Palestine Today 102809

A Palestinian civilian is killed in Jerusalem during a police chase, while Egypt allow patients back into the Gaza Strip. These stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Medical sources in Jerusalem reported Wednesday morning that a 21-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem was killed when his vehicle flipped over during the high-speed chase. He died instantly.

The Israeli Police said that the accident took place near Tel Aviv, and added that police were chasing him as they suspected that the vehicle he was driving was stolen.

Also in Jerusalem today Israeli police officers dismantled a protest tent erected by a Palestinian family near the old city.

The Al Ghawali family were camped in front of their former home in the Sheikh Jarah neighborhood. Their home was taken over by Israeli settlers two months ago.

According to the family, police arrived at the tent, forced them out then destroyed it. The family said the police gave no prior warning nor had they been issued with a court order telling them to remove the tent.

Sheikh Jarah is a Palestinian neighborhood consisting of 30 houses all of which are all slated for demolition by the Israeli authorities.

Elsewhere on Wednesday, 17 Palestinian civilians were kidnapped by the Israeli military during attacks targeting a number of West Bank communities.

At least 14 of those kidnapped were taken during an army operation in the northern West Bank city of Nablus and the nearby Al Ein refugee camp.

Local sources said that Israeli forces invaded a number of locations in Nablus and Al Ein refugee camp. They searched a number of homes before kidnapping the 14 men. The other three civilians were kidnapped during military invasions targeting the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tulkarem, local sources added.

In other news, the Egyptian authorities allowed a number of Palestinian patients to cross back into the Gaza Strip on Wednesday. They had been in Egypt for medical treatment.

The Palestinian health Ministry in Gaza said that seven of the patients were taken to the border by ambulance, while the rest were able to cross on foot. At least 361 patients have died since the Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip began in June 2007.

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.