Palestine Today 053007

Wednesday May 30, 2007 17:42 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC - Audio dept.

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Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Wednesday May 30th, 2007.

Israeli drones fire missiles at a group of resistance fighters in Gaza, killing two. While in the West Bank, the Israeli army continues to abduct Palestinian officials. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned.

The Gaza strip

Two Palestinian resistance fighters from the Hamas linked Qassam brigades were announced dead after an Israeli drone fired several missiles at a group of resistance fighters east of Jabalyia, a town in the northern Gaza strip, early on Wednesday morning. Palestinian medical sources identified the two as Mohamed Hamoudah, 23, and Omer Rihan, 25. Doctors said that the two bodies were severely burned and mutilated. Seven civilians were also injured in the attack

Sources in Gaza report that Israeli fighter jets and drones have been flying intensively over the Gaza strip, while Palestinian resistance groups continue to fire home made shells at nearby Israeli towns and cities. For the first time in two weeks, the Israeli army carried out an early morning ground attack on the southern end of the Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians, said to be Hamas members, wounding a 32-year-old woman and two other men.

Israeli warplanes have stepped up air strikes on the Gaza Strip, mainly targeting Hamas operatives and positions. So far, these attacks have left about 52 Palestinians dead, including eight children. Approximately 200 others have been injured.

The West Bank

The Israeli army has continued to kidnap civilians in the West Bank. On Wednesday, at least 15 Palestinians were kidnapped during pre dawn invasions in Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem. Seven of those kidnapped were from the Nablus area.

In the town of Qabalan, south of Nablus, military forces kidnapped the mayor, Fawaz Aqra'a, from his residence. Several months ago Israeli troops abducted another local official, who filled the mayoral position at that time.

In the past two weeks the Israeli army has kidnapped more that 42 Palestinian officials and law makers in the West Bank, claming that the abductions of these persons is aimed at forcing Palestinian resistance fighters in Gaza to stop firing home made shells at Israeli targets. Resistance groups stated that a halt to their shelling will require Israeli to stop attacking Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza.

In the latest army attack in the West Bank, undercover Israeli soldiers assassinated on Tuesday evening PA security officer Omar Mohammad Abul-Halim, 24, after infiltrating a local restaurant in Ramallah, in the northern part of the West Bank. Eyewitnesses reported that Abdul-Halim was in a restaurant in the center of Ramallah when the under-cover forces broke into it and opened fire, killing him and injuring seven other residents. Palestinian security sources reported that the forces kidnapped several residents and took them to unknown destinations.

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, brought to you by Alisa Sprout and Ghassan Bannoura.

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