Army invades a village near Bethlehem and kidnaps three civilians

Monday May 28, 2007 12:12 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli forces invaded the village of Beit Fajar, south of Bethlehem city, in the southern part of the West Bank on Monday morning and kidnapped three civilians.

Sources in the village reported that a massive Israeli force invaded the village, searched scores of homes, and then took Ahmad Takatka, 30, and Ahmad Nawaora, 26, to unknown detention camps.

At the same time, another force surrounded the house of Abd Al Haleem Salhab, 26, the Office Director of Palestinian legislative council member, Khaled Tafish. Troops searched and ransacked the house and took Salhab to an unknown location.

The Israeli army has kidnapped more that 40 Palestinian officials and supporters of Hamas over the past week. The army claims that this kidnapping campaign is aimed at forcing Hamas resistance fighters in Gaza to stop firing home made Qassam rockets at nearby Israeli towns and cities.

All Palestinian resistance groups, including Hamas, have insisted that an end to the home made rocket attacks will require Israel to cease its continuous military operation in Gaza and the West Bank.

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