Israel rejects ultimatum, resistance close discussion over captured soldier

After rejecting the offer by the Palestinian resistance to swap the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit with 1000 Palestinian women and children prisoners in Israeli jails, the Palestinian resistance groups declared discussion on the issue closed.

"Discussion is closed," Abu al-Muthana, spokesman for the Islamic Army in the Gaza Strip, said. "We will not disclose any information about the fate of the soldier."

The ultimatum set by Palestinian resistance groups holding Shalit in the Gaza Strip expired at 6 A.M. Tuesday.

The Palestinian resistance did not mention what measures will be taken if their demands were not met, though they did refrain from saying that the soldier will be killed.

Meanwhile In the latest attack as part of the "Summer Rain" Operation, Israeli tanks have advanced across the border with the Gaza Strip and attacked the Palestinian village of Beit Hanoun. Ismail al-Masri, 19, was killed by an Israeli air strike in the area, along with another young man who has not yet been identified.

Army invades Jenin kills one residents and injures another

Israeli army troops invaded the West Bank city of Jenin Tuesday, killing one resident injuring another and imposing a curfew on the entire city during the dawn invasion.

Fida' Qandeel, 18, was killed and another residents was injured when soldiers opened fire at their car in Al Zahra neighborhood in Jenin city.

Qadura Abu Moussa the governor of Jenin describes the killing and the invasion



"The army troops invaded the city, and resistance fighters clashed with them. Fadi Kandeele was shot while riding in a car and he was killed while another sustained medium wounds and was moved to the city hospital. Also the army blew up two cars and then after that the army left the city at 10:00 am"

Troops also imposed curfew on the entire city and its refugee camp as soldiers conducted a wide-scale house-to-house search, local residents reported. Soldiers forcibly took over roof tops, turning them into military sniper posts.

This is the fifth invasion of the city and refugee camp in less than a week, in which scores or civilians were arrested, injured, or killed.

Settlers attacks farmers from Tubass

A group of Israeli settlers attacked local Palestinian farmers, forcing them off of their land near the West Bank city of Tubass Tuesday morning.

The settlers came from the nearby settlements of Mikhola and Sal'eet and attacked the farmers in the lands they own between the two settlements, the farmers said.

Those two settlements are built on illegally annexed land from those farmers.

One resident arrested from Bethlehem

Mohamed Nawawra, 48, was arrested when troops invaded the Hindaza neighborhood south of the West Bank city of Bethlehem during a dawn invasion Tuesday.

Soldier and army jeeps closed the neighborhood and surrounded Nawawra's house. Nawawra was arrested taken to an unknown location, eyewitnesses reported.

Meanwhile the army attacked a charitable society organization headquarters and a kinder garden school in Al Khader village near the city, bombed the main door of the NGO, then confiscated files and computers and damaged some of the belongings, eyewitnesses reported.

Army invades the West Bank city of Nablus and several villages and arrests three residents

Adli Zalba'e, 23, and another resident whose name was not published were arrested when Israeli troops invaded the West Bank city of Nablus Tuesday morning.

Troops invaded the city, searching several homes before making the arrests. The men were taken to an unknown location. The name of the second man was not issued, local sources reported.

Troops also took over a housing complex in the city, forcing residents out of their homes as soldiers searched for what they called "Wanted People."

Meanwhile another force invaded the nearby village of Zawata and attacked the house of Mohamed Al Shatawi. The family was forced from their home, while troops searched the house.

Also on Tuesday the army installed a temporary checkpoint at the junction between the villages of Beit Imreen and Yaseed and arrested Nimir Al-Thaher, 30, a resident of Yaseed north of Nablus.


Army invades two Hebron villages and arrests a one resident

The Israeli army arrested on Wednesday a resident from the West Bank city of Hebron. Local sources reported that the Israeli army arrested a resident who was identified as Mohammad Aref Abu Hadeed after breaking into his home located in Abu Snienah neighborhood south of Hebron.

The sources added that Israeli troops invaded the city from Al Salam Street and broke into several houses, and searched for what was called "prohibited materials," and wanted Palestinians. Eyewitnesses said that soldiers ransacked the searched houses.

Local sources in the village of Tarama, southwest of Hebron, reported that the army broke into the home of Nimir Ghanam. The resident was beat violently by the army and damage to the house was reported. The Army also broke into the home of Ismael Abdullah Al Rjoub from the nearby village of Karisa.


Conclusion

And that’s just some of the news for today in Palestine. For constant updates, check out the International Middle East Media Center website, www.imemc.org. As always, thanks for joining us. From Occupied Bethlehem, this is Palestine today was brought to you by Seth Parchelo & Stacie Miler and Ghassan Bannoura.