Several medical centers in the Gaza Strip have closed due to the fuel crises, while the army continue to attack the costal region leaving three dead, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The Gaza strip

Three Palestinian members of al Qassam, the armed wing of Hamas were killed when Israel targeted a group of resistance fighters in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Four members of the brigade were also injured by the Israeli shelling, some critically. Eyewitnesses reported that the military targeted the al Qassam brigade with three rockets, resulting in the deaths.

On Wednesday the Israeli army chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi stated that the Israeli military forces are ready for a wide scale ground invasion of the Gaza strip.

As the costal region lies under attack, medical sources stated that several medical centers and clinics in the Gaza Strip have closed due to fuel shortage. The shortage has come from Israel's decision to reduce fuel supplies to the strip which took effect earlier this week.


The West Bank

Palestinian medical sources reported that one Palestinian man was injured when clashes broke out between civilians and invading Israeli troops in the village of Beit Omar near the southern West Bank city of Hebron. The man was injured in the leg after being hit by a live round. He was moved to a nearby hospital.

Meanwhile on Wednesday the Israeli army attacked the village of Beit Syra located south west of Ramallah city in the central part of the West Bank, and kidnapped 20 civilians.

Local sources said that an army convoy of around 20 military vehicles stormed the village at dawn on Wednesday and conducted house-to-house searches. Witnesses added that during the search Israeli troops damaged residents' personal property and assaulted family members of the kidnapped men.

Internally, the Hamas movement stated that the Palestinian Security forces of President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah had arrested 18 of its members on Wednesday from several parts of the West Bank. According to the statement the arrests took place in the cities of Nablus and Jenin in the northern part of the West Bank, and in the cities of Ramallah and Hebron in the central and southern parts of the West Bank.


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.