Two patients have died because Israel refused to allow them leave Gaza for medical treatment and in the West Bank the Israeli army kidnaps ten civilians, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Medical sources reported on Thursday that two more patients have died in Gaza due to Israel's refusal to allow them to leave the strip for medical treatment.

Sources stated that Naser Muhra and Mahmoud Abu Hasna both from Gaza, joined the growing list of Gazans who have died as a result of not being allowed leave the strip for treatment. The total numbers who have died from long suffering illnesses in this manner now stands at 36 since Israels total closure of the Gaza strip borders.

Later in the day, local reports indicated that fighters of the Al Quds brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, were wounded following an explosion in southern Gaza. The reports said that a large explosion was audible on mid day Thursday, to the south of Gaza city.
The Israeli army has stepped up attacks on Palestinian resistance fighters over the past couple of days, killing at least 7, four of them from the Al Quds brigades.

Israel declared Gaza a 'hostile entity', in September, and then reduced daily fuel supplies to the costal region in October, in what Israel calls ' a bid to stop homemade shells fire' from Gaza onto nearby Israeli towns. Several human rights groups branded the declaration as constituting a' collective punishment' and United Nations Secretary General, Ban K-Moon had urged Israel to reconsider its actions against Gaza.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, Israeli military forces kidnapped eight Palestinians from the Shuweika village north of Tulkarem, following an invasion of homes in the area in the early hours of Thursday morning

Also on Thursday morning, Israeli forces conducted a ransacking campaign on several civilian homes near the illegal separation wall at Al Teyba village, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank. The army claimed the operation was in response to an attempt by Palestinians to destroy parts of the illegal wall. Two other Palestinians were reportedly abducted by Israeli army in Kafr Qaddum near Qalqilia in the northern West Bank bringing the total number of Palestinians abducted in the West Bank on Thursday to 10.

Internally, The Hamas movement issued a statement declaring that seven of its members had been abducted and imprisoned by Palestinian security forces in Nablus, Ramallah and Jenin on Thursday.

Conclusion

Thank you for joining us from occupied Bethlehem. You have been listening to Palestine Today from the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org, brought to you by Brian o'cionnaith and Ghassan Bannoura.