Israeli Occupation Soldiers Fire at Gaza Fishermen, Raid West Bank Towns, Kidnap 5 Palestinians, Demolish Water Wells Near Hebron, Restrict Access to Al-Aqsa Mosque

Israeli occupation soldiers raid West Bank towns, kidnapping five Palestinians

Published today (updated) 03/09/2009 11:37

Jenin – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation forces raided several Palestinians communities and kidnapped five people in the West Bank on Wednesday night, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.

In the Jenin area in the northern West Bank, Israeli occupation forces detained three young men. According to Palestinian security sources, Israeli forces raided several houses in the eastern neighborhood of Jenin and seized Aybak Allam Abu Ali, 20.

In neighboring Birqin village, Israeli soldiers kidnapped Muhammad Basem Khalouf, 19, during a raid on his house, the security sources said.

According to the same sources, occupation soldiers staffing the Shave Shomeron military checkpoint, north of the city of Nablus, detained Khaled Abdullah Zakarneh, a student from Jenin enrolled at An-Najjah University in Nablus. Zakarneh was taken away by soldiers after they checked his identity card.

In the city of Qalqiliya, also in the northern West Bank, Palestinian police said that invading Israeli occupation soldiers detained resident Mahmoud Nejem during a raid on his house, and also confiscated two computers.

Police also said that soldiers raided Aqbat Jaber Refugee Camp near the city of Jericho and seized Ra’fat Abdullah Ka’abnah.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth also announced that five Palestinians were detained overnight and were “taken for questioning.”

All the detainees are being held at undisclosed locations.

Illegal Israeli settlers burn Palestinian agriculture lands, IOF arrest 5 Palestinians

[ 03/09/2009 - 11:43 AM ]

AL-KHALIL, (PIC)--

Illegal Israeli settlers near Beit Ummar village in Al-Khalil district on Wednesday started fire in lands cultivated with fruitful trees owned by Palestinian citizens, locals reported.

They said that the fire spread over five dunums of land to the southern area of Khirbat Safa near Beit Ummar.

The sources noted that the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) put off part of the fire that was about to reach the nearby Israeli settlement of Beit Ayin and blocked villagers from reaching Safa to extinguish the fire near the village.

Meanwhile,  IOF soldiers at dawn Thursday rounded up five Palestinians in the West Bank districts of Jenin, Qalqilia and Jericho.

Israeli occupation government bulldozers demolish water wells near Hebron

Published today (updated) 03/09/2009 13:04

Hebron – Ma’an –

 Israeli occupation government bulldozers demolished water wells and reservoirs on Thursday in the Al-Beqa’a area east of the city of Hebron, in the southern West Bank.

A local witness said bulldozers and other construction equipment, backed by 13 Israeli occupation soldiers demolished a water well owned by Badawi Al-Rajabi. The witnesses said Israeli soldiers handed warnings to several residents.

A spokesperson for Israel’s Civil Administration, the military agency in charge of Palestinian life in much of the West Bank, said the incident was a “routine law enforcement operation,” and said the water in the wells was being stolen from the legal water network.

The spokesperson added that the operation was approved by the Ministry of Defense.

Al-Beqa’a abuts the settlement of Kiryat Arba, one of the illegally-built Israeli settlements that uses water abstracted from the Mountain Aquifer, which lies underneath the Palestinian occupied territory of the West Bank.

Hamas fighters 'attack Israeli patrol' in Gaza

Published today (updated) 03/09/2009 15:20

Bethlehem – Ma'an –

Hamas fighters said they launched four homemade projectiles at Israeli occupation forces patrols near the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City on Thursday.

According to the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, two mortar shells fired from northern Gaza exploded on the Palestinian side of the border fence.

It was not immediately clear if the two reports were linked. No injuries or damage were reported from either side.

Al-Tibi to Barak: Ease West Bank restrictions during Ramadan

Published yesterday (updated) 03/09/2009 13:02

Bethlehem - Ma'an -

The Vice-Chairman of the Knesset Ahmed Al-Tibi requested that the Israeli occupation government defense minister,  Ehud Barak, allow Palestinians from the West Bank into Jerusalem to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque on any day of the week during Ramadan.

Currently West Bank residents are only able to enter on Fridays. Only men over 50 and women over 45 are permitted.

The statement from Al-Tibi maintained that issuing permits on Friday would leave Jerusalem’s Old City crowded with thousands of worshippers making it especially difficult for the elderly to enter and exit the mosque and Old City area.

Last Friday, the Islamic Waqf (Endowment) in charge of Al-Aqsa reported that 170,000 Palestinians converged on Al-Aqsa Compound for prayers. Israel deployed a heavy police presence.

Al-Aqsa Mosque is the third holiest site in Islam, a focal point of Palestinian religious life and a national symbol.

Muslims worldwide are currently observing the second week of Ramadan, a month of fasting from dawn to the sunset, as well as Tarawih (night) prayers.

Israeli gunships attack fishermen while tanks invade areas of the Gaza Strip

Thursday September 03, 2009 14:42 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

Israeli occupation forces navel forces opened fire on Thursday midday at Palestinian fishermen boats off Gaza City shore. local sources reported.

Palestinian sources said that some boats sustained damage but no injuries were reported. Last week such attack by the military left one Palestinian fisherman dead and another injured.

Meanwhile Israeli tanks invaded on Thursday areas at the eastern border with Israel. Witnesses said that tanks and bulldozers stormed the area and destroyed farm lands.

Palestinian fighters clashed with the invading troops and fire several home-made shells at their tanks. No injuries in both sides were reported.

Israeli media sources announced on Thursday that two Palestinian home-made Qassam shells hit areas close to the northern Gaza borders with Israel. The sources said that the shells landed in open areas at the Palestinian side casing no damage or injuries.