In the West Bank, Palestinian Authority security forces clash with residents of the Balata refugee camp, injuring five. In the Gaza Strip meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak rules out the possibility of an imminent attack on the costal region. These stories and more coming up. Stay tuned.

The West Bank

Local sources on Monday reported that five Palestinians were injured during internal clashes that broke out between gunmen and Palestinian police on Monday evening in the Balata refugee camp, located in the northern West Bank city of Nablus. The sources claimed that policemen surrounded the camp after they were attacked by unidentified assailants. During the search of the camp, clashes between police officers and armed men erupted, leaving five civilians injured. Israeli sources on Tuesday reported that the siege had ended, with PA security forces seizing two members of the al-Aqsa Brigades, the armed wing of the Fatah movement.

Also on Monday, Israeli forces invaded the northern West Bank city of Jenin, clashing with local youths and kidnapping two civilians. Local sources reported that undercover forces of the Israeli army infiltrated the city in attempt to kidnap members of the al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Islamic Jihad.

Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli army invaded the northern West Bank cities of Nablus and Qalqilia on Tuesday morning, kidnapping at least nine civilians, one a senior leader of the Hamas movement. The man, al-Sheikh Maher al-Kharaz, 55, considered by many as one of Hamas' most senior West Bank leaders, was kidnapped after Israeli forces invaded the old city area of Nablus and stormed his home.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday indicated he was prepared to deal with the "fundamental issues" of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after the Annapolis conference, now confirmed to be taking place in the final week of November. Speaking after a meeting with Israeli President Shimon Peres, Olmert confirmed that he was committed to a two-state solution, and planned to proceed with final status negotiations in the aftermath of the Annapolis summit.

The Gaza Strip

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Tuesday declared that there would be no major offensive on the Gaza Strip in the coming weeks, arguing that the time was not ripe for such an attack. Speaking at a Knesset Committee, Barak told other MKs that such an assault would be delayed in light of the upcoming Annapolis conference.

U.S. Democratic Congressman Gary Ackerman on Monday stated that the Hamas movement had managed to smuggle between 12 and 20 million US dollars per month through the Gaza-Egypt border, arguing that Egypt was directly responsible for allowing such activity to take place.

Later in the day, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni told her Egyptian counterpart, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, that the Gaza Strip was becoming a "serious regional problem," and demanded that Egypt act immediately in bringing an end to smuggling between the two areas.

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.