The Palestinian health ministry warns of an imminent health crisis across the Gaza Strip while in the west Bank the Israeli army kidnaps 11 civilians, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Dr. Fathi Abu Maghli, minister of health in the Palestinian caretaker government based in the West Bank , warned of an imminent health crisis across the Gaza Strip because of the lack of fuel and shortage of supplies that are essential for the delivery of medical services.

In his appeal, Abu Maghli pointed out that the health sector in Gaza has recently suffered a great loss of essential items such as fuel for ambulances. He maintained that stoppage of ambulances would make the treatment of Palestinians wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza extremely difficult.

Over the past two weeks, Israel has strictly limited fuel shipments into the coastal territory, resulting in the rapid deterioration of civilian life of the population. Since last October, Israel has been allowing reduced quantities of fuel and cooking gas, in what Israel calls a 'bid to stop homemade shell-fire'. The move has been considered illegal by international bodies, yet no genuine pressure has been exerted on Israel to ease the pressure on the people of Gaza.

Meanwhile in the West Bank, Palestinian sources reported that the Israeli army kidnapped 11 civilians on Tuesday morning. Four of those kidnapping were taken from the city of Nablus and the nearby village of Burqa. In the northern west bank city of Qalqilia, Israeli troops attacked and searched the house of Mohamed Nufal, beating up and arresting his son Jehad, the family reported.

25 year old Saher Rezik-Allah, was kidnapped by the Israeli army during an invasion targeting the village of Attel near the northern west bank city of Tulkarem on Tuesday at dawn. Three men, were also taken when Israeli troops stormed the village of Dura near the southern west bank city of Hebron and searched a number of homes there.

On Tuesday morning, at least 40 Israeli military vehicles stormed the village of Marda, located near the northern West Bank city of Salfit. The army searched homes, detained 50 civilians, and kidnapped two.

Troops surrounded the home of Hazem Ibdah, located in Marda. Soldiers forced his family out, then began using the house as a military outpost, Ibdah told the IMEMC.



"14 armored vehicles surrounded my house at around 3:30 am; troops destroyed the front door of the house and searched in a very violent way and forced out, then the detained 50 men from the village inside my house and interrogated them, troops left at 10: am."

The operation ended at around 10:00 am on Tuesday when troops left after kidnapping two men from the village. The two men were identified as 18 year old Eihab Ibdah, and 24 year old Ahamd Sami.

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 Fuad Al-Zir and Ghassan Bannoura.