Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Thursday July 7th, 2008.

The Israeli army attacked a non-violent protest in Nil'in village injuring 3 from rubber bullets and causing dozens of injuries due to gas inhalation, while the Israeli army kidnapped 8 civilians from west bank cities, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The News cast

On Thursday a group of peace activists including internationals and local villagers marched in a non violent protest against the wall at Nil'in village near the southern West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israeli army soldiers attacked the protesters - during clashes 3 protesters were injured by soldier's firing rubber-coated steel bullets, and dozens suffered from CS-gas inhalation. In addition to the violence in Nil'in, The Israeli army kidnapped two members from the local popular committee against the wall and settlement construction.

In the West Bank city of Jenin, Israeli military vehicles invaded the city at dawn. Local reports indicate that Israeli troops fired their weapons randomly within the city. Soldiers searched and ransacked several houses in nearby villages kidnapping a total of five civilians.

Meanwhile, a number of Israeli Special Forces soldiers raided one of the local restaurants in the central West Bank city of Ramallah and kidnapped a 21 year old civilian, taking him to an unknown destination.

In the West Bank city of Tulkarem the Israeli army searched and ransacked a taxi office and confiscated a number of taxies. The Israeli troops occupied the city for over four hours.

Continuing our daily news coverage, The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that Israeli troops kidnapped 26-year-old Sana' Salah at an Israeli military checkpoint north of Bethlehem, after accusing her of stabbing an Israeli soldier.

In Hebron, Israeli Troops invaded Sureef village northwest of the city, and kidnapped 21 year old Naïf Brathiye after ransacking his residence leaving extensive damages behind.

According to sources in Ireland, Jihad Ja'ara - one of the deported Palestinians from Bethlehem - escaped an assassination attempt on Thursday morning in a drive-by shooting.

On Thursday, a Palestinian source in Ireland reported that while Ja'ara was walking to the PLO embassy building, shots were fired at him from a passing car. Ja'ara escaped unharmed.

Immediately following the attack, another vehicle crashed into Ja'ara's car, forcing it off the road and into a nearby valley. Ja'ara was lightly injured, and police officers who were in the area chased the other car and detained the two suspects.

Palestinian sources in Ireland declared that this was undoubtedly an assassination attempt by the Israeli secret service known as "The Shin Bet".
40 Palestinians, most of them Fatah members, were expelled from the West Bank in May 2002 following a siege on the Church of the Nativity. Twenty-six men were sent to the Gaza Strip and 13 others to European countries, where they reside to this day.


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. This report has been brought to you by Nathan Dannison and Hussam Qassis.