Israeli attacks on Gaza leave four Palestinians dead, and the Israeli military kidnaps 28 Palestinian civilians from the West Bank. These stories and more, coming up, stay tuned.

The News Cast

By midday on Wednesday, Israeli attacks on Gaza had left four Palestinians dead. Later on Wednesday afternoon, the Israeli government decided to halt their attacks on the strip, allowing further time for Egyptian efforts in the mediation of a ceasefire with Hamas.

Mark Regev, spokesperson of the office of the Israeli Prime Minister, told reporters that the Israeli government will not order any military attacks targeting Gaza “for the time being”. The Israeli army will, however, continue to prepare for a full-scale offensive against Gaza, in case truce talks fail.

The Egyptian efforts to mediate a ceasefire between Israel and the Hamas movement started last April.

Early on Wednesday morning, Israeli tanks shelled Palestinian homes, killing one child, a resistance fighter and injured two other civilians, east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Eyewitnesses report that tanks invaded the area and opened fire at residents' homes. Hadeil Al Smierri, 9 years old, was located in her home in Qarara village, just east of Khan Younis, when shells ripped through the wall of her home, killing her instantly.
As soon as the tanks attacked, local resistance fighters clashed with the invading forces. One fighter was killed, named by the Al Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of the Hamas movement, as Ibraheem Saa'ed.
55 year old Mohamed Assalyiah, 55, was also killed, while his 10 year-old granddaughter was injured alongside two other civilians, during an Israeli air strike which targted Jabalia refugee camp, located in the northern Gaza Strip on Wednesday at midday.

Witnesses stated that an Israeli helicopter shot missiles at a group of civilians gathered near a local mosque, killing Assalyiah. A fourth man was killed in Al Qarara on Wednesday afternoon as Israeli shelling continued.

Also on Wednesday, the Israeli army kidnapped 28 Palestinian civilians during pre-dawn invasions across the West Bank. Palestinian sources said that abductions were reported in the West Bank cities of Jenin, Nablus, Tulkarem, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron.

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.