In the West Bank, Israeli forces kidnap 13 across the region. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, one Palestinian is killed after Israeli forces attack the centre of the coastal region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned.

The West Bank

The Israeli army invaded several areas of the West Bank in the early hours of Thursday morning, kidnapping at least 13 Palestinians.

In Nablus, Israeli troops invaded the city, kidnapping two men, one reported to be a senior member of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas.

Elsewhere, the Israeli army kidnapped eight Palestinians, one a member of the municipal council, from the central West Bank city of Ramallah.

In the southern West Bank, Israeli forces kidnapped three Palestinians across the region. Local sources reported that the men were kidnapped from Bethlehem, Hebron, and the al-Aroub refugee camp.

The Israeli military also invaded the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Tubas, attacking residents and searching homes. No kidnappings were reported in either invasion.

The Gaza Strip

A Palestinian man was killed, and several others wounded, after the Israeli army on Wednesday afternoon attacked Juhr ad Deek village, in the central Gaza Strip. Medical sources confirmed the death of the man, identified as Mahmoud al-Haj, 23, adding that he bled to death after being hit by shrapnel from a tank shell. The man was reported to be a member of the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad.

Medics further added that at least four other people were injured in the attack, one of whom currently lies in a critical condition.

Muhammad Daif, leader of the al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, has reportedly returned to the Gaza Strip after spending more than one year abroad receiving medical attention. Daif left the Gaza Strip in July 2006, after he was seriously injured in an assassination attempt by the Israeli army. The report comes two days after sources close to Daif claimed that the Qassam Brigades are in the preparatory stages of launching attacks inside Israel.

Football's international federation association, FIFA, has rejected an appeal by the Palestinian Football Federation to reschedule a world cup qualification match between Singapore and Palestine. The Palestinian team was unable to participate in the match because of Israeli travel restrictions on the Gaza Strip.


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 John Smith and Ghassan Bannoura.