Palestinian resistance fighters attack Israeli areas near Gaza, while in the West Bank, the Israeli army continues to attack civilians. These stories, and more, coming up. Stay tuned.

The News Cast

Three Palestinian resistance groups based in the Gaza Strip launched homemade shells at Israeli areas located near the coastal region on Monday. The shelling targeted army tanks located in the military base at the Al Mintar-Karni crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israeli territory.

The groups declared that the shelling came in response to Israeli army attacks against Palestinians in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israeli sources reported the shelling, but did not report any losses.

The Hamas-run ministry of health in Gaza on Sunday warned of a health crisis in Gaza due to the continued fuel shortage in the coastal region. The statement also reported that the ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza has caused widespread complications among many thousands of patients, especially those with chronic diseases.

Since June of last year, Israel has been imposing a crippling closure on the Gaza Strip since June 2007, after the Islamist Hamas party, elected in January 2006, took full control of the region, following internecine fighting.

In the West Bank today, Israeli troops invaded the village of Atteel, located near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem on Monday morning. Local sources said that around 20 Israeli army vehicles stormed the village; adding that troops searched and ransacked a number of homes, in addition to stopping and searching vehicles travelling on streets in the area.

Witnesses to the invasion said that troops attacked Na'el Riyad, who works at a local mechanic shop, during their search in the village. Riyad sustained heavy bruises, witnesses added.

The Israeli military also invaded several areas in the southern West Bank on Monday, distributing military orders for local residents to be interrogated by Israeli military investigators.

Three Palestinian civilians were injured on Sunday when Israeli settlers attacked a house in the village of Susia, located near Hebron in the southern West Bank. Eyewitnesses report that a group of armed settlers form a nearby settlement attacked the home of the Al Nawa'jah family on Sunday evening. During the attack, settlers injured 70-year-old Khalil, his wife Tammam, 68, and their cousin Yousif, 32.

Eyewitnesses further added that settlers used rifle-butts and baseball bats to attack the family, while medical sources revealed the three had wounds to the face and limbs. Medics reported that Tammam was transported to an Israeli hospital, after sustaining critical wounds.


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 Ghassan Bannoura and George Rishmawi.