Army injures two Palestinians and kidnaps them after surrounding a hospital in Jericho

Monday May 28, 2007 10:32 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli forces invaded the West Bank city of Jericho on Monday, injuring and kidnapping two Palestinian security officers from the local hospital.

Palestinian medical sources reported that Omer Abu Dayiah, 24, and Sami Al Alam, 25, were injured when troops invaded the centre of Jericho city and clashed with local youths. When the injured men were moved to the city hospital in a critical condition, armed Israeli soldiers surrounded the hospital before kidnapping the two men.

Witnesses said that during the siege, Israeli soldiers did not allow ambulances to enter or exit the hospital. It later emerged that Israeli soldiers had also damaged equipment and fired live rounds during the search of the hospital. No injuries were reported.

In a separate opertion, those forces surrounding the city centre stopped and searched all civilian vehicles. Nael Al Sheroki, 34, was in one of the cars that was searched. Soldiers forced him out of the vehicle, attacked him and then took him to unknown location.

Shortly after kidnapping the three men, the invading Israeli force left the city, local sources said.

jericho | israeli attacks | news report ghassanb at imemc dot org