The Israeli army invades southern Gaza and opens fire at school children, while in the West Bank Israeli troops kidnap 20 civilians, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Palestinian school children in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah came under Israeli army gun fire on Thursday morning as resistance fighters clashed with the invading troops.

The Israeli army forces invaded the city of Rafah on Thursday morning, opened heavy gun fire on Palestinian school children as well as local residents' homes.

During a short time the invading tanks and bulldozers exchanged fire with local resistance fighters and resistance groups announced that they fired several home made shells at the invading forces, neither side reported any injuries.

Meanwhile, today the Israeli army kidnapped 20 Palestinian civilians from several parts of the West Bank.

The Israeli army attacked and searched homes in the village of Beita located near the northern West Bank city of Nablus and kidnapped 18 civilians there. Sources in the village said that troops kept the village under curfew until late morning.

On Thursday, two Palestinian civilians were kidnapped when Israeli troops attacked several villages located near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.

In addition, troops attacked and searched homes in Sa'er and Sourif villages located near Hebron. Eyewitnesses said that the troops forced families out of their homes during the search. The witnesses added that soldiers ransacked the homes they searched and assaulted men.

Moreover on Thursday afternoon the Israeli army forces invaded Sourif village again, took control of two homes and made them into army posts.

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. This report has been brought to you by Louisa White and Ghassan Bannoura.