Israeli occupation forces kidnap six brothers and demolish two houses in Qalqilia

Date: 19 / 06 / 2008  Time:  19:49
Qalqilia – Ma'an –

Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia after a military operation lasting from the early dawn hours until just before noon on Thursday.

Ma'an's correspondent reported that Israeli occupation forces kidnapped six brothers during the invasion: Sa'id, Hassanein, Ziyad, Ibrahim, Salih and Tha'er 'Aqel Ibrahim.

Israeli forces also demolished two abandoned houses owned by Ali Hassanain, and parts of a house owned by ‘Aqel Ibrahim Hassanain.

Meanwhile, Israeli military bulldozers supported by settler guards razed almost 500 dunums of land in Al-Mazra'a Al-Qibliya, northwest of Ramallah.

The confiscated lands belong to a large number of families in the village, and Israeli bulldozers started razing them one week ago. Five months ago, Israeli settlers seized another 500 dunums of Palestinian land next to the area destroyed by bulldozers on Thursday. The confiscated lands will reportedly be used for settler agricultural projects and building a new Israeli settlement.

Illegal Israeli occupation settler runs over elderly Palestinian

Date: 19 / 06 / 2008  Time:  16:37
Qalqilia – Ma'an –

Seventy-year-old Abed Al-Lateef Ali Barhoum, a resident of the village of Kufr Qadum east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, was injured on Thursday after being run over by an Israeli settler on the main Qalqilia to Nablus road, near the illegal Israeli settlement of Kedumim.

Local sources said that Barhoum was moved to a hospital inside Israel, and also pointed out similar accidents have occurred previously in the same location.

Israeli occupation forces detain two Palestinians in Ad-Deheisheh and Al-Azzeh refugee camps near Bethlehem
Date: 19 / 06 / 2008  Time:  16:35
Bethlehem - Ma’an -

Israeli occupation forces detained two civilians in Al-Deheishah and Al-Azzah refugee camps near Bethlehem on Thursday morning.

Eyewitnesses said that an Israeli force stormed Al-Deheishah camp and detained 17-year-old Isma’il Khalil Al-Shadhli after searching his house and rifling through his property.

In Al-Azzah refugee camp Israeli occupation forces kidnaped 23-year-old Usama Ribhi Abu She’irah and transferred him to an unknown destination.

Eyewitnesses confirmed that Israeli occupation forces intensified their deployment around Rachel’s Tomb and the northern entrance to Bethlehem city.

Illegal Israeli settlers burn agricultural lands and close roads in Nablus

Date: 19 / 06 / 2008  Time:  16:13
Nablus - Ma’an -

Illegal Israeli settlers burnt dozens of dunums of agricultural lands owned by civilians in the villages of Bureen and Huwwara near Nablus on Thursday.

They also closed a number of roads between Huwwara and Yatsahar, near the Huwwara checkpoint for more than an hour.

Eyewitnesses told Ma’an’s correspondent in Nablus that dozens of illegal Israeli settlers from the illegal  settlement of Yatsahar attacked civilian homes and set fire to a 100 dunom olive grove.

According to the eyewitnesses, the Israeli occupation army prevented firefighters and civil defense forces from reaching the area for more than two hours by which time the fire had spread.

On Wednesday illegal Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and burnt three dunums of agricultural lands near the illegal Israeli settlement of Yatsahar south of Nablus.

Eyewitnesses said that around 200 settlers attacked civilians, destroying property and setting fire to agricultural lands. They also threw stones at houses.

The settlers disrupted the movement of pedestrians, erecting checkpoints. They also attacked Arab cars passing through the area.