Israeli government cuts off fuel from Gaza and an Israeli army attack leaves three Palestinians dead in the costal region, these stories and more coming up -stay tuned.

The Gaza strip

Israeli air strikes killed three Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip city of Rafah in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Medical sources reported that Israeli military jets fired two rockets at a crowd of civilians in the city center resulting in the deaths of three men.

Israeli military sources confirmed today that there had been three Palestinians killed in Gaza, and said the aim of the air strike was to target Hamas members. The strikes come following Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Baraks' authorization of military action against Gaza. Twelve members of Hamas have been killed during Israeli attacks on Gaza in the past week.

Also today The Israeli Information Center For Human Rights in the Occupied Territories "B'Tselem" asserted its disappointment at the indecision of the Israeli Supreme court of Justice regarding the reduction of fuel supplies to the Gaza strip. The group also pointed out that the court has postponed its decision regarding Israel's plans to reduce the fuel supplied to Gaza for two weeks as it was originally to be given on the 2nd of December

The purpose of the postponement is said to be in order to gather additional information and facts regarding the Israeli plan and its consequences to Gaza residents. Thereafter, Judge Dorit Beinisch, President of the Supreme Court of Israel and justices Hayut and Eilon declared there had been no objection to starting the immediate implementation of the plan for reducing the fuel supply.

Israel’s controversial decision has already started to take effect, with the Palestinian population in Gaza unable to travel by car between locations within the Gazan borders. The population is already prevented from traveling anywhere outside of Gaza, as Israeli forces have completely sealed off the borders. In addition, many Palestinians who depend on gas for cooking food will be unable to do so with the cut-off in place.

In the West Bank, Israeli military forces kidnapped a Palestinian youth from the northern West Bank city of Tubas, early on Tuesday morning. Also near Tubas today, local sources reported that Israeli troops attacked Palestinian shepherds. Meanwhile, the Israeli army carried out another violent attack on Western Nablus in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Troops stormed several neighborhoods in the city, kidnapping one civilian.

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 Brian O'Cionnaith and Ghassan Bannoura.