Israeli troops carried out 40 invasions in Jenin in February

Tuesday February 27, 2007 22:27 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies

A report prepared and published by the National Institutions Office in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, revealed that in February Israeli troops carried out 40 invasions in Jenin, and continued their strict siege of the district. 30 residents were taken prisoner, and one fighter was assassinated.

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A report prepared and published by the National Institutions Office in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank, revealed that in February Israeli troops carried out 40 invasions in Jenin, and continued their strict siege of the district. 30 residents were taken prisoner, and one fighter was assassinated.

The Office stated that soldiers carried out daily invasions and attacks under the pretext of receiving warnings that resistance fighters are planning attacks against Israeli targets.

The invasions mainly targeted Jenin city, Jenin refugee camp, Qabatia town, Tubas town, and the villages of Methaloon, Al Yamoun, Ya'bod, Al Zababda and Rommana.

The Jenin office of the Palestinian Prisoner Society reported that thirty residents, all civilians, were taken prisoner and one fighter, identified as Mahmoud Abu Obeid, 25, leader of the Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad in Jenin, was assassinated.

Abu Obeid was assassinated last Wednesday, February 21, after the undercover forces of the Israeli army ambushed him in the center of Jenin city. Military helicopters also participated in the attack.

He was shot by at least 10 rounds of live ammunition to several parts of his body. Israel claims that Abu Obeid was the mastermind behind an attempted suicide bombing in Tel Aviv, but troops managed to detain the would-be suicide bomber before he managed to carry the attack, according to Israeli security sources.

The Israeli security also claims that Abu Obeid manufactured several homemade bombs, and explosives that were used against the army during military invasion in Jenin area.

Troops completely isolated Jenin district from the rest of the West Bank and installed several roadblocks that cut off the routes between the city and its surrounding town and villages; soldiers installed at least 10 checkpoints each day.

Most of the military attacks were carried out at night or during early dawn and morning hours. Resistance fighters repeatedly exchanged fire with the invading forces as soldiers broke into dozens of homes and searched them, causing significant damage.

Today, Tuesday at noon, one fighter identified as Abdul-Salam Hanaisha, one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of Fateh, survived an assassination attempt carried by under-cover forces of the Israeli army in Qabatia town, near Jenin.

The forces ambushed Hanaisha and fired at him but he managed to escape unharmed.

Also on Tuesday, during dawn hours, Mohammad Abu Srour, one of the leaders of the Al Aqsa Brigades, managed to escape an abduction attempt carried out by soldiers and undercover forces in the Old City of Jenin.

Soldiers broke into the house of Abu Srour and searched it before detaining two of his cousins and interrogating them for several hours. The two cousins were forced to undress under gunpoint as the soldiers were searching them before detaining them for several hours.

Troops also broke into and searched several houses causing excessive damage to the property, and damaged several vehicles parked in the streets of Jenin, in addition to firing rounds of live ammunition at dozens of homes.

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