Israeli occupation forces conduct nighttime raid of non-violent activists' homes in Bil'in

Tuesday September 08, 2009 07:58 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News

In the latest of a series of raids over the last three months, Israeli occupation forces attacked the village of Bil'in at 2:30 am on Tuesday morning, allegedly searching for a teenage boy.  The village remains under curfew, and organizers with the Popular Committee Against the Wall say that the ongoing attacks on their village are an attempt by the Israeli army to shut down the non-violent resistance once and for all.

The village of Bil'in has become a focal point for the non-violent resistance movement in Palestine, holding non-violent protests every Friday for the last four years.  Israeli occupation forces attack the protests with semi-lethal weapons and experimental weapons each Friday, but the protests have continued without fail.  The village has gained international and Israeli attention, and Israeli peace activists cross the Wall illegally each Friday to be part of the non-violent protests.
 
The village, which is a farm town of 1700 people located just west of Ramallah, has also engaged in lawsuits to try to stop the Israeli Army from splitting their village in two with the Annexation Wall.  They won their case in Israeli High Court in 2006, and judges ordered that the Army re-route the Wall.  

But that re-routing has never happened, and the Palestinian villagers have no other legal means available to them to get the court to enforce its ruling.  
 
Instead, they have continued their non-violent protests, despite recent escalation by Israeli forces.  In March, the Israeli troops fired a high-velocity tear gas canister directly at the head of US peace activist Tristan Anderson, critically injuring him -- he remains in the hospital and is unlikely to ever fully recover from the injury.  In April, the troops fired a high-velocity tear gas canister directly at the chest of non-violent activist Bassem Abu Rahma, killing him.
 
And in August, the army began a campaign of raiding the village in the middle of the night several times a week, terrorizing the villagers, keeping them awake for hours while firing randomly and searching houses.
 
In the raid Tuesday morning, the troops claimed they were searching for 16-year old Hamaza Burnat (age 16), a relative of the head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall, Eyad Bornat.
 
Hamdy Abu Rahma writes, "Our children cannot sleep at night because of sound bombs and tear gas being fired by the invading forces. This village is under curfew, we need all your help to be able to lead a normal life again."  The Popular Committee called on supporters to contact Israeli Embassies around the world to demand an end to the night-time raids in Bil'in.

Undercover Israeli occupation forces kidnap two Palestinians in Beit Lahia

Monday September 07, 2009 09:33 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian sources reported that undercover Israeli occupation forces infiltrated on Sunday evening into the Bedouin Village, near Beit Lahia in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, and kidnapped two Palestinians.

The sources added that the two kidnapped residents are in their early twenties, and that they were in an open area.
Military helicopters also hovered over the area after the undercover forces abducted the two residents and fired one missile at an area close to the abduction site, and also fired rounds of live ammunition to facilitate the evacuation of its forces. 

In related news, the Al-Nasser Salahuddin Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, stated that its fighters detonated two explosives near Israeli forces invading the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

Mezan Center: Israeli occupation army kidnapped five children in Gaza

Tuesday September 08, 2009 01:48 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reported that undercover forces of the Israeli occupation army kidnapped on Sunday five Palestinian children in an invasion to Beit Lahia town, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

According to investigation by the Center, Israeli soldiers infiltrated into Beit Lahia after crossing through the former settlement of Nizanit.  The soldiers then infiltrated into an area north of the Um Al Nasser Bedouin village and detonated an explosive device.

Later on, soldiers kidnapped five Palestinian children who were grazing sheep near the area. The kidnapping took place a few minutes before Ramadan Iftar (breaking of the fast) on Sunday evening.

The Al Mezan Center identified the kidnapped children as;

1.       Mohammed Arafat Abu Khusa, 17.

2.       Ibrahim Shehda Abu Jarad, 16.        

3.       Sameh Abdul Qader Abu Hashish, 15.

4.       Freeh Qasem Abu Hashish, 13.

5.       'A'ed Hazaa' Abu Hashish, 16.  

The Center stated that an Israeli helicopter provided cover for the withdrawal of the undercover forces by opening fire the northern and eastern borders of the Bedouin village. The kidnapped children were moved to an unknown destination.

