Israeli occupation soldiers attack Bil'in village and kidnap eight civilians, kidnap 14 more in the West Bank, burn agricultural lands in northern Gaza

Israeli occupation soldiers kidnap 14 Palestinians in the West Bank

Monday August 03, 2009 08:26 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped on Monday at dawn fourteen Palestinians after breaking into their homes in several parts of the occupied West bank, local sources reported.

The army claimed that the 14 residents are ‘wanted’. Three were kidnapped in Qalqilia, three in Nablus, three in Bethlehem, three in Ramallah, and one in Hebron. They were all moved to interrogation centers.

The army violently broke into their homes and searched them.

In related news, Israeli soldiers attacked on Sunday evening a 15-year old Palestinian child from Izbit Al Tabeeb village, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, and detained him for more than three hours.

Troops claimed that he hurled stones at them on the main Qalqilia road.

 Dozens of Israeli occupation soldiers were deployed around the village and near its entrances raising fear among the residents of a possible invasion.

 Israeli occupation forces attack Bil'in village and kidnap eight civilians

Monday August 03, 2009 12:35 by IMEMC Staff - IMEMC News

Seven Palestinians civilians and one American peace activist were kidnapped by the Israeli occupation forces on Monday during pre dawn invasion targeting the village of Bil'in, near the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

Local sources reported that around 3am this morning some 200 soldiers with combat paint in their faces and masks entered the village on foot from several points. A total of five homes were attacked and searched by the soldiers, witnesses reported.

Troops threw sound bombs to disperse the villagers who were coming into the streets at day-break throwing rocks at the invading forces. The operation ended around seven in the morning, all those kidnapped were taken to military detention camp.

Among those kidnapped was 35 year-old Mohammed Al Khatib, a member of the local popular committee against the wall.

Since four years ago, the village of Bil'in has been the scene of weekly nonviolent resistance against the Israeli illegal wall built on the villagers' lands. The villages won a court decision that the wall should be removed but the military refuse to comply with the court orders.

Israeli occupation soldiers burn agricultural lands in northern Gaza

Saturday August 01, 2009 21:38 by IMEMC & Agencies

The Ramattan news agency reported Saturday that Israeli occupation soldiers burnt Palestinian agricultural lands belonging to two Palestinian residents, near the Eretz crossing, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Two Israeli military bulldozers uprooted the farmlands before the soldiers set the uprooted trees and lands of fire. 

Local sources reported that soldiers also rounds of live ammunition in different directions causing panic among the residents, no injuries were reported.  

Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped 312 Palestinians in July

Saturday August 01, 2009 21:55 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian researcher, Abdul-Nasser Farawna, stated Saturday that Israeli occupation soldiers kidnapped 312 Palestinians, including dozens of teens, during the month of July.

Farawna added that the soldiers kidnapped 3372 Palestinians since the beginning of this year, among them dozens of women and children.

Most of the kidnapped residents are from the West Bank, while hundreds were kidnapped during the war of Gaza.

Farawna also said that the Israeli Navy kidnapped dozens of Palestinian fishermen in Palestinian territorial waters in the Gaza Strip.

Yet, the researcher stated that July witnessed the least incidents of kidnappings as in comparison to previous months.

He also said that the Israeli army kidnaps Palestinians with the aim to harm different sectors of the society, including but not limited to harming the economy, social life, educational life, in addition to harming the health and psychological conditions of the residents by placing them under extreme conditions and torturing them during interrogation.  

Farawna added that there are hundreds of Palestinians who are still suffering from health and psychological issues due to abuse and torture they were subjected while imprisoned by Israel.

Agha denounces IOF aggression on farmers and fishermen

[ 02/08/2009 - 10:18 AM ]

GAZA, (PIC)--

Agriculture minister Dr. Mohammed Al-Agha has denounced the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) for repeatedly attacking Palestinian farmers and their farms and fishermen and their boats in northern Gaza Strip.

The minister, during a field visit to the northern areas, said that the IOF soldiers lately concentrated on burning crops in the Palestinian lands near the northern borders and shooting at farmers to prevent them from attending to their farms.

A ministry press release on Sunday also quoted Agha as condemning the Israeli navy for establishing an isolation zone off the northern coasts along three kilometers prohibiting fishermen from fishing in this area.