Palestine Today 081408

Welcome to Palestine Today, a service of the International Middle East Media Centre, www.imemc.org, for Thursday August 14th, 2008.

The Israeli army invaded west bank cities shot 2 civilians and kidnapped 12, these stories and more coming up, stay tuned.

The Israeli army invaded Deheisheh refugee camp in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Eye witnesses reported that a large Israeli army force entered the camp and began heavy shooting at random, injuring two civilians. The Israeli army took the two wounded civilians to an unknown destination.

Also, troops searched and damaged a large number of houses, as well as kidnapping five more civilians and taking them to an unknown destination.

The Israeli army invaded Nablus for the third day in a row. They harassed a number of civilians and detained them whilst checking their ID cards. Military vehicles drove through the city's streets, detaining four civilians and taking them to unknown detention camps.

In Tulkarem, Israeli military vehicles surrounded the city, erecting several military checkpoints on road crossings and village entrances. Israeli troops hindered the movement of civilians in the city.

The Israeli army invaded Jenin, demolishing farm lands by uprooting olive trees and tilling over the earth. Troops also confiscated a private land of 6 donum

In addition, two Israeli military bulldozers and two tanks invaded Khanunes in the southern part of the Gaza Strip; troops patrolled the streets and searched and ransacked several houses.

Israeli military vehicles shot live rounds at random causing panicked evacuation by local Palestinian farmers.

Continuing our daily news coverage, a group of Israeli settlers continued to attack West Bank city of Hebron. They attacked houses located near the Israeli settlement; settlers threw stones and glass bottles at houses causing the injury of Issam Sefan aged thirty-five. Medical sources reported that he sustained slight head injuries.

Israeli settlers have conducted continual daily attacks on civilians in Hebron for over a week

On a separate issue, The Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has proposed to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas that the "shelf agreement" the two sides are working on should include an agreement for Israel to take in Palestinian refugees as part of "family unification ".

Sources reported that Olmert proposed to Abbas that Israel absorb some 20,000 Palestinian refugees a year for 10 years, according to a formula to be determined in advance.

Their absorption would depend on all the other issues being resolved first, and on the Palestinians agreeing that there would not be a "right of return" to Israel and that most refugees would be absorbed in the future Palestinian state.
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 Rula Shahwan and Hussam Qassis