Israeli Occupation Forces Detain 11 Palestinians, Raid Kafr Al-Deek Municipality, Demolish Homes in Dair El-Balah, Shut Travel Between West Bank Cities

Israeli occupation forces detain 11 from across the West Bank

Published today (updated) 18/02/2010 14:30

Nablus – Ma'an –

 Israeli occupation forces raided Haifa street in the west end of Nablus city on Thursday morning, taking two young men from the area, witnesses said.

The families of the teens identified them as Ala Kamel Teryaqi, 17, and Sami Hashem Abu Shulaik, 17.

An Israeli report said a total of 11 Palestinians were taken from areas across the West Bank overnight.

The Palestinian Monitoring Group, under the PLO's Negotiations Affairs department, counted 10 arrests, 13 detentions and 31 raids by Israeli forces overnight on Wednesday, when Israeli reports also said 11 Palestinians were detained.

An Israeli media report said the 11 men were taken for questioning.

Mayor: Israeli occupation forces raid municipality building of Kafr Al-Deek

Published yesterday (updated) 18/02/2010 11:45

 Salfit – Ma'an –

 Israeli occupation forces raided a village municipality building near the northern West Bank town of Salfit on Wednesday, an official said, searching for part of an iron gate erected by the army that had gone missing.

In a statement, the mayor of the Salfit-area village of Kafr Al-Deek said soldiers threatened him personally over the iron structure, which was set up at a military checkpoint between his village and Dair Ballout.

Mayor Jamal Al-Deek said the army made unspecified threats of reprisals were the gate not immediately returned. He condemned "this attack" on the municipality building, "supposedly to look for that gate," and also the hostile remarks allegedly made to him by soldiers operating in the area.

An Israeli military spokesman said he was not familiar with the incident.

Israel shuts checkpoints amid settler violence

 Published yesterday (updated) 18/02/2010 13:32

Nablus – Ma'an –

 Israeli occupation forces closed all checkpoints into the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Wednesday evening, onlookers said, after Israeli forces clashed with settlers in the area.

An Israeli military spokesman told Ma'an that forces "are conducting exercises throughout the Samaria [northern West Bank] region."

The military later issued a statement saying that during the exercise two Border Police officers and a soldier were injured by rocks thrown by 30 teenage Israeli settlers from Yizhar.

“The exercise … was disrupted when the teens rioted in the village and hurled rocks and bottles filled with paint at IDF soldiers and other security forces,” the statement said.

“The rioters also prevented the forces from leaving the community by placing tires and blocking its gate. Two Border Policemen and an IDF soldier were lightly injured by the rock hurling and several military vehicles were damaged,” it added.

It was unclear if the incident was related to prior reports from witnesses that soldiers opened fire toward a car with Israeli plates that sped past a military checkpoint on a road east of the northern West Bank city.

Onlookers said a driver refused to stop at a military post, and that routes throughout the area were shut down as soldiers searched cars at the Huwwara and Beit Farouq checkpoints. Witnesses said soldiers surrounded the area, believing the missing vehicle was nearby.

Closure

In nearby Tulkarem, Israeli forces stopped dozens of cars at the Al-Tanib checkpoint near Dair Sharaf, between Tulkarem and Nablus, and were checking IDs.

Israeli occupation soldiers detained several young Palestinian men and questioned them at the scene.

Ma’an received dozens of phone calls from Palestinians in the northern West Bank reporting that Israeli forces closed several existing checkpoints and erected new roadblocks and flying checkpoints.

Palestinian Child Wounded By Illegal Israeli Settlers in Hebron

Thursday February 18, 2010 02:13 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

A group of illegal fundamentalist Israeli settlers attacked on Wednesday a Palestinian child in the southern West Bank city of Hebron causing concussions and bruises that required hospitalization.

Local sources reported that the settlers, marching with their machine guns in the center of the Old City of Hebron, attacked the child, Madlene Imad Awni, while she was in the local market in Hebron.

She was moved to the Hebron Governmental hospital suffering from mild bruises and concussions.

The attack is one of numerous attacks and violations carried out by extremist settlers living in the occupied Palestinian city, and several areas in the occupied West Bank.

The Israeli occupation army orders the demolition of two houses near Bethlehem city

Wednesday February 17, 2010 16:07 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

The Israeli occupation forces handed out on Wednesday demolition orders against homes in the village of Al Khader near the southern West Bank city of Bethlehem.

One the homes are located near the Israeli wall built illegally on villagers lands. The owner of the house, Saleem Mousa, said that soldiers also took some building equipment from his house.

Mousa’s house is still under construction and is located in the same place were his house stood before it was demolished by the Israeli military last year.

Meanwhile soldiers also ordered the Mayor of the village to stop building his house under the claim that it is built without the need army permission.