Israeli Occupation Soldiers Kidnap Palestinians From Silwan, Including Two Children

Thursday October 21, 2010 14:08 by Sandy Khair - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation undercover soldiers abducted, on Wednesday night, seven young Palestinians from the neighbourhood of Silwan in occupied East Jerusalem, as they walked near the tent erected in protest to recent actions by the state of Israel. The group included two children.

The Israeli Magestrates' Court extended the detention of the seven young men until friday after being abducted, Thursday at dawn, from their homes. The group were identified as Suhayb al-Rajbe,13 years old; Islam 'Odeh,16; Murad al-Banna; Shaka' al-Abbasi, 22; 'Aed, 20; Mohamad,18; and Mohde al-Abbasi, 23; all from the neighbourhood of 'Ein al-Lozza and Be'ir Ayyoub.

Israeli Military Bulldoze Lands in Hebron

Thursday October 21, 2010 12:36 by Sandy Khair - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli bulldozers began, on Thursday morning, clearing large areas of Palestinian land in the region of al-Bok'a, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

Badran Jaber reported to Palestine News Agency 'WAFA' that dozens of Israeli soldiers accompanied a large number of Israeli military vehicles and bulldozers and invaded the region of al-Bok'a, adjacent to the settlements of Kharsena and Kiryat Arba'.

Soldiers and border guards surrounded the region of al-Bok'a from six o'clock in the morning to consolidate their control and prevent citizens from responding to their aggression. He added that in the meantime Israel soldiers continue to bulldoze approximately 16 Palestinian owned agricultural acres in the region owned by Mostafa Jaber, and to demolish sheep pens and prevent citizens from planting trees.

Center Reports on Israeli Abuse of Children

Thursday October 21, 2010 12:26 by Mays Al-Azza - IMEMC & Agencies

The Palestinian, Jerusalem Center for Social and Economic Rights published, on Thursday, new reports about Israeli abuse and random detention of Palestinian children and their parents in the town of Silwan next to the old city of Jerusalem.

One of these reports came from Abdullah Ghaith, 17. He told a social worker in the Center that he received a phone call on Thursday October 14, from his brother’s school principal telling him that his brother, Mahmud, was detained by the Israeli military within the school. Abdullah and his mother went to the school. where they found Mahmud surrounded by soldiers. While he was arguing with the soldiers about the reason for detaining his brother, Mahmud tried to run away from them. Then the soldiers attacked him and harassed him.

When his mother saw him on the ground and handcuffed, she started to argue with the soldiers to release her son. Instead they hit her with their guns until she lost consciousness. The soldiers then took Mahmud to an Israeli police station for questioning, and afterwards to al-Masqubeya center. He spent the night there before he was released by signing a personal guarantee of five thousand shekels, approximately 1,400 U.S. dollars.

Israeli Occupation Army Detained A University Student One Month Before His Graduation Day

Thursday October 21, 2010 11:15 by Mays Al-Azza - IMEMC & Agencies

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Detainees in Nablus condemned on Thursday the Israeli occupation army raid on the house of Palestinian Nawwaf al-Ammer, and detention of his son, Ibrahim Ammer, 22 years old, after a destructive search of the house.

The head of the center stated “Ibrahim is a student in the faculty of law at an-Najah University in Nablus and has only one month before his graduation... He is detained with his hope and happiness while his parents were awaiting this day." The center demanded that human rights organizations intervene in order to save the student's future by letting him return to his university to receive his degree. The father of Ibrahim said that his son was taken to an investigation center in the northern part of occupied Palestine.

Israeli Occupation Army Abducts Two, Distrupts Many Near Hebron

Thursday October 21, 2010 11:12 by Sandy Khair - IMEMC & Agencies

The Israeli occupation army, on Thursday morning, abducted two Palestinian citizens after invading their houses and ransacking their contents in the town of Beit Ummar north of Hebron. The citizens were identified as Malek Awad, 21, and Rami Awad, 28.

In the town of Halhol, also north of Hebron, Palestinian Security sources reported that Israeli occupation forces invaded and searched the house of Ibrahim Karaja. Israeli military erected a checkpoint at the Halhol bridge entrance to Hebron, conducted inspections of Palestinian citizens' vehicles and checked the identities of passengers, a witness reported. Security Sources reported that the Israeli army invaded many houses in the town of Yatta south of Hebron, erected checkpoints and confiscated 20 Palestinian vehicles and 15 motorcycles.

Illegal Israeli Settlers Escalate Attacks Against Olive Orchards. 2,500 Trees Torched In One Week

Thursday October 21, 2010 09:13 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

On Wednesday afternoon, a group of extremist illegal Jewish Israeli settlers from Bracha illegal settlement, near the northern West Bank city of Nablus, attacked Palestinian villagers, cut and burned trees and injured one farmer.

Local sources reported that one villager from Burin was wounded after being violently attacked by the settlers while attempting to prevent them from uprooting his trees. Moneer Qadous was stabbed with a sharp object and was moved to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. Also, dozens of settlers, marching in groups, attacked Palestinian olive-pickers near Burin, while Israeli soldiers kidnapped another villager for trying to defend his land.

The sources added that at least 2,500 olive trees belonging to Burin residents have been torched by the settlers since last Thursday. Such destruction creates a real disaster for the villagers as they depend on olives and olive oil as the main source of their livelihood. Witnesses said that soldiers stood idle while the settlers were attacking the villagers and the orchards yet they prevented Palestinian firefighters from reaching the torched orchards under the pretext of waiting for proper security coordination, which leads to further losses as the fire continues to consume the trees.