The Al Mezan Center slammed the kidnapping of the children, and the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

It also slammed the ongoing Israeli siege and the escalation of violations of human rights in the impoverished coastal region.

The Center added that the idleness and silence of the International Community is encouraging Israel to continue its violations of the International law.

The Israeli military kidnaps four civilians during morning attacks in the West Bank

Monday September 07, 2009 18:44 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

Four Palestinian civilians were kidnapped on Monday morning by Israeli troops during invasions targeting a number of West Bank communities.

The invasions were reported in Hebron, southern West Bank, and Ramallah, in the centers as well as Jenin, Nablus and Qalqilia in the north. Palestinian sources said that clashes between invading troops and local youth with reported in Jenin and Nablus. No injuries were reported. The Israeli military radio announced that all four men were taken to detention camps for questioning.

PA Police: Israeli occupation forces kidnap 9, overrun 5 governorates

Published today, September 8, 2009,  12:23

 Ramallah – Ma’an –

 Israeli occupation forces overran five of the West Bank’s 12 governorates Tuesday, Palestinian Authority police reported, noting nine Palestinians were kidnapped in the 12 hours since sunset.

In the Ramallah governorate troops entered the Al-Jalzoan Refugee Camp and raided half a dozen homes. Police identified 18-year-old Ala Saleh Abu Sharifah as the one person detained during the raids.

In the Tulkarem governorate troops overran the capital and raided the house of Ja’afar Odeh, who was handed an order to present himself to Israeli intelligence. Troops then raided the house of Adnan Samara, also in Tulkarem city and detained Muhammad Mounir Abu Safyeh and Abdul Latif Mounir Abu Safyah.

Elsewhere in the governorate troops raided Saffarin village and invaded the homes of Adnan Al-Safarini, Nael Ahmad Hassan and Talal Al-Haj. According to police, Al-Haj was detained by Israeli forces and taken to an unknown location.

South of Tulkarem in the Qalqiliya governorate Israeli occupation forces overran the village of Azzun Atma and raided the house of Ghassan Abdul Latif Adwan, kidnapping his 20-year-old son Nihad.

In Tubas governorate east of Tulkarem Israeli occupation forces overran Tammoun and Al-Fari’a villages where they broke into dozens of houses related to Bassam Yousuf Abu Shu’aib and Jihad Su'oud Yousuf Suboh. The occupation forces detained Wael Khaled Jamal Suboh, 22, Jamal Khaled Suboh, 25, and Mahmoud Rajeh Abu El-Habal 40.

In the southern West Bank governorate of Hebron, troops overran the Wad Aziz neighborhood of Ethna village and raided Abdel Hafedh Awad’s home, detaining 20-year-old Waddah Muhammad Rashid Abu Juhaishah.

Israeli occupation forces take three men from Nablus area

Published today (updated) 08/09/2009 11:03

Nablus – Ma’an –

 Israeli occupation forces detained three young Palestinian men from the Al-Fari’a refugee camp north of Nablus after storming the camp early Tuesday morning.

Local sources said troops ransacked several homes in the camp before detaining 23-year-old Alaa Subih, and his brother, 20-year-old Wael, and then 35-year-old Mahmoud Abu Al-Habal.

Israeli occupation troops detain Bethlehemite

Published today 08/09/200910:37

 Bethlehem – Ma’an –

Israeli occupation troops detained a Palestinian man from Al-Khader village southwest Bethlehem, saying he threw an explosive device at Israeli cars passing from the nearby road on Monday night.

Israel Radio said the troops took the man to unknown destination for investigations.

Israel preventing treatment of diabetic son, family says

Published today (updated) 08/09/2009 11:16

Nablus - Ma'an -

Parents of a 24-year-old diabetic man held in Israeli prison appealed to human rights organizations on Tuesday saying he was being denied treatment by prison officials.

According to his brother Wael, Loay Ahmed Barakat from Al-Ayn Refugee Camp in Nablus lost his left hand due to lack of treatment while in prison and now is in danger of having his right leg amputated. Amputation is a common side effect of untreated diabetes, with poor blood circulation or untreated infections causing muscle deterioration.

Loay has four years left of his seven-year sentence, and has repeatedly appealed to human rights organizations to witness his case.

His mother reported the disease is preventing wounds all over his body from healing, and he is at very high risk of further amputations.