Palestine Today 031709

The Israeli army injures a civilian in Gaza and kidnaps 16 civilians from the West Bank; these stories and more coming up - stay tuned.

The News Cast

One Palestinian civilian was injured midday on Tuesday when Israeli naval boats opened fire on residents and fishermen gathered at the beach near the Beit Lahyia town in central Gaza Strip. Doctors pronounced that one man sustained moderate wounds, and was moved to a nearby hospital for treatment.

In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers kidnapped sixteen Palestinians from Ramallah district in the central West Bank, and in southern Hebron district during Monday night.

Eyewitnesses reported that soldiers invaded villages near Ramallah where they broke into and searched dozens of homes before taking captive nine residents. Also, troops invaded villages near Hebron, and kidnapped several residents.

In related news, Israeli soldiers invaded Atteel, near the northern West Bank city of Ramallah, and conducted military searches of homes. Local sources in Atteel reported that several military jeeps invaded the village, broke into and searched several homes. The residents were forced out of their homes while the soldiers searched them.

In Jerusalem, bulldozers belonging to the Israeli municipality demolished a Palestinian owned flat located in the Beit Safafa neighborhood of the city.

The flat is part of seven story-high building owned by Abu Khalaf, a Palestinian from Jerusalem. Israeli troops arrived at Beit Safafa on Tuesday morning to surround the building, shortly after which troops forced everyone out and demolished the seventh floor. The Israeli municipality says the flat was built without the necessary permission.

The number of Palestinian-owned homes in Jerusalem that Israel has stated it intends to demolish has reached 179 since the start of 2009.

Since Israel occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967, the authorities have rarely given Palestinian residents permission to build homes. The Israeli government has continued to build Jewish settlements in and around Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank, an act which contravenes international law and all peace treaty agreements signed between Israel and the Palestinians since the 1993 Oslo Accords.

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 Mary Arthur and Ghassan Bannoura.