The French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrives in Bethlehem city as the army kills two Palestinians in Nablus, these stories and more coming up stay tuned.

The News Cast

Palestinian sources in Nablus, in the northern part of the West Bank reported on Tuesday that Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinians originally from Jenin, also in the northern part of the West Bank.

Monday night after midnight, Israeli troops surrounded the house where the two reside in Nablus and opened heavy fire at their flat killing the two residents and causing excessive damage before kidnapping five civilians, eyewitnesses reported.

Palestinian civil defense said they found the two bodies under the rubble. Dr. Ghassan Hamdan, head of the Medical Relief Services in Nablus said that the two were shot many times in their bodies and some of the bullets penetrated their heads vertically.

Sami Abu Zuhri, the spokesman of the Hamas movement, declared in a statement, "the assassination that took place only highlights the fact that the problem lies not in the resistance, but in the Israeli occupation"

He also added that the movement will stay committed to the truce agreement, if Israel keeps their part of the deal, and called upon all those concerned to put pressure on Israel to end their crimes in the West Bank.

Later in the day the French President Nicolas Sarkozy arrived at the Presidential Compound in Bethlehem city located in the southern part of the West Bank on Tuesday midday.

Sarkozy was greeted by President Mahmoud Abbas. Just before the joint press conference both Presidents singed an agreement in which France will finance a new industrial zone in Bethlehem.

President Sarkozy started the press conference by saying that the only way that Israel can have security is by creating "viable, modern and democratic Palestinian state." French President slammed the Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank and said that it should be stopped, "including east Jerusalem."

In his turn President Abbas welcomed Sarkozy, he continued to say that the Palestinian demands are based on the international resolutions "nothing more nothing less." Abbas added that he will continue the negotiations with Israel in order to achieve "peace and joint future." The visit was ended by a quick tour of the Church of Nativity.

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 Taylor Bray and Ghassan Bannoura.