu Obaida said the Israeli incursions came in the framework of planned attacks. Adding:”the Israeli security forces increase their state of alert especially at the borders with the Gaza Strip, they fear from the trees’ leaves and the sands and the air. They have a phobia called Gaza and they fear our shelling and so they target the fishermen in the Gaza Sea and kill them. Our nation gets used to such attacks.”

He added:”the occupation will never be able to discover our plans and means of attacks because we are the ones to create our ways of resistance.”

Abu Obaida stressed:”the Israeli threats won’t stop us, because we have the right in our land and we will do everything to gain our rights and have a victorious end.”

Gaza border violence heats up: Israel enters, Palestinian resistance factions retaliate

Published yesterday (updated) 09/09/2009 18:57

 Gaza – Ma’an –

Clashes erupted as Israeli occupation forces bulldozers and armored vehicles entered 800 meters beyond the Gaza border near Beit Hanoun and began destroying agricultural land near the border, witnesses said Wednesday afternoon.

Israeli occupation forces reportedly fired on civilians in the area as they began bulldozing lands. Farmers fled the area and shortly after they reported hearing explosions from the same direction.

The Military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, claimed they launched a rocket propelled grenade shell at the invading forces.

An Israeli military spokesperson confirmed the presence of troops in Gaza, saying forces "uncovered explosive devices" in the area and had snipers detonate the devices. She also confirmed troops were fired on by Gaza factions, but reported no injuries or damages.

Overnight two armed groups said they clashed with invading Israeli occupation forces, then early Wednesday afternoon medics in Gaza said a young man came into hospital with wounds reportedly sustained from Israeli fire.

The day marks the largest number of reported clashes between Israeli troops and armed Gaza factions since the Israeli war on Gaza came to a close in January.