Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Center, www.imemc.org for Tuesday October 6th, 2009.
Israeli tanks invade areas of Gaza as police continue to lock down Jerusalem's old city. These stories and more coming up, stay tuned.
The news Cast
On Tuesday Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded areas in the southern Gaza Strip close to the border with Israel. Local sources said that tanks opened fire at nearby homes as bulldozers uprooted trees and destroyed farm lands owned by Palestinian farmers. Local sources said that such attacks are taking place on a daily basis since the start of this week.
Meanwhile the Israeli police lock-down of Jerusalem's old city continued on Tuesday and Muslim men were not allowed to reach the Al Aqsa mosque.
Police officers stopped employees and worshippers from going into the holy Muslim site and later allowed only men over the age of 50 to enter.
On Monday police began the lock down and would not allow Muslim men under the age of 50 to enter the Al Aqsa mosque as thousands of Jews of all ages gathered at the nearby Western Wall for prayers marking the week-long holiday.
2, 000 police officers were deployed at the Jerusalem's old city on Monday following Sunday's clashes with Palestinians.
The clashes on Sunday erupted between Palestinians who had gathered at the Al Aqsa mosque and Israeli police. Palestinians feared that Jewish groups would try to enter the compound and conduct prayers. In similar clashes last week Israeli police injured 17 Palestinians and kidnapped 50 others.
Ziad Al Hamuri, the director of the Jerusalem Center of Economic and Social rights, said the attacks are part of a larger plan:
"Those actions are aimed at creating new facts and history on the ground in addition to giving Jerusalem a Jewish nature by force… using all means possible"
Right-wing Jewish groups claim the al Aqsa Mosque, the second holiest place for Moslems world wide , is built over the ruins of the King Suleiman Temple and they want to demolish the Mosque to build the temple once again.
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 Ghassan Bannoura.
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