Palestinian resistance fighters fired home-made shells at Israeli areas on Wednesday wounding three Israelis following the assassination of one of its members in the Jenin by the Israeli military. These news and more are coming up stay tuned.


Israeli sources reported that three Israelis suffered mild injuries after fighters of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine fired home-made shells at the Negev town of Sderot. The sources added that the shells caused damages to a number of vehicles and homes, and that the Israeli Air Forces retaliated by shelling areas in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

According to the Israeli military, resistance fighters fired 18 homemade shells at the Western Negev on Wednesday.

Al Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, claimed responsibility for firing the shells and added that the attack comes in retaliation to the assassination of Jihad Nawahda, leader of the Brigades in Jenin, in the northern part of the West Bank.

In other news, Mahmoud Zahhar, a senior political leader of the Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip stated on Wednesday that the ruling party will not accept to new truce with Israel unless it eases it's restrictions on Gaza, and allows food, fuel and basic supplies into the coastal region.

Zahhar added that the movement will wait until Friday December 19, as this date marks the end of the Egyptian-brokered truce deal.

Hamas leaders repeatedly said that they will not recognize Abbas as the Palestinian president after his term ends.

On Wednesday,the Palestine News Network (PNN) reported that the Israeli army invaded several areas in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, detaining and kidnapping a number of residents, and searching a number of homes after forcing the residents out. Officials in Bethlehem slammed the Israeli invasion and said that this attack is an attempt to disrupt the preparations for Christmas.

PNN reported that soldiers invaded at dawn Harmala town, east of Bethlehem, and closed all of its entrances. Soldiers invaded the town from several directions. They broke in, and searched dozens of homes after forcing the residents out.

Later on, soldiers kidnapped five residents who were later identified as Rafat Mohammad Al Zeer, age 27, Hisham Mohammad Al Zeer, age 25, Marwan Yousef Al Zeer, age 23, Eyad Ahmad Al Zeer, age 24, and Jamal Adel Al Zeer, age 22. All were handcuffed, blindfolded, and taken to an unknown destination.

The soldiers also occupied one home after forcing the family out and raised the Israeli flag on top of it.
In international politics, British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, insisted that he has consistently called for the settlements to be dismantled, as they are a violation of human rights and Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The press conference marked the beginning of a two-day economic and investment forum intended to promote Palestinian economic development in the the Occupied Palestinian Teritories.

During the press conference, Brown stated that he has consistently voiced to Israeli leaders his position on the illegal settlements, and his feeling that they are a barrier to “reaching the agreement that everybody thinks is possible.”

“Britain is effectively encouraging divestment from companies based or working in cooperation with business in the Jewish West Bank settlements.” Israeli online daily Haaretz reported on Thursday in reference to a letter, dated December 9, written by Gordon brown to Prime Minister Fayyad, that Haaretz was able to attain a copy of. The British premier wrote that "companies owned by his government have no financial ties to the settlements.”

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 Husam Qassis and George Rishmawi